FHL Programs | Friday Harbor Laboratories

Friday Harbor Laboratories (FHL) offers a variety of on-site educational opportunities for undergraduate students, post-baccalaureates, graduate students, post-docs, and professionals. All FHL programs require an application. We welcome and encourage applications from within and without the University of Washington (UW). Once accepted, FHL students move to San Juan Island and join the tight-knit scientific community at Friday Harbor Labs to gain hands-on learning experiences. Each program is uniquely different; whale watching trips, bi-weekly data collection cruises, tide pooling, and snorkeling are just a few examples of what is on offer through our programs. Read on for more information.

For Credit Courses

Spring and Autumn quarters at FHL have curricula designed to attract and challenge undergraduate students interested in diverse facets of marine science. Some programs have fixed curricula (e.g. the Zoobot program in spring quarter, the Pelagic Ecosystem Function apprenticeship in autumn quarter), whereas others (Spring Marine Studies, Autumn Marine Studies) offer choices of courses so that students can follow individual interests and fulfill essential course requirements for their majors. All programs offer an option to do hands-on, mentored research. Most courses are 400-level and are designed for undergraduates with strong performance records in prerequisite classes and relevant course content; the pace and intensity of quarters at FHL are high and students should expect to be engaged with coursework most of each day, including extended time in the field. Funding is available to help cover costs; it is our goal to enable every student wanting to participate in these transformative quarters to do so.

Autumn & Spring Courses

Courses

These 10-week highly immersive programs are offered in Spring and Autumn and consist of 300- and 400-level marine science courses. Cohorts of 20-40 students together take a full load of classes, which truly are full-time jobs. Students should expect to spend 40 hours per week either in the lecture, lab, field, and homework components of these programs. Topics include marine research, marine mammals, invertebrate zoology, marine botany, marine ecology, behavioral ecology and/or anatomy and physiology.

Target Audience: undergraduate students and post-baccalaureates, though others are encouraged to apply as well

Courses vary depending on the year so take a deeper look at our Course Descriptions for what is on offer next.

Research Apprenticeships

Friday Harbor Labs offers 10-week, 15-credit research apprenticeships every autumn and the occasional winter quarter.

In autumn, join a team of passionate and inquisitive minds ready to take on independent research projects. Bi-weekly research cruises follow the same route through the San Juan Channel, allowing students to practice various data collecting techniques through gain hands-on experience collecting data on various pelagic ecosystem components.

In winter, an apprenticeship is occasionally offered focusing on different biological imaging techniques. Take advantage of the various imaging tools FHL has to offer, from digital photography and CT scanners to light photomicroscopy to scanning electron microscopy, students learn how to operate these tools and use them to complete individual research projects.

Target Audience: Non-UW undergraduate, graduate students, and post-baccs, though others are encouraged to apply as well

Take a deeper look at our Course Descriptions for what is on offer next.

Summer academic offerings at FHL include several 5-week courses in two different sessions (A and B). Course topics vary each year and are designed for graduate students and highly qualified undergraduates. Each course delves intensively into a core marine subject, and all take advantage of the proximity of diverse habitats to modern lab equipment. Motivated undergraduates should expect competition for course slots, but those with strong backgrounds will be considered and may be accepted. UW students who are accepted to summer courses can apply credits to appropriate major requirements.

Summer Courses

These 5-week stand alone courses offer experiential learning opportunities in a fast-paced and deeply immersive environment. Be ready to jump in the deep end with both feet, so to speak! Courses are 400- and 500-level and run 5.5 days per week. Yes, there is class on weekends. Topics offered include evolutionary development, ecomorphology and kinematics of fishes, subtidal marine ecology, marine ecology and conservation, marine birds and mammals, etc. We have too many courses to offer all at once, so course offerings generally alternate each year (ex. courses A, B, and C may be offered in 2022, 2024, 2026, etc. (even years) while courses D, E, and F are offered in 2021, 2023, 2025, etc. (odd years)).

Target Audience: undergraduate, masters, PhD students and post-baccs, though others are encouraged to apply as well

Take a deeper look at our Course Descriptions for what is on offer next.

Take me to the For Credit Course webpages

Not For Credit Workshops

During most summers, FHL offers one or more short (1-3 weeks) not-for-credit workshops. Workshops are designed for graduate students and early-career professionals who attend from around the nation and the globe; they focus on techniques, expanding the skillsets of participants. Workshops are chosen to take full advantage of the proximity of diverse habitats to modern lab equipment.

Training Workshops

Our 3-week not for credit training workshops are designed to impart techniques and methods to participants who can then take what they learned back to their home universities and labs. Workshop topics vary from summer to summer – in the past, we have hosted workshops on infectious marine disease, environmental DNA, marine heat waves, and an interdisciplinary workshop on marrying art and science.

Target Audience: masters and PhD students, post-docs, and professionals, though others are encouraged to apply as well

Visit our Training Workshop page for what is on offer next and how to apply.

Take me to the Not For Credit Workshop webpages

Undergraduate Research Internships (REU)

REU Opportunities

Undergraduate Research Internships (REU)

Friday Harbor Labs’ REU program connects undergraduate students with scientist-mentors as collaborators in independent marine science research projects. Throughout this 8-week program, interns are exposed to the live and work at a marine science laboratory, where participants attend workshops, seminars, and training sessions to aid in their hands-on research.

Interns are provided with financial support to meet costs of room, board, and round trip travel, plus a stipend of $500 per week.

Target Audience: undergraduate students who identify as minorities in science, though other undergraduate students are encouraged to apply as well.

Mentors and research topics on offer vary from year to year. Visit the Research (REU) Internships webpage for more details and how to apply.

Take me to the Undergraduate Research Internship webpages

Scholarship Opportunities

FHL offers scholarship opportunities for students who can demonstrate need or academic merit. To maximize the aid to as many qualified students as possible, only partial support will be awarded to individuals.

FHL Facilities: Housing and Dining

Coursework at FHL requires a full time commitment, and requires living on campus. Due to the remote location of FHL, it is not possible to commute to FHL from Seattle. The living arrangement at FHL is unique in that most faculty and almost all students live, eat, and work together on the FHL campus.