ATTENDING CPBS

Attending CPBS

Why Should I Enroll in a CPBS Course?


A girl holding a dragonfly

  • Complete a 4 credit course in 3 weeks or a 3 credit course in 2 weeks.
  • Class are field-based, so you spend most of your days (and sometimes nights!) outside the classroom delving into field science.
  • Relationships with students, TAs, and professors form fast and strong.
  • You get to eat three meals a day with science-minded people from undergraduates to well-known scientists where you can discuss ideas.
  • You'll have the opportunity to live in rustic cabins by serene Lake Ogallala and five minutes from Lake McConaughy.
  • The majority of alumni agree that their participation at Cedar Point was a major highlight of their educational experience at Nebraska!

The University of Nebraska's School of Biological Sciences offers eight courses at Cedar Point every summer. We also partner with other departments who offer two to four additional courses. These non-biology courses included one ARTP 383 class (Working with Watercolor is most likely in 2021, offered in partnership with the Department of Art and Art History) and one ENGL 317 class (Literature and the Environment, offered in partnership with the English department). See Art at CPBS for a description of the art program. Please click on the course name for more information in the course listing.

Courses are split up into four, 3-week sessions with 2-4 courses each session. Each session begins with dinner on Sunday night of the first week and ends on Friday afternoon of the third week. Classes meet all day Monday-Friday, and may include optional activities on the weekends. Courses are experience-based learning with an emphasis on student research projects.

Students who are not currently enrolled at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln are always welcome to take courses at CPBS. If you have not completed an undergraduate degree you must fill out the visiting student application for admission in addition to your Cedar Point application. If you are a student of another of University of Nebraska's institutions (UNK, UNO, etc.), you will need to fill out the online intercampus application and the Cedar Point application. If you have completed a degree, or are currently enrolled as a graduate student in another institution, you need to apply for admission through the Graduate School. For more information see the Office of Graduate Studies - Visiting Student.

Scientific ethics and general good sense dictate several basic rules when attending CPBS. Treat everything here with respect and forethought. The laboratory and classrooms are not just the buildings that hold a few books, computers, microscopes, desks, but rather, CPBS is nearly 1,000 acres of living collection and experiments. All of your actions affect the results of current and future research. Please remember to respect people’s research space, both in the buildings and outside, and respect the rights of future visitors. Simply put, please be courteous and use good sense, so your research and learning experience at CPBS will be enjoyable and productive.

Please keep in mind that classes fill on a first come, first serve basis, so if you see a class that you want to take, please contact us as soon as you can!


Water flowing over a dam, a hay field with hay rolls, and a light purple flower