Biology Major - Bachelor of Science (BS)
(All colleges, excluding teacher certification programs)
39 credits (58-61 total credits including CHM and MTH requirements)
Each student must have a minimum of three 400 level BIO credits (excluding BIO 450, 479, 489, 491, 495, and 499) to fulfill requirements of the major.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core | ||
| BIO 105 | General Biology | 4 |
| BIO 203 | Organismal Biology | 4 |
| BIO 306 | Genetics | 4 |
| BIO 307 | Ecology | 3 |
| BIO 315 | Cell Biology | 4 |
| BIO 491 | Capstone Seminar in Biology | 1 |
| Advanced lab component | ||
| Select one upper level (300/400) lab component from the following: | 1-4 | |
| Introductory Plant Identification | ||
| Vertebrate Form and Function 1 | ||
| Plant Biology | ||
| Human Anatomy and Physiology I 1 | ||
| Human Anatomy and Physiology II 1 | ||
| Ornithology | ||
| Radiation Biology | ||
| Limnology | ||
| Scientific Visualization | ||
| Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy | ||
| Plant Taxonomy | ||
| Aquatic and Wetland Vascular Plants | ||
| Parasitology | ||
| Developmental Biology | ||
| Human Cadaver Dissection | ||
| Mycology | ||
| Medical Mycology | ||
| Freshwater Invertebrate Zoology | ||
| Quantitative Methods in Ecology | ||
| Ichthyology | ||
| Molecular Biology Laboratory | ||
| Plant Anatomy | ||
| Bioinformatics | ||
| Plant Microbe Interactions | ||
| Entomology | ||
| Standard Methods/Quality Assurance Water Analyses | ||
| Advanced Microscopy and Biological Imaging | ||
| Plant Ecology | ||
| Comparative Animal Physiology | ||
| Neurobiology Laboratory Techniques | ||
| Human Molecular Genetics Lab | ||
| Virology Laboratory | ||
| Electives | ||
| Select 16-18 credits of electives from the following: 2 | 16-18 | |
| Introduction to Biological Data Analysis and Interpretation | ||
| Animal Biology | ||
| Introductory Plant Identification | ||
| Vertebrate Form and Function 1 | ||
| Human Anatomy and Physiology I 1 | ||
| Human Anatomy and Physiology II 1 | ||
| Ornithology | ||
| Economic Botany | ||
| Radiation Biology | ||
| Plant Physiology | ||
| Limnology | ||
| Scientific Visualization | ||
| Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy | ||
| Plant Taxonomy | ||
| Aquatic and Wetland Vascular Plants | ||
| Parasitology | ||
| Developmental Biology | ||
| Human Cadaver Dissection | ||
| Mycology | ||
| Medical Mycology | ||
| Freshwater Invertebrate Zoology | ||
| Neuroethology | ||
| Quantitative Methods in Ecology | ||
| Ichthyology | ||
| Human Endocrinology | ||
| Advanced Nutrition for the Health Professions | ||
| Evolution | ||
| Biology of Cancer | ||
| Molecular Biology | ||
| Molecular Biology Laboratory | ||
| Plant Growth and Development | ||
| Plant Anatomy | ||
| Bioinformatics | ||
| Environmental Toxicology | ||
| Plant Microbe Interactions | ||
| Molecular Mechanism of Disease and Drug Action | ||
| Entomology | ||
| Animal Behavior | ||
| Standard Methods/Quality Assurance Water Analyses | ||
| Advanced Microscopy and Biological Imaging | ||
| Plant Ecology | ||
| Comparative Animal Physiology | ||
| Stream and Watershed Ecology | ||
| Neurophysiology | ||
| Human Molecular Genetics | ||
| Neurobiology Laboratory Techniques | ||
| Human Molecular Genetics Lab | ||
| Marine Biology | ||
| Ecosystem Ecology | ||
| Cell Signaling | ||
| Mammalogy | ||
| Fundamentals of Microbiology | ||
| Immunology | ||
| Bacterial Diversity | ||
| Food Microbiology | ||
| Immunology Laboratory | ||
| Introductory Virology | ||
| Virology Laboratory | ||
| Industrial and Fermentation Microbiology | ||
| Fermentation Microbiology Laboratory | ||
| Aquatic Microbial Ecology | ||
| Chemistry requirement | ||
| Select three semesters of chemistry, including: | 15-18 | |
| General Chemistry I | ||
| General Chemistry II | ||
And one of the following organic chemistry options: | ||
Option A (5 credits) 3 | ||
| Fundamental Organic Chemistry and Fundamental Organic Chemistry Laboratory | ||
Option B (7 credits) | ||
| Organic Chemistry Theory I and Organic Chemistry Theory II and Fundamental Organic Chemistry Laboratory | ||
Option C (8 credits) | ||
| Organic Chemistry Theory I and Organic Chemistry Theory II and Organic Chemistry Laboratory | ||
| Math requirement | 4 | |
| Elementary Statistics | ||
| Total Credits | 58-61 | |
All students must complete the general education, college core, major/minor, and university degree requirements in order to qualify for a degree. The easiest way to track all of these requirements is to refer to the Advisement Report (AR) found in the Student Information System (WINGS) Student Center. All enrolled students have access to the AR.
College of Science and Health (CSH) Bachelor of Science core requirements
B.S. and B.A. students graduating from the College of Science and Health are required to take two natural laboratory science courses selected from the general education laboratory science category (GE 05) and/or from BIO 203, BIO 304, BIO 210, CHM 104, GEO 221, GEO 222, PHY 104 or PHY 204, and they either must take two mathematics courses or one math course and one computer science course from the math/logical systems category of the general education requirements (GE 02). One of the two science courses must be from a department outside of the student’s major department.
