BMSC Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre

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2026 Summer Program Application Form

How to Apply

"*" indicates required fields

Scholarship Deadline

Applications completed before the scholarship deadline below receive priority assessment and are eligible for internal BMSC scholarships. Course applications remain open after the scholarship deadline, but applications submitted after the deadline are assessed on a first-come, first-serve basis and are not eligible for internal scholarships.

The scholarship deadline for summer course applications is March 1, 2026, 11:59 pm PST.

Transcripts & Additional Documents

Submit official or unofficial post-secondary transcripts by email to university@bamfieldmsc.com within one hour of completing this application form. Transcripts must be PDF files or other secure file formats. Screenshots or pictures of transcripts will not be accepted. If you have attended multiple post-secondary institutions, you must submit a transcript from each institution.

To assist with the adjudication of BMSC scholarships, please submit any proof of financial need (e.g., loan statements, confirmation of other financial supports) alongside your post-secondary transcripts.

Additional Documents:

If you are applying for Subtidal Science, you must also submit the SCUBA certificates and associated documents listed in the course description.

Applicant Information

Name*
Address*

Contact Information

Additional Communications*
The email address entered above will be our primary method of contacting you and will be used for all program-related communications. We occasionally send newsletters and opportunities to past applicants and Alumni. Would you like to receive these additional communications from the BMSC?

Academic Information

Post-Secondary Enrolment*
Please select the post-secondary institution you are currently enrolled in. If you are enrolled at a post-secondary institution that is not a member of the Pacific Marine Science Alliance, or if you are not currently enrolled in a post-secondary institution, please indicate this in the 'Other' field.

Do you plan to audit BMSC course(s)?*
Auditing refers to taking a university course without receiving credit towards a university degree.
Academic Standing as of April 30, 2026*
If you will have completed your second undergraduate year by April 30th, 2026, your academic standing would be third year undergraduate.

Calculate your relative Grade Point Average (rGPA) based on your 20 most recently completed university-level courses. Please calculate enter your rGPA using your post-secondary institution's grading scheme.
If you have not yet completed 20 university-level courses, instead enter your current cumulative GPA (cGPA).
Please convert the GPA entered above into an letter or percentage average based on your institution's grade scheme (e.g., within the SFU grade scheme an rGPA of 3.05 is equivalent to a B average).

Course Selection

Please indicate which course - if any - you would prefer to be enrolled in for each block. Students may only be enrolled in one course within a given block.
Refer to our online course descriptions for details.

BLOCK 1: May 18th - June 5th

Preferred course
Second choice

BLOCK 2 : June 8th - June 26th

Preferred course
Second choice

BLOCK 3 : June 29th - July 17th

Preferred course
Second choice

BLOCK 4: July 20th - August 7th

Preferred course
Second choice

BLOCK 5: August 10th - August 21st*

Please note the specific dates of courses in this block.
Preferred course
Second choice

Prerequisite Courses*
List each prerequisite course needed for the courses you selected above and the grade you received in them. If you have completed more than one course that satisfies a given prerequisite, list the course which you received the highest grade from.
If you are currently taking a course you would use as a prerequisite, enter 'TBD' in the Grade column.
If you received permission from an instructor to apply without a prerequisite course, record the name of the waived prerequisite in the Course Name column and 'NIL' in the Course Code and Grade columns.
Use the '+' symbol at the end of the row to add more courses.
Course Name
Course Code (e.g., BIOL 200)
Grade
 

Please provide a brief statement of interest explaining why you are specifically applying for the courses and/or programs you have selected, and how they will apply to your degree requirements and personal goals.

Health, Safety, and Accessibility

Field Safety Plan*
The BMSC has worked hard to produce a field safety plan - approved by our member universities and in adherence to federal and provincial public health guidelines - that aims to ensure the health and safety of our students, staff, and community. If your application is accepted, you will be provided with our general safety guidelines and program-relevant safety policies. Students must adhere to these guidelines and policies in order to participate in any BMSC programming.
Do you understand?

The BMSC is located in an isolated rural community on the edge of the Pacific Ocean and surrounded by wilderness. Students must therefore be prepared for the physical and mental challenges inherent to working in a remote field setting.

Due to the topography of the BMSC campus, getting around often involves climbing flights of stairs and/or traversing hills. As well, programs at the BMSC may involve physically demanding activities such as: carrying and using bulky scientific gear in slippery, steep, uneven, rocky, and or/muddy terrain; snorkelling in cold water; day hikes (up to ~3 hours each way) through rough and/or muddy forest trails; overnight backpacking/camping trips over rough and/or muddy forest trails (students may be expected to haul their own gear); and lengthy open water excursions on our research vessels. Any of these activities may occur early in the morning or late in the evening, and all occur regardless of rain or cold weather.

As well, students in our summer courses should expect course activities to run from 9:00 am to ~5:00 pm (with an hour break for lunch), Monday to Friday, and that the workload for a single course at the BMSC is roughly equivalent to a full load of 'standard' post-secondary courses. All students at the BMSC must be prepared to live, learn, and work together with their fellow students for the duration of their program.

Please indicate whether you are prepared for the level of physical and mental exertion described above.*
Your response will not influence whether you are accepted to the course(s) you are applying for.

If you answered no above, BMSC staff will contact you to discuss potential academic and/or physical accommodations. The Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre is committed to addressing and removing barriers that prevent students from participating in our programming wherever possible.

Have you been to the BMSC before?*
Please select all that apply.
If you have been to the BMSC before, please tell us what year.
Please enter a number from 1972 to 2026.