Spring 2027

Animal Developmental Genetics

Advanced genetics course on genetic mechanisms of animal embryonic development, focusing on molecular circuitries, pattern formation, organogenesis, and animal models of human congenital disorders.

offering recorded3 credits
Recorded instructors · Spring 2027 Christopher Tilmann3.2/5Claire Richardson

Summary

1 / 6

Past student reviews · Christopher Tilmann

Students reported that assignments were created randomly three days before deadlines, and lectures involved 1-2 hour pre-lectures plus in-class work rather than traditional teaching.

What you’ll be able to do

  • Integrate concepts in genetics in the identification and function of genes involved in development and cell differentiation.

  • Understand developmental cascades and morphogenetic processes involved in patterning and diversification of the animal tissue plan.

  • Apply developmental genetic principles towards the understanding of syndromes in animals, including humans.

  • Learn principles underlying the divergence of body types during evolution.

Source: UW Guide

Grade history

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average GPA
letter grades
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All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors

Prerequisites

Course map

GENETICS 466, 468, or BIOCORE 587

GENETICS 627 used by

“Used by” includes alternatives; linked courses may have other requirements. This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.

Prerequisite text tree

Professors

Spring 2027

Christopher Tilmann

Adjusted rating
RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 2.43/5 from 14 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: 2.0/5 raw quality · 3.0/5 difficulty · 3 reviews

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

Past student reviews · Christopher Tilmann

Christopher Tilmann was described as accessible and caring, with valuable lectures that sometimes felt overwhelming in depth.

Another student found the course structure vague, noting that Tilmann assigned pre-lectures and used class time for in-class assignments, sometimes created just three days before the deadline.

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2024: 3.48 GPA, 75.0% A/AB (n=20 letter grades); Spring 2025: 3.39 GPA, 71.0% A/AB (n=31 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.24 GPA, 42.1% A/AB (n=19 letter grades). Includes jointly taught sections.

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2024: 3.48 GPA, 75.0% A/AB (n=20 letter grades); Spring 2025: 3.39 GPA, 71.0% A/AB (n=31 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.24 GPA, 42.1% A/AB (n=19 letter grades). Includes jointly taught sections.

Historical instructors & teaching patterns

CHRISTOPHER TILMANN is recorded teaching in Spring 2017, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024, Spring 2025, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

CLAIRE RICHARDSON is recorded teaching in Spring 2024, Spring 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

Spring 2027

Schedule loads here as you scroll.

SectionModeEnrolled / capacityWaitlist
LEC 001Classroom Instruction0 / 600

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

Meeting source records
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Student experience

the class

Past student reviews · Christopher Tilmann

Christopher Tilmann was described as accessible and caring, with lectures considered very valuable despite the course's depth sometimes feeling overwhelming.

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2024: 3.48 GPA, 75.0% A/AB (n=20 letter grades); Spring 2025: 3.39 GPA, 71.0% A/AB (n=31 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.24 GPA, 42.1% A/AB (n=19 letter grades).

difficulty & workload

Past student reviews · Christopher Tilmann

Students reported that assignments were created randomly three days before deadlines, and lectures involved 1-2 hour pre-lectures plus in-class work rather than traditional teaching.

Past student reviews · Christopher Tilmann

One student found the syllabus structure vague and criticized the course layout, contrasting this with other students' positive views on the instructor's accessibility.

Topics

  • Maternal and epigenetic inheritance, egg-to-embryo transition, pattern formation, organogenesis, and animal models of human congenital disorders.

Skills

  • Integrating genetic concepts to identify and analyze gene function in development and cell differentiation.
  • Understanding developmental cascades and morphogenetic processes for tissue patterning.
  • Applying developmental genetic principles to understand congenital syndromes in animals and humans.

Grades

Latest available · Spring 2026— not enough history to project Spring 2027.

average GPA
A / AB grades
letter grades
Instructor

Grade distribution · % of letter grades

A
AB
B
BC
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D
F

Grades over time

Through Spring 2026

More grade details Grade mix, volume & source data

Not enough comparable courses for Spring 2027 in UW–Madison.

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.

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Selected offering source records
GENETICS 627 · Spring 2027

Animal Developmental Genetics

Recorded 2026-10-14
Raw records 
[
  {
    "run_id": "20261014T203208-0851c9a1",
    "semester": "1274",
    "observed_at": "2026-10-14 17:50:09.728220+00:00",
    "offering_id": "1274:412:023957",
    "course_id": "GENETICS 627",
    "course_uid": "course_e38b24d27368f749fc9fcd16",
    "term_id": "1274",
    "source_course_id": "023957",
    "source_subject_id": "412",
    "title": "Animal Developmental Genetics",
    "credits_min": 3,
    "credits_max": 3,
    "typically_offered": "Every Other Spring"
  }
]
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Student reviews

Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.

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Madgrades

Grade history

Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.

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Dataset & model

Recorded 2026-10-14

View the dataset on Hugging Face
Model outputs & technical records
Qwen/Qwen3.8-27B
LLM outputs across runs
Download part 1
Full model traces

Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.

Download part 1
Model & dataset provenance 
{
  "model": "Qwen/Qwen3.8-27B",
  "model_revision": "1d4bf0f2ff6012fd82039f2fa52739d0dd7c60c0",
  "task_version": "17",
  "output_id": "3e473a14378b8ed202107474848a8d3c0b71161ac032bf231694539303075563",
  "requirements_status": "valid",
  "dataset_revision": "fc1811fa52e581ea57a35c0cf3343f8740a8ffbf",
  "observed_at": "2026-10-14 17:50:09.728220+00:00"
}