Liberal Studies, 40 credits
General Education Requirements
Discipline-Related Course Work
Environmental Education Requirement
Major Course Work
Minor Course Work
Content Examinations and Portfolio Requirements
Professional Education Requirements—Secondary Major and Minor
Advisors: Professor James Stewart, 226C Teacher Education Building, 263-4638, jhstewar@wisc.edu; Professor John Rudolph, 226A Teacher Education, 265-3431, jlrudolp@wisc.edu
Secondary admission eligibility requirements: minimum 54 transferable college-level credits (junior standing); minimum 28 credits in the major; Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST) taken and scores submitted; 2.5 cumulative grade point average on all transferable college-level course work.
Both the cumulative GPA and the cumulative GPA based on the last 60 credits will be calculated. The higher of the two will be used for program selection; see Last 60 Credits Rule. Admission is limited and competitive. See Secondary and World Language Education for additional information regarding the program's structure, requirements, admission procedures, and application deadlines.
Note: Admission criteria and program requirements may be modified from one admission period to the next. The most current program information is available in Education Academic Services, B117 Education Building, 608/262-1651; www.education.wisc.edu/eas. Students are encouraged to monitor the EAS Web site and confer regularly with an EAS advisor regarding changes.
Graduation requirements: 2.75 GPA overall, and 2.75 in each of the following: major, minor, upper-level major, and professional education course work (excluding practicum and student teaching). Degree candidates must meet senior and major residency requirements. Graduation grade point averages are based on UW-Madison course work and may be modified by the Last 60 Credits Rule. Certification also requires passing a content examination in the subject area(s) in which certification is sought and the development of a professional portfolio.
Students interested in combining Biology certification with certification in Agricultural Education should consult the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences section of this catalog.
The liberal studies requirements combine academic strengths and interests with an opportunity to explore a wide selection of courses offered across campus. Students will complete course work in humanities, social studies, and science. Effective summer 2007, three additional requirements—ethnic studies, global perspectives, and U.S. or European history—will be required of all students in the School of Education. See Teacher Certification Liberal Studies Requirements for specific course work.
Effective summer 1996, new freshmen must complete a group of campuswide course requirements known as the General Education requirements. This initiative is designed to provide all UW-Madison students with a comprehensive, well-rounded program of studies. See General Education Requirements (GER).
All Secondary Education programs already require at least one course, Curric 313 or 305, that is also approved to meet the General Education Communication B requirement. The course can be used to meet both requirements.
Certification in Biology requires both major and discipline-related course work. Related course work (below) is mandatory but not considered part of the major or minor, may not be counted toward the 28 major credits required for program admission, and is not calculated in the major or minor grade point average. These courses should be incorporated into the liberal studies requirements, if possible.
Mathematics or Statistics, 6 cr. Any college level, excluding Math 120-132.
Chemistry, 5-10 cr. Select one:
Chem 103 and 104 General Chemistry, 9 cr
Chem 109 Advanced General Chemistry, 5 cr
Chem 115 and 116 Chemical Principles I and II, 10 cr
Physics, 8-10 cr; select one:
Physics 103 General Physics, 4 cr, and Physics 104 General Physics, 4 cr
Physics 201 General Physics, 5 cr, and Physics 202 General Physics, 5 cr
Physics 207 General Physics, 5 cr, and Physics 208 General Physics, 5 cr
Students seeking certification in any of the Science areas must complete one course in environmental education. Consult the list below for courses that fulfill this requirement. Only the courses listed have been approved to meet this requirement. This course selection may also be applied toward other requirements such as the liberal studies, major, or minor requirements.
S=Social Studies; P=Physical Science; B=Biological Science
AAE 337 (S)
Atm Ocn 121 (P)
Botany 100 (B), 152 (B), 260 (B)
Conser 300 (B) (no longer offered)
Econ 337 (S), 343 (S)
Envir St 120 (P), 121 (P), 126 (B), 127 (P), 139 (S), 300 (B), 309 (S), 324 (P), 339 (S), 343 (S), 361 (B), 375, 502 (B), 507 (B)
Geog 120 (P), 121 (P), 127 (P), 139 (S), 309 (S), 339 (S), 435 (P)
Land Arc 300 (B), 361 (B)
M&Envtox 507 B)
Pop Hlth 502 (B), 507 (B)
Soil Sci 301 (P), 324 (P), 435 (P)
Zoology 152 (B), 260 (B)
The School of Education offers two curricular options—Option A and Option B—within the biology major, each requiring a minimum of 34 credits. The credits required for program admission must be chosen from courses below. Option B (Biology Core Curriculum) is the preferred selection, although completing this sequence will require additional course work. All students must complete a minimum of 15 credits of upper-level course work (300-699) in residence on the UW-Madison campus. Find course descriptions in this catalog under the College of Letters and Science.
Complete one group:
Botany/Zoology 151 Introductory Biology, 5 cr, and Botany/Zoology 152 Introductory Biology, 5 cr
Zoology 101 Animal Biology, 3 cr, and Zoology 102 Animal Biology Laboratory,
2 cr, and Botany 130 General Botany, 5 cr
An AP Biology score of 4 or 5 satisfies both the Zoology 101 and 102 requirements. AP Biology does not satisfy Zoology 151/152 requirements.
Complete Botany/Zoology 466 General Genetics, 3 cr (usually taken junior year or later)
Complete additional electives to reach a minimum of 34 credits. These courses must be numbered 300 and above and include at least one course (2-credit minimum) from each of the following three areas, (1) ecology, evolution, and genetics, (2) cell and molecular biology, and (3) physiology. At least one of these electives must be a lab or field course. Obtain a list of appropriate courses for each of these areas at Education Academic Services, B117 Education Building. Additional courses may, with the consent of a science education advisor, be selected to meet the elective requirements.
Students may also complete the Biology licensing program through participation in the Biology Core (Biocore) Curriculum. The completion of this sequence requires more course work than Option A, and most students enter Biocore in the fall of their sophomore year. Students interested in Biocore should talk with an advisor early in their program to discuss how the Biocore program fits with eligibility requirements for the Secondary Education program. The Biocore program is a four-semester, interdepartmental course sequence providing undergraduates with a broad, solid background for further work in any biologically oriented field of study.
Admission to the Biocore sequence is limited and competitive. Visit the Biocore office for more information, 361 Noland Hall, or the Web site at polyglot.lss.wisc.edu/biocore/.
New students planning to follow the Biocore sequence should not take other introductory biology courses. There is extensive overlap in content of the various introductory courses, and students who take more than one such course may lose credit. Students planning to take the Biocore sequence should take Chem 103-104, 109, or 115 and Math in their freshman year. Math 221 and Chem 104/109/115 and concurrent (fall) or previous registration in Chem 343 (Organic Chemistry) are prerequisites for the first course in the sequence.
The entire Biocore sequence and related course work is listed under the heading Biology Core Curriculum in the Letters and Science section of this catalog.
The elements of this program that lead to Biology licensure include:
Biocore 301 Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, 3 cr
Biocore 303 Cellular Biology, 3 cr
Biocore 323 Organismal Biology, 3 cr
Biocore 333 Biological Interactions, 3 cr
Select two Biocore labs:
Biocore 302 Evolution, Ecology and Genetics Laboratory, 2 cr
Biocore 304 Cellular Biology Laboratory, 2 cr
Biocore 324 Organismal Biology Laboratory, 2 cr
Students complete additional elective course work to reach a minimum of 34 credits. Courses must be numbered 300 and above and include at least one course (2-credit minimum) from each of three areas, (1) ecology, evolution, and genetics, (2) cell and molecular biology, and (3) physiology. At least one of these electives must be a lab (this could be the third Biocore lab) or a field course. Obtain a list of appropriate courses for each area at Education Academic Services. Additional courses may, with consent of a science education advisor, be selected to meet the elective requirements.
The Biology minor may be completed by students in Secondary Education Science or Elementary Education licensing programs. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75 is required, based on all Biology minor course work taken on the UW-Madison campus. The graduation grade point average may be modified by the Last 60 Credits Rule.
Secondary Education students may select this minor only if completing a major in another Science certification area. It is not possible to be certified only in a minor area. Interested Secondary Education students must apply and be admitted to the Science program. Admission is limited and competitive. See Admission Procedures under Secondary and World Language Education. All Secondary students, whether completing their first degree or adding on a teaching minor to a prior certification, should expect to complete a methods course, practicum and student teaching experience in the minor to be recommended for certification. Students wishing to complete a minor must consult with a faculty advisor/program coordinator to discuss its field experience component. Students planning certification in the minor field should discuss this with the minor advisor.
Contact Education Academic Services (EAS), B117 Education, for additional information regarding the Elementary Education and Secondary Science programs. Applications to both Elementary and Secondary Education are on the EAS Web site, www.education.wisc.edu/eas, beginning October 1 and are due by March 1. This deadline may change to February 1 in the near future.
See course work listed under Biology major. Required of both Elementary and Secondary students completing the Biology minor.
The School of Education offers two curricular options within the Biology minor, each requiring a minimum of 24 credits. Students must complete Option A or Option B. Option B (Biology Core Curriculum) is the preferred selection, although the completion of this sequence will require additional course work. Course descriptions appear in this catalog under the heading of the appropriate department.
See Option A course work above under Biology major. Students must complete additional elective course work to reach a minimum of 24 credits. These courses must be numbered 300 and above and must come from at least two of three areas, (1) ecology, evolution, and genetics, (2) cell and molecular biology, or (3) physiology. At least one of these electives must be a lab or field course. Obtain a list of appropriate courses for each of these areas at Education Academic Services, B117 Education Building. Additional courses may, with the consent of the science education advisor, be selected to meet the elective requirements.
Students may also complete the biology minor through participation in the Biology Core (Biocore) Curriculum. Admission to the Biocore sequence is limited and competitive; see above under Biology major. See the Option B text under the Biology major above. The entire Biocore sequence and related course work is listed under the heading Biology Core Curriculum in the College of Letters and Science section of this catalog. The elements of the Biocore program that lead to biology licensure are identical to those under Option B for the Biology major; see above.
Additional electives must be taken to reach a minimum of 24 credits. Courses must be numbered 300 and above and must come from two of three areas, (1) ecology, evolution, and genetics, (2) cell and molecular biology, or (3) physiology. At least one of these electives must be a lab (this could be the third Biocore lab) or a field course. Obtain a list of appropriate courses for each of these areas at Education Academic Services, B117 Education Building. Additional courses may, with the consent of the science education advisor, be selected to meet the elective requirements.
All individuals seeking an initial Wisconsin State teacher's license after August 31, 2004, are required to take and pass an approved content examination in the subject area(s) of interest. These tests, the Praxis II: Subject Assessments/Specialty Area Tests, are offered through the Educational Testing Service (ETS). Teacher education students at UW-Madison must take and pass the exam for their program area(s) and submit scores to EAS before entering their final, full-time student teaching semester. See Content Examinations, for more information.
Certification also requires each student to develop and maintain a teaching portfolio. For more information, see Portfolio.
Secondary Education students will complete a sequential four-semester professional program. See Professional Education Requirements under Secondary and World Language Education for information on the professional education sequence. Practicum, Methods, and Student Teaching courses for this subject area are:
Curric 290 Practicum in Secondary Science Education, 3 cr
Curric 390 Teaching of Science in Secondary Schools, 3 cr
Curric 490 Student Teaching in Science in the High School, 6-12 cr
Curric 495 Student Teaching in Science in the Middle School, 6-12 cr
Curric 590 Advanced Practices in the Teaching of Science, 3 cr
Curric 690 Independent Field Work, 1 cr