summer

Spend Summer Studying Stars in the Sierras

Outdoor Astronomy Class at the SF State Sierra Nevada Field Campus

We offer short summer courses for academic credit at SF State's Sierra Nevada Field Campus in the Tahoe National Forest. Sign up for our Astronomy class this summer, where you can stay in a tent and study celestial objects with a space scientist under the night sky. If you are a beginning amateur astronomer who is having difficulty finding anything but the moon and brighter planets to observe, this course will help you better explore the sky. Educators may use this course to maintain their science accreditation.

ASTR 216 Practical Observational Astronomy in the Sierra Nevada

Dates: June 30, 2024 - July 5, 2024
Instructor: Martin Sirk, UC Berkeley Space Science Laboratory

This field-based laboratory course provides an opportunity for students to understand our place in the universe. Using the naked eye, binoculars, and large telescopes, we will explore celestial objects including the solar system, the stars, the Milky Way and other galaxies. Set within a beautiful national forest in the mountains far from bright city lights, the Field Campus area has the dark sky ideal for observing deep-sky objects and meteors. Throughout the course we will stress hands-on use of telescopes and their accessories. Students will learn how to use star charts and atlases and the setting circles of an equatorial mounting to locate faint celestial objects.

Register Today

Find out how to register.

Learn More

For more information about the course and instructor, see course details. Discover other classes on the class schedule.

Open University - Summer 2024 Registration Starts April 17

Register Starting April 17, 2024

Open University registration for summer 2024 starts April 17. Find your classes now on the SF State class schedule.

What is Open University?

Open University allows you to take space-available SF State undergraduate and graduate classes without formal admission to the University. You can apply up to 24 undergraduate units toward a bachelor’s degree or six graduate units toward a master’s degree at SF State.

Sierra Nevada Field Campus - Register Now for Summer

Go offline this summer. Study in the Tahoe National Forest at SF State’s Sierra Nevada Field Campus (SNFC). Summer classes are now up and available for registration.

Summer Classes at SNFC

  • ART 470: The Mobile Studio: Creative Research in the Outdoors
  • ASTR 216: Practical Observational Astronomy in the Sierra Nevada
  • BIOL 315: Ecology and Conservation of California Bats
  • BIOL 315: Flora of the Northern Sierra Nevada
  • BIOL 315: Fungi of the Sierra Nevada
  • BIOL 315: Insect Biology and Identification
  • GEOG 655: Fire, Water and Conservation in the Northern Sierra Nevada
  • LS 699: Climate Issues and Activism
  • LTNS 699: Latinxs and the Environment

Learn More

Find out more about SNFC summer classes and how you can study in the beauty of nature this summer.

Study Biology in the Tahoe National Forest this Summer

Summer Study in the Sierras

Study Biology in the Tahoe National Forest this summer at SF State’s Sierra Nevada Field Campus. Registration is now open for accredited summer 2024 courses, starting in June and July.

Biology Courses

  • BIOL 315: Ecology and Conservation of California Bats
  • BIOL 315: Flora of the Northern Sierra Nevada
  • BIOL 315: Fungi of the Sierra Nevada
  • BIOL 315: Insect Biology and Identification

Learn More

Find out how you can study Biology in the beauty of nature with summer Biology classes at the Sierra Nevada Field Campus.

Paralegal Studies: Apply for Summer 2024 by May 7

Start in Summer: Apply by May 7

Take the first step toward a rewarding career in the legal field, and apply to our ABA-approved program. Paralegal Studies offers an excellent legal faculty, rigorous curriculum and a vast professional network to prepare you for a successful career as a paralegal. All Paralegal Studies classes are taught online in the synchronous modality. You can begin your legal career in just one year.

Eligibility

To be admitted to the program, students are required to have a minimum of 60 semester or 90 quarter units of prior academic course credit. If you hold a baccalaureate degree, you're automatically eligible for admission.

Apply

Don't miss your chance to apply for summer 2024. The deadline to apply is May 7.

