Required for the biology major
- Biology 130, 150, and 170
- Chemistry 116
- At least seven six-unit courses in biology numbered 200 or above (excluding Senior Experience courses, of which at least five must be laboratory courses
- Completion of Biology Senior Experience (A student-directed project, 6 units of BIOL 650, 2 units of BIOL 600)
Note: Only two six-unit courses designated as tutorial, directed study, or independent study can be counted toward the major or minor requirements and only one of those can be counted toward the upper-level laboratory requirement.
Required for the biology minor
- Biology 130, 150, and 170. Students majoring in disciplines requiring a research methods and statistics course may request exemption from the BIOL 170 requirement.
- At least four six-unit courses in biology numbered 200 or above, of which at least two must be laboratory courses.
- C average in the minor
Note: Only two six-unit courses designated as tutorial, directed study, or independent study can be counted toward the major or
minor requirements and only one of these can be counted toward the upper-level laboratory requirement.
Required for the interdisciplinary major in the natural sciences in biology and physics or geology
- Biology 130 and 150
- Physics 141 and 151 or 151 and 160
- Geology 110 and Geology 210, if geology is the secondary discipline.
- At least 10 six-unit courses in the natural sciences (biology, chemistry, geology, and physics) numbered 200 or above, with at least five in biology
(of which at least three must be laboratory courses), and at least three in the secondary discipline in other departments
- Completion of the Biology Senior Experience
Note: Previous interdisciplinary combinations of biology and chemistry have been replaced by the Biochemistry major.
Wisconsin Teacher Certification
Students who major in biology and who wish to gain certification to teach biology in
Wisconsin public schools should choose a broad range of biology courses that includes
ecology, plant and animal organismal biology, as well as molecular and cellular biology.
Students should gain experience in both field and laboratory research.
Beyond the coursework required for the biology major, students will need to take the
following additional courses:
- One 6-unit geology course
- One 6-unit physics course
- EDST 180: Psychology of Learning
- EDST 340: Sociology of Education
- EDST 350: Ethnicity, Cultural Diversity, and Education
- EDUC 560: Methods in Middle and Secondary Teaching
- EDUC 430: Educating All Learners
- EDUC 650: Student Teaching
- EDUC 660: Student Teaching Seminar
For more detailed information about the certification program refer to the course of study for
the Department of Education.
Senior Experience in Biology
Required: A student-designed project, 6 units of BIOL 650, 2 units of BIOL 600.
Purposeful advising in the spring of the sophomore year and attendance at the spring BioFest is meant to inspire sophomore students to begin thinking about what they might want to undertake as their culminating project in biology. During the fall of the junior year, students will hear from department faculty, the internship coordinator, and others about opportunities available for senior experience projects. Breakout groups will allow students to brainstorm ideas for projects. Project work (research, internship, creation of a curricular module, draft of a grant proposal, draft of a children's book on biology, production of art about biology, or other creative project) generally will be undertaken prior to term 2 of the senior year.
Usually in the senior year, students will take two terms of BIOL 600:Recent Advances in Biology Lecture Series (1 unit each), one term of BIOL 650 (5 units) and 1 additional unit of Bio650 in the spring term for BioFest. The purpose of the BIOL 650 course is to bring to culmination each students' individual senior experience project. Each student will prepare a paper that places her or his project into a broader context, compares it to our past and current understanding of the topic using primary literature, and summarizes the student’s project or results. For example, students preparing a thesis for honors will prepare the introduction to their thesis, while a student creating a visual product will describe the biological underpinnings of the work and reflect on the production of the work itself. The senior experience will culminate with a symposium, BioFest, in the spring term, at which all students will present the results of their projects (or the project itself) as a poster, demonstration, or other visual display.
