Biological Sciences, BA

Biology is the study of life. Biologists analyze organism functions at the cellular and molecular levels using genetics, biochemistry, and microscopy. They also study interactions between organisms and with the environment by examining behavior, morphology, physiology and genetics. Students can take a broad curriculum within Biological Sciences or focus on specific areas, such as ecology, evolution and behavior, cell and molecular biology, or microbiology. Studies in Biological Sciences have applications across many areas including agriculture, medicine, and the environment. Biological Sciences is a popular choice for students preparing for careers in healthcare, agriculture, natural resources and environmental sciences, food management, bioremediation, as well as the biomedical and biotechnology fields. A degree in Biological Sciences also prepares students for professional careers in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary science, and education, and graduate studies in the life sciences.

Related Areas of Study

The Conservation and Environmental Science major is an alternative, interdisciplinary program for students with specific interests in conservation or environmental science. 

Requirements

Credit numbers reflect total possible credits towards degree. Due to the ability to count courses towards more than one requirement, credit amounts will vary. Please work with your academic advisor on your plan of study.

Preparatory Coursework

Based on individual placement results, some students may be required to complete preparatory coursework before enrolling in the courses listed here. This may include English language or composition preparation, developmental math, introductory chemistry, and/or student support courses for students participating in the First Year Bridge program. 

General Education Requirements (GER)

UW-Milwaukee has General Education Requirements that must be met in order to earn a bachelor’s or associate degree. They include at minimum 30 credits (10 courses) in six categories that are designed to assure basic student competencies and provide a broad body of knowledge as a context for specialization.

Some degree requirements may fulfill GERs. Please review the requirements and consult with your academic advisor.   

Letters and Science Course of Study – Bachelor of Arts Degree

Complete 120 credits including 75 credits in the College of Letters & Science with 36 of the 75 credits in L&S upper-level (numbered 300 or above) courses.

The College requires that students must complete, in residence at UWM, at least 15 credits in upper-division (numbered 300 or above) courses in their major. The College also requires that students complete at least 30 credits overall in residence at UWM. For additional residency and transfer credit limitations, see L&S Undergraduate Policies and Regulations.

Students are also required to complete University-wide General Education Requirements and the specific L&S requirements listed below.

To complete a major, students must satisfy all the requirements of the major as stated in this catalog. Students who declare their majors within five years of entering the UW System as a degree candidate may satisfy the requirements outlined in any catalog issued since the time they entered. Credits used to satisfy the major also may be used to satisfy other degree requirements.

College of Letters & Science Requirements

For the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), students must complete the UWM General Education Requirements as well as these L&S requirements: the International requirement, the Breadth requirement, a Natural Science Lab requirement, the Research requirement, and a Language other than English requirement. The International requirement develops student potential for cross-cultural understanding in a globalizing world. The Breadth requirement ensures that students take classes in a wide variety of subjects, across humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. The Research requirement calls for students to build critical thinking and oral and written communication skills through conducting an independent research project in their major. The Language other than English requirement further develops student proficiency in a language other than English. And, the requirement that students take an L&S Natural Science lab ensures exposure to and practice with the scientific method in action.

I. Total Credits and Upper-Division Courses Requirement

Students must complete 120 credits including 75 credits in the College of Letters & Science with 36 of those 75 credits in L&S upper-level (numbered 300 and above) courses.

II. Language other than English Requirement

Students doing the B.A. must fulfill a language other than English requirement by either successfully completing the fourth semester of university work or equivalent in one language other than English, or by successfully completing the second semester of university work or equivalent in two languages other than English (including all languages other than English and American Sign Language).  

Language courses (including American Sign Language) other than English taken in high school may be used to satisfy all or part of this requirement. One year of high school language equates to one semester of college work. Proficiency tests approved by the Languages faculty may be used to satisfy all or part of this requirement. 

III. International Requirement

To meet the International Requirement, students must successfully complete some two-course (minimum 6 credits) combination of:

1. Courses with L&S approved international content (see Courses Approved for the L&S International Requirement for course options).
2. Any study abroad course(s).