Note: Math courses can be pairs, i.e. 150 and 151; MTH/CS majors can use two science courses from same department.
For the Bachelor of Science degree, in addition to all other College of Science and Health core requirements, students from non-exempted programs1 must complete one of the following options. It is recommended that courses are selected in consultation with students’ academic advisor.
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Complete a second major; or
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Complete a minor outside the major; or
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Complete two certificates outside the major with at least 12 combined credits at the 300/400 level; or
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Complete an individualized option, consisting of 18 credits
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At least 12 credits must be earned at the 300/400 level outside the major department.
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The remaining six credits should come from
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100 level or higher courses outside the major (General education courses may apply provided they are not being used to fulfill minimum general education requirements.); or
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300/400 level courses inside major not being used to fulfill major requirements.
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Internship credits may not count toward the individualized option.
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The list of exempted CSH programs is below.
Baccalaureate degree requirements
Candidates for the Bachelor of Arts or the Bachelor of Science degrees must accomplish the following:
- Fulfill the general education requirements.
- Complete at least one ethnic studies (diversity) course.
- Complete the courses prescribed by the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee for the degree desired in the respective school or college.
- Earn a minimum of 120 semester credits with at least a 2.00 cumulative GPA.1, 2
- At least 40 credits must be earned in 300/400 level courses. Transfer courses earned or transferred at the 300/400 level apply to this requirement.
- Complete major and minor requirements with at least a 2.00 GPA1, 2 in each major and minor (and concentration or emphasis, if selected).
- A minimum of 30 semester credits in residence at UWL is required for graduation. (See undergraduate resident requirement.)
- Submit an application for graduation via the "Apply for Graduation" link in the WINGS Student Center as soon as the student has registered for his or her final semester or summer term in residence. December and winter intersession graduates should apply by May 1. May and summer graduates should apply by December 1.
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Grade point average requirements for some programs will be considerably higher than 2.00. Re-entering students may be required to earn credits in excess of the 120 needed for graduation in any curriculum in order to replace credits earned in courses in which the content has changed substantially in recent years. Each case will be judged on its own merit.
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The grade point average recorded at the time the degree is awarded will not be affected by future enrollment.
No degree will be awarded unless all requirements are fulfilled and recorded within 30 days after the official ending date of each term.
Below is a sample degree plan that can be used as a guide to identify courses required to fulfill the major and other requirements needed for degree completion. A student's actual degree plan may differ depending on the course of study selected (second major, minor, etc.). Also, this sample plan assumes readiness for each course and/or major plan, and some courses may not be offered every term. Review the course descriptions or the class timetable for course offering information.
The sample degree plans represented in this catalog are intended for first-year students entering UWL in the fall term. Students should use the Advisement Report (AR) in WINGS and work closely with their faculty advisor(s) and college dean’s office to ensure declaration and completion of all requirements in a timely manner.
General Education Program
The general education curriculum (Gen Ed) is the common educational experience for all undergraduates at UWL. Sample degree plans include Gen Ed placeholders to ensure completion of the general education requirements. Courses may be rearranged to fit the needs or recommendations of the student’s program of study. Gen Ed courses may be taken during winter term (January between the semesters) and summer to reduce the course load during regular terms (fall and spring). Students should consult with their advisor and/or the college academic services director in their college/school for assistance with course and schedule planning. Refer to the general education requirements for more specific details.
At least 40 credits of the 120 credits required must be earned at the 300/400-level.
Note: New students and transfer students with less than 12 credits earned are required to take FYS 100 First-Year Seminar (3 cr.) during one of their first two semesters at UWL.
This sample degree plan does not establish a contractual agreement. It identifies the minimum requirements a student must successfully complete, to qualify for a degree, in a format intended to assist the student in planning their academic career. Actual degree plans may differ.
| Year 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| BIO 105 (Gen Ed Natural Lab Science) | 4 | BIO 203 | 4 |
| MTH 150 (Gen Ed Math) | 4 | Gen Ed Self & Society | 3 |
| Gen Ed Arts | 2-3 | CHM 103 (Gen Ed Natural Lab Science) | 5 |
| CST 110 (Gen Ed Literacy-Oral) | 3 | ENG 110 or 112 (Gen Ed Literacy-Written) | 3 |
| FYS 100 (Gen Ed First-Year Seminar) | 3 | ||
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Year 2 | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| CHM 104 | 5 | BIO 306 | 4 |
| STAT 145 (Gen Ed Lang/Logical Systems) | 4 | CHM 300 | 4 |
| BIO 307 | 3 | CHM 302 | 1 |
| Gen Ed Arts | 2-3 | Gen Ed Global Studies | 3 |
| Gen Ed Minority Cultures | 3 | ||
| 14 | 15 | ||
| Year 3 | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| BIO Elective (300/400 lab) | 4 | BIO 315 | 4 |
| BIO Elective | 3 | CSH Core (300/400 not BIO) or Minor | 3 |
| Gen Ed Humanistic Studies | 3 | University Elective | 3 |
| CSH Core (300/400 not BIO) or Minor | 3 | Gen Ed Health & Well-Being | 3 |
| Gen Ed World History | 3 | ||
| 13 | 16 | ||
| Year 4 | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| BIO Elective (400 level) | 3 | BIO 491 | 1 |
| BIO Elective | 3 | BIO Elective (300/400 level) | 3 |
| CSH Core (300/400 not BIO) or Minor | 3 | BIO Elective | 3 |
| CSH Core or Minor1 | 3 | CSH Core or Minor1 | 3 |
| University Elective | 3 | University Elective | 3 |
| University Elective | 3 | ||
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Total Credits: 120 | |||
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See CSH BS Core Requirements for information on completing the individualized option. 300/400 requirements for graduation may be impacted.