Expand Your Horizons on Catalina Island

The Wrigley Institute Catalina Residential College, based at the Wrigley Marine Science Center on Catalina Island, is your campus-away-from-campus for learning about the environment and sustainability. We offer residential courses on a variety of topics, with a focus on interdisciplinary and hands-on learning for future environmental leaders. Sound like you? Explore our offerings below to get started!

Interested in attending a Catalina Residential College program? Fill out our interest form, and we’ll notify you when your preferred programs open for registration.

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Students gather around a transect tool, a frame-like device strung with a grid of lines to aid in measurement. The transect tool lies on top of a rocky area in a tidepool zone.

Charting a Sustainable Future at USC

Nicole Summerfield’s Catalina Residential College experience was so transformative that she enrolled not once, but twice. From investigating social perceptions of climate interventions to entering an underwater world of ecosystem research, Nicole used her visits to the island as stepping stones toward a more sustainable future, both for herself and for the planet.

Learn more about Nicole’s experience

“My fondest memories and most impactful learning experiences at USC were made possible by the Catalina Residential College. It was an experience like no other: it deeply ingrained in me the beauty and importance of preserving our natural world, and I would come back every year if I could.”

Nicole Summerfield ’23, B.A. and M.A., Environmental Studies
Nicole Summerfield, who wears a black blazer, white blouse and pearl necklace

The Catalina Residential College Experience

See what it’s like to spend a few days or even a month with us!

students holding laptops smile as they collaborate on a project
A group of students hold a light underneath a jar of ocean water they've collected. The ocean water has algae and plankton in it, and the students are illuminated red because it is nighttime.
a student wearing a wetsuit freedives through the ocean toward a rocky reef covered in red and brown low-growing algae
a student wearing VR goggles stands in front of a screen showing a collage of vintage movie posters
a small group of students wearing lab coats and blue nitrile gloves record data in their notebooks as they stand at a clear plastic tank holding ocean specimens
a group of students and their professor smile and hold up V-shaped
wearing a sun hat and an orange plaid shirt, a professor stands in front of a group of students sitting on driftwood on a beach
a guide points across a grassy ravine while leading a group of students on a hike through a hilly area with ocean in the background

Our Maymester and Julymester courses are generally capped at 15-20 people, so you get the chance to form strong connections with other students in the program.

students holding laptops smile as they collaborate on a project

By immersing yourself in the life of Catalina Island, you gain round-the-clock opportunities (like this nighttime plankton lab) to explore a unique, pristine ecosystem just 22 miles from Los Angeles.

A group of students hold a light underneath a jar of ocean water they've collected. The ocean water has algae and plankton in it, and the students are illuminated red because it is nighttime.

Many Catalina Residential College programs include co-curricular activities where you can learn a variety of fun and useful water skills, such as free diving, how to operate small boats, and more.

a student wearing a wetsuit freedives through the ocean toward a rocky reef covered in red and brown low-growing algae

The Catalina Residential College isn’t just about natural science: our programs also include learning opportunities in the social sciences and humanities. Here, a student uses VR goggles to view an immersive model of an underwater archaeological site.

a student wearing VR goggles stands in front of a screen showing a collage of vintage movie posters

All Catalina Residential College programs incorporate some kind of immersive, hands-on learning or research. Here, students log data from an aquaculture experiment taking place in WMSC’s bluehouse, a large lab that is specially equipped for ocean science experiments.

a small group of students wearing lab coats and blue nitrile gloves record data in their notebooks as they stand at a clear plastic tank holding ocean specimens

Oceanography students and their professor set off on a sampling trip aboard the research vessel Yellowfin. The Catalina Residential College provides numerous opportunities to engage in hands-on research, mentored by USC’s world-class faculty.

a group of students and their professor smile and hold up V-shaped

Thanks to the Catalina Residential College’s small class sizes, students learn directly from USC faculty and can easily obtain any extra support they need to be successful. (Plus, who doesn’t love lectures on the beach?)

wearing a sun hat and an orange plaid shirt, a professor stands in front of a group of students sitting on driftwood on a beach

Outside class time, Catalina Residential College students have ample opportunity to explore the island’s ecology through guided hikes, kayak excursions, snorkels, field trips, and more.

a guide points across a grassy ravine while leading a group of students on a hike through a hilly area with ocean in the background

Choose Your Own (Island) Adventure

For a few days to a full month, enroll in a Wrigley Institute Catalina Residential College experience to see the environment and sustainability in a whole new way. Located in pristine surroundings just 22 miles off the coast of Los Angeles, our satellite campus provides a unique lens on how conservation, human activity, and a host of other factors affect our planet.

Maymester

Our Maymester program is an immersive, four-week living/learning experience that couples specialized coursework with interdisciplinary exploration around urban oceans. Students register for and attend core classes on the island but also collaborate across disciplines on projects and experience Catalina as a group.

Julymester

Like Maymester, our Julymester is an immersive, four-week program that encourages connections within and across disciplines. Students take a core class while also participating in cohort-wide learning opportunities focused on the theme of sustainability.

Weekend Workshops

Gain real-world professional skills through activity-packed weekends at the Wrigley Marine Science Center. Open to all USC undergraduates, these 2- and 3-day courses teach skills for environmental and sustainability careers in a variety of fields.

USC Spring Break on Catalina Island

Spend a few days of your spring recess experiencing the natural beauty of Wrigley Marine Science Center while working on environmental career and skills development.