2011-2012 Course Catalog

Required for the biology major

1. Biology 110, 120, and 140
2. Chemistry 115 and 116
3. 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
4. Completion of the Biology Senior Experience
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

1. Biology 110, 120, and 140
2. At least four six-unit courses in biology numbered 200 or above, of which at least two must be laboratory courses.
3. C average in the minor
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

1. Biology 110 and 120 or Biology 110 and 140
2. Physics 150 and 160 or, with the permission of the secondary department, Physics 120 and 130, and
3. Geology 110 (any section) and Geology 210, chosen to include the secondary discipline
4. 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
5. Completion of the Biology Senior Experience
Previous interdisciplinary combinations of biology and chemistry have been replaced by the Biochemistry major.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
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. At a retreat at Bjorklunden in the late 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 Bio600:RABLS (1 unit each), one term of BIO650 (5 units) and 1 additional unit of Bio650 in the spring term for BioFest. The purpose of the Bio650 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. Papers will take a form that is most appropriate for each student's project. In the case of students preparing a thesis for honors, for example, the paper will constitute the introduction to the thesis While a student creating a curriculum will submit the curriculum itself and a short accompanying paper. Students undertaking creative projects might submit a less lengthy paper, but all projects, regardless of type will be accompanied by a contextualizing and reflective paper. 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 or demonstration.