Students who graduate secondary school in a country other than the U.S. are exempt from this requirement.

IV. Breadth Requirement

In addition to completing the University General Education Requirements, L&S students must complete the Breadth requirement to obtain deeper experience across our three substantive divisions.

The L&S Breadth requirement calls for 9 credits each in L&S courses designated L&S Humanities, L&S Natural Sciences, and L&S Social Sciences breadth. One of the L&S Natural Science breadth courses must include a laboratory or fieldwork experience.

Please refer to the list of Courses Approved for the L&S Breadth Requirement.

 V. The Major

The College of Letters and Science requires that students attain at least a 2.0 GPA in all credits in the major attempted at UWM. In addition, students must attain a 2.0 GPA on all major credits attempted, including any transfer work. Individual departments or programs may require higher GPAs for graduation. Some departmental majors require courses from other departments. Students should contact their major department for information on whether those credits will count as part of the major GPA. The College requires that students must complete, in residence at UWM, at least 15 credits in upper-division (numbered 300 or above) courses in their major.

Research Requirement

Within their majors, students must complete a research experience approved by the L&S faculty.  A list of courses satisfying the research requirement in each major can be found here.

VI. The Minor

Biological Sciences Major Requirements

The Biological Sciences major requires the following:

• A minimum of 34 credits in Biological Sciences, of which 26 must be at the advanced (300 and above) level.
• At least 15 of the advanced credits must be taken in residence at UWM.
• A GPA of 2.0 in Biological Sciences courses attempted at UWM.
• A GPA of at least 2.0 in all major credits attempted, including any transfer work.

No more than eight (8) credits in 100-level courses in Biological Sciences may be applied toward the major, and students may not combine BIO SCI 150, BIO SCI 202, and BIO SCI 203 for more than 9 credits toward the major. A combined limit of 6 credits in the following list count towards the major:

At least 20 credits at the advanced level (300 and above) must be taken in the BIO SCI courses.

Students who plan to attend graduate or professional schools are advised to take the one-year sequence of Organic Chemistry with lab, a course in Biochemistry (CHEM 501), and two semesters of Calculus. For those pursuing the General or Cell and Molecular Biology option, CHEM 501 will also count towards the major. 

Listed below are the foundational requirements for the three options, followed by the Biological Sciences major requirements for the three options:

¹

For students choosing the Cell and Molecular Biology (CMB) option, CHEM 343, CHEM 344, and CHEM 345 are required, and a second physics lab is strongly recommended.

²

For students choosing the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB) Option, there is no Organic Chemistry (Part B) requirement, though it is advised for certain subfields. Consultation with your departmental advisor is strongly recommended, particularly for students who plan to attend graduate or professional schools.

General Biology Option

¹

All courses taught as independent studies intended to fulfill the research requirement must have prior departmental approval.

²

Up to six credits from the following courses may be counted as electives in the major: CHEM 501, ANTHRO 301, BMS 534, BMS 535, PSYCH 254, and PSYCH 654.

³

Students may elect to take these SFS courses (FRSHWTR 511, FRSHWTR 563, and FRSHWTR 567) to earn credit toward the Biology major.

Cell and Molecular Biology Option

¹

All courses taught as independent studies intended to fulfill the research requirement must have prior departmental approval.

Ecology, Evolution and Behavior Option

¹

All courses taught as independent studies intended to fulfill the research requirement must have prior departmental approval.

²

Students may elect to take SFS course FRSHWTR 511 to earn credit toward the EEB option.

Biological Sciences BA/BS Learning Outcomes

Students graduating from the Biological Sciences BA/BS Program will be able to: 

• Use diverse field and laboratory skills to investigate scientific biological problems.
• Use the scientific method to test hypotheses about biological questions.
• Critically evaluate experimental design and analyze quantitative and graphical data.
• Search peer-reviewed literature to obtain scientific information.
• Synthesize and integrate scientific information.
• Communicate scientific information to other scientists, students, and the general public.
• Explain evolution as the cause of the diversity of life forms, patterns and processes.
• Relate biological information and concepts to societal and ethical questions.