Sierra Nevada Field Campus Information Session 2023

Take summer classes in the Tahoe National Forest. Find out about San Francisco State University's Sierra Nevada Field Campus in a Zoom information session.

The Sierra Nevada Field Campus is surrounded by thousands of forest acres, lakes and 49er gold mines, and partially bound by a trout tributary of the Yuba River, the campus offers students a unique opportunity to explore the natural environment of the Sierra first-hand.

Classes include the study of fungi, flora, bats, astronomy, climate activism, butterflies, insects — and feminism.

RSVP to find out more and get your questions answered.

Study Stars in the Sierras this Summer

Outdoor Astronomy Class at the SF State Sierra Nevada Field Campus

We offer short summer courses for academic credit at SF State's Sierra Nevada Field Campus in the Tahoe National Forest. Sign up for our Astronomy class this summer, where you can stay in a tent and study celestial objects with a space scientist under the night sky.

If you are a beginning amateur astronomer who is having difficulty finding anything but the moon and brighter planets to observe, this course will help you better explore the sky. Educators may use this course to maintain their science accreditation.

ASTR 216 Practical Observational Astronomy in the Sierra Nevada

Dates: July 16, 2023 - July 21, 2023
Instructor: Martin Sirk, UC Berkeley Space Science Laboratory

This field-based laboratory course provides an opportunity for students to understand our place in the universe. Using the naked eye, binoculars, and large telescopes, we will explore celestial objects including the solar system, the stars, the Milky Way and other galaxies. Set within a beautiful national forest in the mountains far from bright city lights, the Field Campus area has the dark sky ideal for observing deep-sky objects and meteors. Throughout the course we will stress hands-on use of telescopes and their accessories. Students will learn how to use star charts and atlases and the setting circles of an equatorial mounting to locate faint celestial objects.

Register Today

Find out how to register.

Learn More

For more information about the course and instructor, see course details. Discover other classes on the class schedule.

Sierra Nevada Field Campus Weekend - Register by May 25

Weekend for Center for Global Engagement Students:
July 21, 2023 - July 23, 2023

Commune with nature and appreciate the natural beauty of the Sierra Nevada region for a weekend at the Sierra Nevada Field Campus (SNFC). Experience the diversity of the wild, and learn about the natural and cultural history of the region.

Activities include:

  • Hiking
  • Swimming in a lake
  • Stargazing and astronomy lesson
  • Enjoying a campfire with s'mores
  • And more

Camp in Comfort

New to camping? SNFC has a dining hall with a chef for all your meals, and bathrooms with hot showers.

What's included:

  • Round-trip transportation
  • Tents
  • Sleeping bags
  • Sleeping pads
  • Organized activities
  • Cost of admission to excursion sites
  • All meals

SNFC Outdoor Experience Weekend

Students in the American Language InstituteSan Francisco Discover and Summer in San Francisco programs can also enroll in the optional SNFC Outdoor Experience Weekend. Learn about nature, astronomy, and the history of the mountain range while honing outdoor skills. The program will be based out of the Sierra Nevada Field Campus with excursions throughout the region.

Learn More

Get the details about the Sierra Nevada Field Campus Weekend and register by May 25, 2023.

 

See Sierra Nevada Field Campus to explore summer classes offered at SNFC.

Study Biology in the Tahoe National Forest

Summer Study in the Sierras

Study Biology in the Tahoe National Forest this summer at SF State’s Sierra Nevada Field Campus. Registration is now open for accredited summer 2023 courses, starting in June and July.

Biology Courses

  • BIOL 315: Butterflies and Moths of the Sierra Nevada
  • BIOL 315: Ecology and Conservation of California Bats
  • BIOL 315: Flora of the Northern Sierra Nevada
  • BIOL 315: Fungi of the Sierra Nevada
  • BIOL 315: Insect Biology and Identification

Learn More

Find out how you can study Biology in the beauty of nature with summer Biology classes at the Sierra Nevada Field Campus.

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