Admissions to the Biology: Plant Biology, B.A. named option have been suspended as of fall 2021 and will be discontinued as of fall 2024. If you have any questions, please contact the department.
The Plant Biology Named Option allows biology majors to focus their studies on plant science and to have this reflected on their transcript. There are a number of departments at UW–Madison who host plant science-based majors, including agronomy, botany, horticulture, plant pathology, and forest and wildlife ecology. While those specialized majors offer in-depth programs in their disciplines, the Plant Biology Named Option allows students to pursue a course of study within the biology major and explore plant biology at the same time. Students in this option can fulfill their requirements with courses that emphasize various aspects of plant science, including anatomy, physiology, genetics, crop production, disease resistance, and molecular techniques in plant improvement. Students also participate in a one-credit seminar called Frontiers in Plant Science taught by two faculty from plant science departments.
- Prepare for graduate work in a plant science field
- Prepare for advanced study or graduate work in a natural or environmental science field
- Concentrate their studies on the biology of plants
Requirements for the Named Option
Students must complete a minimum of 31 credits of Biological Science courses within the Introductory Biology, Foundation Course, Upper-Level Breadth in the Major, and Additional Lab or Field Research requirements. Unless specifically stated otherwise, courses may not be used to meet multiple requirements of the major.
Core Requirements
Mathematics and Statistics
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Complete one of the following: | 5-10 | |
| Calculus and Analytic Geometry 1 | ||
| Calculus with Algebra and Trigonometry I and Calculus with Algebra and Trigonometry II | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Calculus and Analytic Geometry 2 | ||
| Introduction to Statistical Methods | ||
| Introductory Applied Statistics for the Life Sciences | ||
| Total Credits | 8-14 | |
Chemistry
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| General Chemistry (Complete one of the following): | 5-10 | |
| General Chemistry I and General Chemistry II | ||
| Advanced General Chemistry | ||
| Chemical Principles I and Chemical Principles II | ||
| Organic Chemistry | ||
| CHEM 343 | Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHEM 344 | Introductory Organic Chemistry Laboratory | 2 |
| CHEM 345 | Organic Chemistry II | 3 |
| Total Credits | 13-18 | |
Physics
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| First Semester Physics (complete one of the following): | 4-5 | |
| General Physics | ||
| General Physics | ||
| General Physics | ||
| Second Semester Physics (complete one of the following): | 4-5 | |
| General Physics | ||
| General Physics | ||
| General Physics | ||
| Total Credits | 8-10 | |
Introductory Biology
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select one of the following options: | 10-13 | |
| Option A: | ||
| Introductory Biology | ||
| Introductory Biology | ||
| Option B: | ||
| Evolution, Ecology, and Genetics | ||
| Evolution, Ecology, and Genetics Laboratory | ||
| Cellular Biology | ||
| Cellular Biology Laboratory | ||
| Principles of Physiology | ||
| Option C: | ||
| Animal Biology | ||
| Animal Biology Laboratory | ||
| General Botany | ||
Foundation Course (complete one of the following):
Students may use BIOCORE 381 and BIOCORE 383 toward both Introductory Biology and Foundation.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AGRONOMY/HORT 338 | Plant Breeding and Biotechnology | 3 |
| BIOCHEM 501 | Introduction to Biochemistry | 3 |
| BIOCHEM 508 | General Biochemistry II | 3-4 |
| BIOCORE 381 & BIOCORE 383 | Evolution, Ecology, and Genetics and Cellular Biology | 6 |
| GENETICS 466 | Principles of Genetics | 3 |
| GENETICS 468 | General Genetics 2 | 3 |
Upper-Level Breadth in the Major
Minimum of 13 credits required and must include one approved lab course. Approved lab courses are indicated by footnote. A course taken to meet the Foundation requirement may not also count as Upper-Level Breadth in the Major.
- Complete at least two credits from either category A or B.
- Complete at least two credits from either category C or D.
- Complete at least two credits from category E.
A. Cellular and Subcellular Biology
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AGRONOMY/HORT 338 | Plant Breeding and Biotechnology | 3 |
| AGRONOMY/BOTANY/HORT 339 | Plant Biotechnology: Principles and Techniques I 1 | 4 |
| AGRONOMY/BOTANY/HORT 340 | Plant Cell Culture and Genetic Engineering | 3 |
| BIOCHEM 501 | Introduction to Biochemistry | 3 |
| BIOCHEM 507 | General Biochemistry I | 3 |
| BIOCHEM 508 | General Biochemistry II | 3-4 |
| BIOCHEM/BOTANY 621 | Plant Biochemistry | 3 |
| BIOCHEM 570 | Computational Modeling of Biological Systems | 3 |
| BOTANY/ENTOM/PL PATH 505 | Plant-Microbe Interactions: Molecular and Ecological Aspects | 3 |
| GENETICS 466 | Principles of Genetics | 3 |
| GENETICS 467 | General Genetics 1 | 3 |
B. Organismal Biology
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOCORE 486 | Principles of Physiology Laboratory 1 | 2 |
| BOTANY 300 | Plant Anatomy 1 | 4 |
| BOTANY 305 | Plant Morphology and Evolution 1 | 4 |
| BOTANY 330 | Algae 1 | 3 |
| BOTANY/PL PATH 332 | Fungi 1 | 4 |
| BOTANY/PL PATH 333 | Biology of the Fungi | 2 |
| BOTANY/F&W ECOL 402 | Dendrology 1 | 2 |
| BOTANY 500 | Plant Physiology 1 | 3-4 |
| ENTOM/ZOOLOGY 302 | Introduction to Entomology 1 | 4 |
| PL PATH 558 | Biology of Plant Pathogens 1 | 3 |
C. Ecology
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AGRONOMY/BOTANY/SOIL SCI 370 | Grassland Ecology | 3 |
| BOTANY/ZOOLOGY 450 | Midwestern Ecological Issues: A Case Study Approach | 2 |
| BOTANY/F&W ECOL 455 | The Vegetation of Wisconsin 1 | 4 |
| BOTANY/F&W ECOL/ZOOLOGY 460 | General Ecology 1 | 4 |
| BOTANY/ENTOM/ZOOLOGY 473 | Plant-Insect Interactions | 3 |
| BOTANY/ENVIR ST/F&W ECOL/ZOOLOGY 651 | Conservation Biology | 3 |
| F&W ECOL 550 | Forest Ecology | 3 |
| F&W ECOL/LAND ARC/ZOOLOGY 565 | Principles of Landscape Ecology | 2 |
| GENETICS 528 | Banking Animal Biodiversity: International Field Study in Costa Rica | 1 |
| MICROBIO/AN SCI/BOTANY 335 | The Microbiome of Plants, Animals, and Humans | 3 |
| PL PATH 300 | Introduction to Plant Pathology 1 | 4 |
| PL PATH 315 | Plant Microbiomes 1 | 4 |
| ZOOLOGY 304 | Marine Biology | 2 |
| ZOOLOGY 320 | Field Marine Biology 1 | 3 |
D. Evolution and Systematics
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANTHRO/BOTANY/ZOOLOGY 410 | Evolutionary Biology | 3 |
| BIOLOGY/GENETICS 522 | Communicating Evolutionary Biology | 2-3 |
| BOTANY 400 | Plant Systematics 1 | 4 |
| BOTANY 401 | Vascular Flora of Wisconsin 1 | 4 |
| BOTANY 422 | Plant Geography | 3 |
| BOTANY 563 | Phylogenetic Analysis of Molecular Data | 3 |
| GENETICS 468 | General Genetics 2 | 3 |
E. Applied Biology, Agriculture and Natural Resources
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| A A E/AGRONOMY/NUTR SCI 350 | World Hunger and Malnutrition | 3 |
| AGRONOMY 300 | Cropping Systems | 3 |
| AGRONOMY 302 | Forage Management and Utilization | 3 |
| AGRONOMY/HORT 360 | Genetically Modified Crops: Science, Regulation & Controversy | 2 |
| AGRONOMY 377 | Global Food Production and Health | 3 |
| AGRONOMY/HORT 501 | Principles of Plant Breeding | 3 |
| AGRONOMY/ATM OCN/SOIL SCI 532 | Environmental Biophysics | 3 |
| AMER IND/ANTHRO/BOTANY 474 | Ethnobotany | 3-4 |
| BIOCORE 587 | Biological Interactions | 3 |
| BOTANY 403 | Field Collections and Identification | 1-4 |
| DY SCI/AGRONOMY 471 | Food Production Systems and Sustainability | 3 |
| F&W ECOL/HORT/LAND ARC/PL PATH 309 | Diseases of Trees and Shrubs | 3 |
| F&W ECOL 410 | Principles of Silviculture | 3 |
| F&W ECOL 415 | Tree Physiology | 3 |
| GENETICS 548 | The Genomic Revolution | 3 |
| GENETICS/HORT 550 | Molecular Approaches for Potential Crop Improvement | 3 |
| HORT/LAND ARC 263 | Landscape Plants I 1 | 3 |
| HORT 370 | World Vegetable Crops | 3 |
| HORT 372 | Colloquium in Organic Agriculture | 1 |
| HORT/AGRONOMY 376 | Tropical Horticultural Systems | 1 |
| HORT 378 | Tropical Horticultural Systems International Field Study | 2 |
| HORT 500 | 1 | 3 |
| MED PHYS/NTP 651 | Methods for Neuroimaging Research | 3 |
| PL PATH/SOIL SCI 323 | Soil Biology | 3 |
| PL PATH 517 | Plant Disease Resistance | 2-3 |
| ZOOLOGY 500 | Undergraduate Neurobiology Seminar | 1 |
Additional lab or Field Research
In addition to the Lab requirement, complete one of the following requirements:
- Complete one additional lab course and at least two credits from categories A–E in the Upper-Level Breadth in the Major course lists, or
- Complete at least two credits of directed study in a biological science discipline, or
- Complete a two-semester thesis in biological science.
Approved Directed Study Courses
To have Directed Study count for the Additional Lab/Field Research requirement, students must first complete an Introductory Biology sequence.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Special Problems | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Special Problems | ||
| Special Problems | ||
| Directed Studies | ||
| Directed Study | ||
| Special Research Problems | ||
| Directed Study | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Special Problems | ||
| Special Problems | ||
| Directed Study | ||
| Special Problems | ||
| Special Problems | ||
| Special Problems | ||
| Special Problems | ||
| Special Problems | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Directed Study | ||
| Special Problems | ||
| Directed Study | ||
| Directed Studies in Molecular Biology | ||
| Directed Study | ||
| Directed Research in Neurology | ||
| Neurosurgery: Directed in Study in Research | ||
| Directed Study in Nursing | ||
| Special Problems | ||
| Directed Study | ||
| Special Research Problems | ||
| Directed Study | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Directed Study | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Advanced Independent Study | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Independent Work | ||
| Special Problems | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Special Problems | ||
| Directed Study | ||
| Independent Study |
Approved Thesis Sequences
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Senior Honors Thesis and Senior Honors Thesis | ||
| Senior Honor Thesis and Senior Honors Thesis | ||
| Thesis and Thesis | ||
| Senior Honors Thesis and Senior Honors Thesis | ||
| Senior Thesis and Senior Thesis | ||
| Senior Honors Thesis and Senior Honors Thesis | ||
| Senior Thesis and Senior Thesis | ||
| Senior Honors Thesis and Senior Honors Thesis | ||
| Senior Thesis and Senior Thesis | ||
| Senior Honors Thesis and Senior Honors Thesis | ||
| Senior Honors Thesis and Senior Honors Thesis | ||
| Senior Honors Thesis and Senior Honors Thesis | ||
| Senior Honors Thesis and Senior Honors Thesis | ||
| Senior Thesis and Senior Thesis | ||
| Senior Honors Thesis and Senior Honors Thesis | ||
| Senior Honors Thesis in Human Oncology 1 and Senior Honors Thesis in Human Oncology 2 | ||
| Senior Thesis in Human Oncology 1 and Senior Thesis in Human Oncology 2 | ||
| Senior Honors Thesis and Senior Honors Thesis | ||
| First Semester Senior Thesis and Second Semester Senior Thesis | ||
| Senior Honors Thesis and Senior Honors Thesis | ||
| Senior Thesis and Senior Thesis | ||
| Senior Honors Thesis and Senior Honors Thesis | ||
| Senior Thesis and Senior Thesis | ||
| Senior Honors Thesis and Senior Honors Thesis | ||
| Senior Thesis-Nutrition and Senior Thesis | ||
| Senior Honors Thesis and Senior Honors Thesis | ||
| Senior Honors Thesis and Senior Honors Thesis | ||
| Senior Honors Thesis and Senior Honors Thesis | ||
| Senior Thesis and Senior Thesis |
Undergraduate Plant Science Seminar
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Complete one of the following: | ||
| AGRONOMY 375 | Special Topics (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Plants Seminar) | 1-4 |
| BIOCHEM 375 | Special Topics (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Plants Seminar) | 1-4 |
| PL PATH 375 | Special Topics (Frontiers in Plant Biology) | 1-4 |
Residence & Quality of Work
- 2.000 GPA in all BIOLOGY and major courses
- 2.000 GPA on at least 15 credits of Upper-Level work in the major, in Residence 2
- 15 credits in the major, taken on the UW–Madison campus
Footnotes
- 1
Course also approved for lab credit
- 2
Foundation and Upper-Level Breadth in the Major courses are considered Upper-Level for purposes of this requirement.
Sample Four-Year Plan
This Sample Four-Year Plan is a tool to assist students and their advisor(s). Students should use it—along with their DARS report, the Degree Planner, and Course Search & Enroll tools—to make their own four-year plan based on their placement scores, credit for transferred courses and approved examinations, and individual interests. As students become involved in athletics, honors, research, student organizations, study abroad, volunteer experiences, and/or work, they might adjust the order of their courses to accommodate these experiences. Students will likely revise their own four-year plan several times during college.
Four-year Plans for the Biology major are designed to support biological science major exploration and planning your academic career. Your specific program of study could, and probably will, look different. You should customize the Four-Year Plan to fit your unique interests at UW–Madison. Consult with your advisor about the best plan for you.
SAMPLE PLANT BIOLOGY OPTION FOUR-YEAR PLAN
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| CHEM 103 | 4 | CHEM 104 | 5 |
| MATH 2211 | 5 | MATH 222 or STAT 3711 | 4 |
| Communication A | 3 | Literature Breadth | 3 |
| Social Science Breadth | 3 | Ethnic Studies/Social Science Breadth | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| BIOLOGY/BOTANY/ZOOLOGY 1512 | 5 | BIOLOGY/BOTANY/ZOOLOGY 1522 | 5 |
| CHEM 343 | 3 | CHEM 344 | 2 |
| Literature Breadth | 3 | CHEM 345 | 3 |
| Social Science Breadth | 3 | Humanities Breadth | 3 |
| INTER-LS 210 | 1 | Elective | 2 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Junior | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Foundation Course for Major | 3 | Upper-Level Breadth in the Major | 3 |
| PHYSICS 103 | 4 | PHYSICS 104 | 4 |
| Social Science Breadth | 3 | Plant Science Seminar | 1 |
| Electives | 5 | Humanities Breadth | 3 |
| Declare the Major | Electives | 4 | |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Senior | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Upper-Level Breadth in the Major | 3 | Upper-Level Breadth in the Major | 5 |
| Upper-Level Breadth in the Major Lab or Field Research | 3 | Additional Lab or Field Research | 2 |
| Electives | 9 | Electives | 8 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Credits 120 | |||
- 1
Follow the guidance of Math placement scores when choosing a Mathematics and/or Statistics course.
- 2
Students may complete one of three Introductory Biology requirements. See the Requirements tab for more information.