Biology Major (BS)

Admittance and status as a biology major depends on the following factors:

1. 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.

2. 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”.

3. 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.