Letters & Science Advising

During your time at UWM, you may have multiple members of your success team, including advisors, peer mentors and success coaches. Letters & Science students typically work with at least two different types of advisors as they pursue their degrees: professional college advisors and faculty advisors. L&S college advisors advise across your entire degree program while departmental faculty advisors focus on the major.

College advisors are located in Holton Hall (or virtually for online students) and serve as your primary advisor. They are your point person for your questions about navigating college and completing your degree. College advisors will:

• Assist you in defining your academic and life goals.
• Help you create an educational plan that is consistent with those goals.
• Assist you in understanding curriculum, major and degree requirements for graduation, as well as university policies and procedures.
• Provide you with information about campus and community resources and refer you to those resources as appropriate.
• Monitor your progress toward graduation and completion of requirements.

Faculty advisors mentor students in the major and assist them in maximizing their development in the program. You will begin working with a faculty advisor when you declare your major. Faculty advisors are an important partner and will:

• Help you understand major requirements and course offerings in the department. 
• Explain opportunities for internships and undergraduate research and guide you in obtaining those experiences.
• Serve as an excellent resource as you consider potential graduate programs and career paths in your field.

Students are encouraged to meet with both their college advisor and faculty advisor at least once each semester. Appointments are available in-person, by phone or by video. 

Currently enrolled students should use the Navigate360 website to make an appointment with your assigned advisor or call (414) 229-4654 if you do not currently have an assigned Letters & Science advisor. Prospective students who haven't enrolled in classes yet should call (414) 229-7711 or email let-sci@uwm.edu.

Department Advising

Students should contact an advisor as soon as possible in their first year about required courses and the recommended course sequence within Biological Sciences programs. The student should attend fall or spring departmental Open Advising or contact a Department of Biological Sciences faculty advisor who will then guide the student in planning their course choices to accomplish their goals. Students should consult their College academic advisors in Holton Hall and their faculty advisors in the Department of Biological Sciences prior to each registration period.

Major or Minor Declaration

Biological Sciences students should be enrolled in BIO SCI 150 before officially declaring a major in Biological Sciences. Students can declare a major or minor by contacting a faculty advisor in Biological Sciences or attending fall or spring departmental Open Advising. Students can declare more than one major or a combination of major and minors.

Failure to complete a declaration of major may result in a delay in graduation.

Honors in the Major

Students in Biological Sciences who meet all of the following criteria are awarded honors in the major upon graduation:

1. 3.500 cumulative GPA in all UWM graded credits attempted;
2. 3.750 GPA in UWM courses counting toward the major;
3. 3.500 GPA in all advanced credits that count toward the major; and
4. Complete a laboratory or field research independent study (BIO SCI 695, BIO SCI 697, BIO SCI 698, or BIO SCI 699) or internship (BIO SCI 489 or CES 489).

Students who believe they may qualify for honors in Biological Sciences should apply to the Department of Biological Sciences during their last semester of study.

College of Letters and Science Dean's Honor List

GPA of 3.750 or above, earned on a full-time student's GPA on 12 or more graded credits in a given semester.

Honors College Degree and Honors College Degree with Distinction

Granted to graduating seniors who complete Honors College requirements, as listed in the Honors College section of this site.

Commencement Honors

Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.500 or above, based on a minimum of 40 graded UWM credits earned prior to the final semester, will receive all-university commencement honors and be awarded the traditional gold cord at the December or May Honors Convocation. Please note that for honors calculation, the GPA is not rounded and is truncated at the third decimal (e.g., 3.499).

Final Honors

Earned on a minimum of 60 graded UWM credits: Cum Laude - 3.500 or above; Magna Cum Laude - 3.650 or above; Summa Cum Laude - 3.800 or above.