Summer Lab Information
What is it?
The Operations and Process Laboratory, CBE424, familiarly known as Summer Lab, is a required Chemical Engineering course, unique because it is only offered during the summer and it consists of five weeks of full time work performing experimental work and writing reports based on the results. In this site you will find information related to the several summer lab sessions available. Of special interest, there is information about what you need to do in preparation for attending one of the overseas sessions.
The menu on the left sidebar or upper left corner provides access to different sections of this site.
Planning for summer lab
Students must plan ahead in order to complete the pre-requisites on time and to be able to take the course in the summer immediately after or before their last full semester of courses.
The course runs for eight hours a day, five days a week, for five weeks and it is considered a full time commitment. Participants are strongly discouraged to take any other work or study commitments for the duration of the course.
When and where?
Several sessions of the course are offered in the summer: two in Madison, and others overseas. Admission to any of the sessions must be approved by the summer sessions director prior to enrollment.
Madison sessions
All eligible students are guaranteed a space in one of these sessions. Preregistration is requested and placement in one session or another will be offered to each student based on his/her preference, available capacity in the preferred session, and special circumstances expressed by the student at the time of preregistration.
Overseas Sessions
The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering has current agreements with:
The Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering of the University of Oviedo, Spain,
The Department of Chemical Sciences of the Univeristy of Limerick, Ireland.
Admission to these sessions is limited and managed through the International Academic Programs of the University of Wisconsin. An information meeting is usually held in the Fall semester, where students may express their intention and preference to attend an international session. Available spaces are offered to selected students and a waiting list is maintained in case some offers are declined. Applications to these sessions are typically received by late December or early January.
The costs of these sessions are higher than those given in Madison. Some scholarships, generously funded by alumni and other benefactors, are available to help with those costs.
Madison Sessions dates for 2024
Madison I: May 20 - June 21, 2024 (start date one week after Commencement)
Madison II: July 8 - August 9, 2024
Apply for the Madison Sessions through this link, open now through January 29, 2024. Session assignments will be posted in early February.
Overseas Sessions in 2024
Oviedo, Spain: May 25 - June 29, 2024
Limerick, Ireland: May 29 - July 4, 2024
Tuition and fees information (UW NetID required)
Apply for the Overseas Sessions through this link, during the established application period. Initial offers for admission will be sent by mid-December.
A waiting list will be maintained in case additional openings occur. As openings become available, eligible students will be contacted through e-mail.