Biology Core Curriculum Honors, Certificate

Biology Core Curriculum (Biocore) is an undergraduate Honors biology certificate program for students who are motivated to learn biology within a small community of students, peer mentors, and faculty instructors. The four-semester curriculum of lecture and laboratory courses provides an integrated foundation of knowledge and skills applicable to any area of bioscience.

Biocore is not a major but fulfills requirements (introductory to intermediate coursework, Honors, and Communication Part B) for a variety of biological science majors including those in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, College of Letters & Science, College of Engineering, and School of Pharmacy. See the Biocore website and videoto learn more.

Unique aspects of Biocore include:

• Small classes and high faculty/instructor contact
• Emphasis on research, problem solving, science reasoning, group learning, and communication
• Collaborative community of students and faculty
• Peer mentoring, outreach, and directed study opportunities
• Biocore Honors certificate.¹

1. Demonstrate a learning mindset and intellectual curiosity for biology.
2. Demonstrate advanced level scientific reasoning and integration of biological concepts and processes – from molecules to the biosphere, across different forms of life, through space and time.
3. Generate novel scientific questions, formulate hypotheses, carry out experiments, and make logical conclusions based on evidence.
4. Demonstrate advanced scientific communication skills, oral and written, and the ability to translate their understanding to the broader community.
5. Actively engage in and practice group learning, collaboration, and teamwork.
6. Reach for and achieve high standards in the quality of learning.
7. Articulate the value of their Biocore Honors experience.

All undergraduate students at UW–Madison must complete the university-wide General Education Requirements, which are designed to convey the essential core of an undergraduate education. This core establishes a foundation for living a productive life, being a citizen of the world, appreciating aesthetic values, and engaging in lifelong learning in a continually changing world. These requirements provide for breadth across the humanities and arts, social studies, and natural sciences; competence in communication, critical thinking, and analytical skills necessary for success in college and beyond; and investigation of the issues raised by living in a culturally diverse society. This core is intended to provide students with intellectual and practical skills, basic knowledge of human cultures and the physical world, strategies for understanding these topics, and tools intended to contribute to their sense of personal and social responsibility. General Education complements the work students do in their majors and degrees. Together, these requirements help students learn what they need to know not just for making a living, but also for making a life.

Completing the General Education Requirements is an important part of achieving these competencies, and to do so, students choose from many courses in communication, ethnic studies, quantitative reasoning, and breadth of study across disciplines in the natural sciences, humanities, literature, and arts, and social and behavioral sciences.

Completing the General Education Requirements is an important part of achieving these competencies, and to do so, students choose from many courses in communication, ethnic studies, quantitative reasoning, and breadth of study across disciplines in the natural sciences, humanities, literature, and arts, and social and behavioral sciences.

Each school and college may choose to allow General Education courses to count toward other degree and/or major requirements. Students should always check with their advisors to discuss any additional degree requirements and determine if students are required to take specific General Education courses or to complete the requirements in a particular order. Students should review their Degree Audit (DARS) report to see how they are progressing toward fulfilling the General Education requirements. Please refer to.

Some majors require students to complete the whole program, but others do not. Check on your major requirements and with an academic advisor in your major.  Review sample 4-year plans for how Biocore fits into many different bioscience majors. Students who plan to study abroad during their junior year can plan to start Biocore as sophomores and complete coursework as seniors.

For general academic and advising questions in Biocore, contact: Janet Batzli, Biocore interim director, [email protected].

For questions about the student experience see Biocore Peer Advisors and contact [email protected].