Summer 2026 Course

How to Apply

  1. Complete the online departmental application form (including scholarships and jobs).
    1. To apply for scholarships, you must provide a current academic transcript (unofficial transcripts are accepted) and the contact information for one faculty member to serve as a reference.
    2. To apply for a job at camp, please indicate your preference in the application and provide relevant experience, if any.
  2. Complete the University of Missouri Visiting Student Application.
  3. Camp leadership will review applications upon submission and promptly make acceptance and scholarship decisions. 

If you have any questions regarding the application process, please contact Dr. Nathan Hopkins (nathanhopkins@missouri.edu). 

Steam rises from geysers amid a lush green landscape under a bright blue sky. Trees dot the area, and sunlight filters through the mist, creating an ethereal scene.

The 2026 session of camp begins on May 31st and concludes on July 11th. Key dates include:

  • May 31st - Student Arrival and Orientation
  • June 24th - Departure for Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks
  • June 28th - Return to Branson Field Laboratory
  • July 11th - Concluding Activities
  • July 12th - Student Departure
Field camp 2026 schedule

The Branson Field Laboratory is about 10 miles southwest of Lander, Wyoming in Sinks Canyon of the Wind River Mountains. The camp is in the Shoshone National Forest about a half mile from the trailhead into the Popo Agie Wilderness Area.


Expense 


Cost (USD) 

Tuition * 

2,688

Room and Board 

1,225 

Field Transportation ** 

1,000

Textbooks and classroom materials 

100 

Transportation to camp fee *** (Optional) 

$200 round-trip; $100 one-way 

Total 

5,013 

(*) Tuition rate is the same for Missouri residents and non-residents, MU students and visiting students. Tuition, College of Arts and Science Fee and Computing Fee are subject to change. These fees do not revert to our program, and are funneled directly to the University. 

(**) Field transportation fees apply to all students attending camp, and relates to the usage of University vehicles for daily transportation to field sites and field trips. 

(***)  For students opting to travel in University vans from Columbia, MO to Lander, WY and back, there will be an extra fee (see below). 

Round-trip transportation and lodging from Columbia, MO to Camp Branson, WY 
Round trip transportation and lodging from Columbia, Missouri to Branson Lab is $200. 

The vans will leave Columbia in the morning of Saturday, May 30, at 7:30am and arrive in camp on the afternoon of Sunday, May 31. The vans will leave camp in the morning of Sunday, July 12 and arrive in Columbia in the afternoon of Monday, July 13. 

The Cashiers Office at MU will send the first notification of a fee bill to students registered for the course on or around May 10th. Students and/or authorized users must pay their semester balance in full by the first due date OR select the semester payment plan each semester the student is enrolled. Failure to pay in full OR enroll in the payment plan by the enrollment deadline will result in the student account being placed into the Default Plan, and a $200 non-refundable setup fee will be assessed to the account. 

For students choosing the Payment Plan option, fees can be paid off in three installments: 

  • June 10th
  • July 10th
  • August 10th 

Cashiers Office information on billing and payments below: