Spring 2025 Catalog
Biology
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Brian Barringer, Chair
Room 302, Chemistry Biology Building (CBB)
Phone: 715-346-2159
Email: biology@uwsp.edu
Web: www.uwsp.edu/biology
This department is in School of Biology, Chemistry, and Biochemistry within the COLLEGE OF LETTERS AND SCIENCE .
Faculty and Staff: S Alger, B Barringer, K Bodensteiner, J Bray, L Dresang, D Graf, C Hartleb, J Hubbard, T Huspeni, V Ianaiev, A Impullitti, R Jadin, S LaVake, L Lee, S Lyon, M Mergendahl, S Orlofske, K Prahl, M Rogge, J Sipiorski, K Slemmons, M Steury, Q Sun, P Whitaker, P Zani.
Definition: Biology is the scientific study of life. From simple, single-celled bacteria to complex, multicellular plants, animals, and fungi, biologists study how life works. Genetics, anatomy, physiology, development, ecology, evolution, and behavior of organisms fall within the work of the biologist as does the study of populations and communities of organisms.
Notes for Biology:
- The biology major offers a Bachelor of Science degree from the College of Letters and Science. However, if you are accepted in the Education program, you may graduate from either the COLLEGE OF LETTERS AND SCIENCE or from the COLLEGE OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES . If you have a double major, such as biology and natural resources, you may graduate from the College of Letters and Science or the College of Natural Resources.
- Courses in biology are open to all students who meet the prerequisites.
Academic Standards and Policies for Biology
Admittance and status as a biology major depends on the following factors:
- To be admitted, retained, and approved for graduation as a biology major, you must maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.0 for all courses taken within the major (2.75 to student teach in biology, 3.0 to graduate with a Human and Animal Health emphasis ), including collateral courses and regardless of a declaration of academic forgiveness.
- When you apply for the biology major, you are conditionally admitted. BIOL 111 (or BIOL 130 and BIOL 160 ) and CHEM 105 or CHEM 117 must be completed within three semesters of application to the major, with no less than a 2.0 GPA in the major (including UWSP and transferred biology and collateral chemistry and math credits). When the introductory biology courses (BIOL 111 or BIOL 130 and BIOL 160 ) and the first semester of general chemistry (CHEM 105 or CHEM 117 ) are completed, and the minimum Biology GPA has been met, you will be assigned a status of “accepted”.
- Accepted majors with a GPA in biology of less than 2.0 are changed to ‘provisional’ and are allowed two semesters in which to reach the minimum GPA or be dropped from the major. If you are dropped from the major, you may reapply only once the minimum GPA is satisfied. A declared Human and Animal Health emphasis with a GPA in biology of less than 3.0, but greater than 2.0, will remain as an accepted biology major.
NOTE: No more than six credits of D work in biology courses will be counted toward the completion of the biology major, biology major with an emphasis, or minor. All grades of D or F in biology and required collateral courses are used to compute the cumulative GPA in the major, biology major with an emphasis, or minor. If you repeat a course, the last grade earned is the grade used in your GPA calculation. Courses with grades of D or F may be repeated (only if a seat is available after the regular registration period) only with approval of the department chair and your adviser.
Teacher Certification: Please contact the School of Education early for entrance requirements and application procedures. Also see information about the Professional Education Program in the School of Education section of this catalog, and information about Secondary Education for teacher certification in the Secondary/K-12 Education Curriculum for Teacher Certification section of this catalog.
Advanced Placement (AP) Exams: If you wish, you may use a score of 5 on the biology AP exam as a substitute for either BIOL 110 or BIOL 130 or BIOL 160 . Biology majors starting at the Stevens Point campus are recommended to substitute BIOL 110 . See the chair or advising coordinator to exercise this option. You may use a score of 3 or 4 on the AP exam as a substitute for BIOL 101 .
NOTE: Pre-Professional programs are included below for further guidance within the Human and Animal Health emphasis . See academic standards pertaining to the GPA requirement for this emphasis.
Aquaculture - Fish Culture Minor
Chris Hartleb, Coordinator
Room 442, Trainer Natural Resources Building
Phone: 715-346-2159
Email: chartleb@uwsp.edu
Description: Aquaculture is the discipline that studies the culture of finfish, methods of production, environmental and ecological manipulation and assessment, selective breeding, nutrition, diseases, processing, marketing and operation of culture facilities. The importance of aquaculture has increased as natural stocks of fish have declined and human consumption has continued to rise.
Brewing Science Certificate
Ann Impullitti, Coordinator
Room 342, Chemistry Biology Building
Phone: 715-346-2159
Email: aimpulli@uwsp.edu
Description: The craft brewing industry is a rapidly growing sector of the economy, with over 1,000 breweries across Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, and Illinois. Breweries are in need of employees with knowledge in biology, chemistry, and business. This certificate program can be completed concurrently with the student’s undergraduate degree in biology or biochemistry, or can be completed with a completed degree in biology or a related field.
Cannabis Science Certificate
Brian Barringer, Coordinator
Room 302, Chemistry Biology Building (CBB)
Phone: 715-346-2159
Email: bbarring@uwsp.edu
Description: Cannabis is a versatile and emerging crop with many uses owing to its strong natural fibers and diversity of chemical compounds. The Cannabis Science Certificate will provide participants with fundamental knowledge in the science of cannabis to help graduates becomes leaders in this fast-paced industry!
Life Science for Educators Certificate
Brian Barringer, Coordinator
Room 302, Chemistry Biology Building (CBB)
Phone: 715-346-2159
Email: biology@uwsp.edu
Web: www.uwsp.edu/biology
Description: This certificate program is intended for, but not limited to, those students pursuing a degree in elementary education and/or natural resource education. It can be completed concurrently with your undergraduate degree in elementary education, secondary education, or a related field with consent of the program coordinator.
This certificate is intended to augment the life science content for those students already completing a major in education, teaching pedagogy and/or curricular design. Courses in the program focus on content standards suggested by the Next Generation Science Standards and best practices for teaching inquiry-based lessons and argument-driven biology. This certificate does not meet the requirements for a Biology license through the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
Natural Science
Krista Slemmons, Coordinator
Room 347, Chemistry Biology Building
Phone: 715-346-2159
Email: biology@uwsp.edu
The Natural Science major is designed only for students who intend to teach secondary or middle school. If you at some point decide not to teach or do not qualify to teach, you must choose a new major. Depending on the array of courses taken, switching to either a Biology major or Biogeoscience option of the Geoscience major might allow you to apply the greatest number of accumulated science credits towards a degree.
The Natural Science major consists of a foundation of introductory courses from all areas of science, a minor in one science discipline, a concentration of at least 14 credits in a second science discipline. Note that the Wisconsin Department of Instruction (DPI) requires at least 15 credits in a subject area to be certified to teach that subject.
NOTE: See individual departments (Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry , Geography and Geology , Physics and Astronomy ) for course combination restrictions.
Academic Standards for Natural Science
- To be approved for graduation, you must have a minimum overall grade point average of 2.75 in all courses included in your natural science major or minor, regardless of any declaration of academic forgiveness.
- In addition, you must meet the minimum GPA required for the minor that goes with the natural science option you are pursuing. See descriptions of the minors in the earth science , biology, chemistry , or physics sections of this catalog.
- See the Grade-related Policies section of this catalog for the policy on repeating courses.
Summer Field Program
Marine Biology
NOTE: The University of Southern Mississippi’s Gulf Coast Research in Ocean Springs, Mississippi is an affiliate of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. You may transfer the credits to UW-Stevens Point. Contact the School of Biology, Chemistry, and Biochemistry office for more information, or visit the GCRL website.
Graduate Programs
Brian Barringer
Room 302, Chemistry Biology Building (CBB)
Phone: 715-346-2159
Email: biology@uwsp.edu
Web: www.uwsp.edu/biology
Applied Biotechnology Program
UW-Stevens Point offers a Master of Science in Applied Biotechnology This 100% online program is a collaborative partnership of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, University of Wisconsin Extended Campus, and six other University of Wisconsin campuses.. The Department of Biology administers the program through the academic director.
The program represents a comprehensive, multidisciplinary curriculum that prepares students to advance their careers and pursue their academic ambitions through leadership and management positions within the growing biotechnology field. Defined core courses provide students with a solid foundation in biotechnology, leadership, ethics, research, communications, product development, quality control, and regulatory and compliance practices. In addition, the program offers three unique tracks to assist students in tailoring their coursework to meet their career goals: quality assurance and compliance; business management; and research and development. Students will develop advanced knowledge and skills that will enable them to serve an important function and role within the biotechnology workforce.
Curriculum of the Applied Biotechnology Program
The online Master of Science in Applied Biotechnology curriculum is designed and taught by the same UW faculty who teach at each campus.
You will acquire a foundation in biotechnology principles and techniques through six required core courses. Then, you will choose one or more specialization tracks-Quality Assurance and Compliance, Business Management, or Research and Development. Each specialization track has three required courses and students may complete more than one track. You’ll finish your degree by completing a capstone project.
You are required to complete, at minimum, eleven courses (31 credits) to earn your degree: six required core courses (3 credits each), one specialization track consisting of three courses (3 credits each), capstone prep (1 credit), and the capstone course (3 credits).
UW Master of Science in Applied Biotechnology courses are completed online, a natural fit for working adults. Students in other UW Extended Campus degree programs often say the online format is a big factor in their ability to earn a degree. You can watch lectures, participate in online forums with your classmates, and do homework whenever it’s convenient for you-all course content is accessible online from any device.
Admission to the Applied Biotechnology Graduate Program
To ensure a high-quality graduate student group, all graduate students must have an undergraduate degree from a recognized institution and meet the criteria provided below. The GMAT or GRE are not required.
- A bachelor’s degree from an accredited university and a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0. Students with a GPA less than 3.0 may be considered for provisional admission and should contact the academic director for more information.
- Official college transcripts.
- Prerequisite coursework: two semesters college-level lab coursework in biology and/or chemistry. To satisfy the prerequisite you must have completed either two semesters of biology, two semesters of chemistry, or one semester each of biology and chemistry, and all coursework must have a lab component.
- Your resume.
- Two letters of recommendation.
- A personal statement of up to 1,000 words describing your motivation to pursue this degree and what you will bring to the biotechnology field.
Need to complete a prerequisite course before applying? Online courses are available through UW Independent Learning. If you are not sure whether you meet these requirements, or which courses you need to take to satisfy prerequisites, please contact the academic adviser.
Submit your complete application to the UW-Stevens Point Office of Admissions and Recruitment, which will forward the application to the biology academic director.
Policies for Applied Biotechnology Graduate Program
Pay close attention to the following provisions:
- The Department of Biology determines whether graduate credits taken before admission to a graduate degree program will apply toward the fulfillment of requirements of the UW-Stevens Point degree program. Graduate courses taken as a special student at UW-Stevens Point also fall under this provision. You may not use more than 9 graduate credits earned before graduate admission to satisfy requirements for the degree program.
- A grade of incomplete automatically becomes an F unless it is removed before the end of the next semester or summer session in which you are registered. For an incomplete to be granted, you and the instructor must agree on the specific requirements, including a firm date for the completion of the work and removal of the incomplete.
- No credits with pass/fail grades will be accepted toward the degree.
- To receive a graduate degree, you must apply for graduation online through accesSPoint at the beginning of the term in which you expect to receive the degree and not later than the end of the third week of a semester or first week of a summer session. Graduate degrees are conferred only in May and December. If you apply for graduation and do not complete the degree requirements, please contact the Graduation Auditor in the Office of the Registrar, 715-346-4301, to change your expected graduation date.
- You must meet at least once per year with your academic adviser.
Applied Bioinformatics Graduate Certificate
The Graduate Certificate in Applied Bioinformatics is offered through the established collaborative online MS in Applied Biotechnology and includes both existing and new courses. The degree represents a fully online, asynchronous curriculum comprised of 12 credits to include four courses. As is the case with the MS in Applied Biotechnology degree, UW-Green Bay, UW-Madison, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Parkside, UW-Platteville, UW-Stevens Point, and UW-Whitewater will offer the certificate jointly. The program serves as both an in-program learning opportunity and additional credential for MSABT degree-seeking students as well as a freestanding certificate program for non-degree (certificate-only) seeking students who may or may not elect to continue to the MS degree program. You will select and enroll at a home campus from which you will receive academic supports and the certificate is conferred.
Program Requirements and Curriculum:
Admission requirements for the Graduate Certificate in Applied Bioinformatics program will include a Bachelor’s degree and a 3.0 undergraduate GPA. Program prerequisite will include General Biology with lab.
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