Fall 2026

Neurogenetics

NEUROGENETICS explores the genetic basis of nervous system development, structure, function, and dysfunction, emphasizing research on neurological disorders and experimental approaches.

offering recorded3 credits
Recorded instructors · Fall 2026 Carin Loewen2.9/5

Summary

1 / 6

Reviewers report excessive busy work, including long study guides and numerous assignments, arguing the workload is disproportionate for a two-credit course.

Grade history

↗
average GPA
letter grades
A
AB
B
BC
C
D
F

All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors

Prerequisites

Course map

GENETICS 466, 467,BIOCORE 587,ZOOLOGY/​PSYCH 523, or PSYCH 454

GENETICS 520

This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.

Prerequisite text tree

Professors

Fall 2026

Carin Loewen

/5Adjusted rating
/5RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 2.27/5 from 26 quality ratings. The adjusted rating blends this with the UW review average (3.66/5), weighted as 20 additional ratings. Smaller samples stay closer to that average. Each captured review is counted once in the prior; this does not correct who chooses to leave a review.

For this course: 2.8/5 raw quality · 3.8/5 difficulty · 4 reviews

RMP profile ↗ · All captured review dates; profile matched by name.

Carin Loewen faces criticism for excessive workload and unclear expectations in a low-credit course, with reports of difficult exams and poor time management. Reviewers describe the grading as tough and the course structure as containing unnecessary busy work.

Conversely, Loewen is praised as kind, approachable, and passionate about the material, with students noting her accessibility and quick email responses. These reviewers found the online exams doable and enjoyed the interesting course content despite some confusing slides.

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2025: 3.72 GPA, 88.1% A/AB (n=59 letter grades); Fall 2025: 3.70 GPA, 86.0% A/AB (n=57 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.58 GPA, 83.1% A/AB (n=59 letter grades).

Historical instructors & teaching patterns

CARIN LOEWEN is recorded teaching in Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2024, Spring 2025, Fall 2025, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Calendar & sections

Fall 2026

Schedule loads here as you scroll.

SectionModeEnrolled / capacityWaitlist
LEC 001Classroom Instruction57 / 6015

Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections. Enrollment reflects scan time.

Meeting source records
Download part 1

Student experience

the class

Carin Loewen’s Genetics 520 course elicits polarized reviews, with students describing either unreasonable workload and difficulty or a kind, accessible instructor with interesting material.

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2025: 3.72 GPA, 88.1% A/AB (n=59 letter grades); Fall 2025: 3.70 GPA, 86.0% A/AB (n=57 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.58 GPA, 83.1% A/AB (n=59 letter grades).

difficulty & workload

Reviewers report excessive busy work, including long study guides and numerous assignments, arguing the workload is disproportionate for a two-credit course.

Students appreciate Dr. Loewen’s passion, approachability, and quick email responses, though some find her slides confusing and note that exams require solid material understanding.

Topics

  • Genetic basis of nervous system development, structure, function, and dysfunction.
  • Current research on the genetic basis of specific neurological disorders.

Skills

  • Application of genetic methodologies and experimental approaches in neurobiological research.
  • Analysis of current research findings on the genetic basis of neurological disorders.

Grades

Historical instructor

Fall 2026 · Projected

Before grades are released

– average GPA

Approximate 80% prediction interval

About this estimate

The course’s semester-average GPA, not an individual student’s grade. The center uses 5 same-season terms, weighted toward recent results.

The range uses the finite-sample 80th-percentile rank of absolute errors from earlier same-season forecasts. Each forecast uses only records from earlier terms. At least four forecasts are required; bounds are rounded outward and limited to 0–4. This is an empirical estimate: changing instructors or grading policies can reduce its coverage.

4 earlier forecasts · 0.14 GPA average error.

Grades over time

Through Fall 2026

More grade details Grade mix, volume & source data

Where this course fits relative to

Latest available grades · Spring 2026 · all course levels

GPA

Higher than % of other courses in this group.

Course GPAs · red marks this course’s range

letter grades

More recorded grades than % of other courses in this group.

Typical course in this group: letter grades.

About this comparison

1283 courses over the same term, each with at least 30 recorded letter grades. Cross-listed courses count once. GPA is not a measure of difficulty or teaching quality. The typical course is the median by recorded grade count; tied values are not counted as lower. Grade counts describe course scale, not unique students or typical section size.

Descriptions compare GPA with this group’s average: at least 0.20 higher or lower; otherwise close to average. Section size uses median recorded enrollment: small up to 30, mid-sized 31–99, large 100+. Lectures and discussion/lab sections are described separately.

Sources & history

UW–Madison

Catalog & offerings

Descriptions, prerequisites, and recorded course offerings.

Catalog observation history

Observations at scan time; dates do not imply when a catalog change took effect.

Download part 1
Selected offering source records
GENETICS 520 · Fall 2026

Neurogenetics

Recorded 2026-09-07
Raw records
[
  {
    "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4",
    "semester": "1272",
    "observed_at": "2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00",
    "offering_id": "1272:412:024994",
    "course_id": "GENETICS 520",
    "course_uid": "course_b1523e5d03d6564c3b2f5049",
    "term_id": "1272",
    "source_course_id": "024994",
    "source_subject_id": "412",
    "title": "Neurogenetics",
    "credits_min": 3,
    "credits_max": 3,
    "typically_offered": "Fall"
  }
]
Rate My Professors

Student reviews

Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.

Read original reviews
Download part 1
Madgrades

Grade history

Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.

Explore recorded grades
Dataset & model

Recorded 2026-09-07

Download the original dataset
Model outputs & technical records
nvidia/Qwen3.6-35B-A3B-NVFP4
LLM outputs across runs
Download part 1
Full model traces

Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.

Download part 1
Model & dataset provenance
{
  "model": "nvidia/Qwen3.6-35B-A3B-NVFP4",
  "model_revision": "1355db6a052410cfd62085d94b58866fd0f2c3c5",
  "task_version": "14",
  "output_id": "c23b3e46769836191e351e4a7c47d804cc5f007088a87e908177c69f91305f25",
  "requirements_status": "valid",
  "dataset_revision": "e243353dcb7d79b7247ced91d69443ef4c2a6349",
  "observed_at": "2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00"
}