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24 courses
Ranked courses have at least 100 recorded letter grades.
Past student reviews · Sharon Thoma, Lauren Riters
Exams were described as challenging, with one student noting Lauren Riters' test was the hardest of the semester. Sharon Thoma's exams required significant study time, and students were advised to use the Learning Center and office hours to prepare.
The course was moderately difficult and memorization-heavy on exams, which some students found tricky. Labs required outside class hours, but TAs were helpful in guiding students through completing lab reports.
Invertebrate Biology and Evolution introduces invertebrate diversity and biology, emphasizing anatomy, development, and systematic relationships of main animal phyla from a phylogenetic and developmental perspective.
The course involved quizzes, homework, and exams that some students found difficult. Grading was on a scale rather than curved, and one student noted that heavy reading was required to pass.
Examines general physiological principles by comparing taxa from diverse evolutionary histories and ecological adaptations in comparative and evolutionary physiology.
General Ecology covers the ecology of organisms, populations, communities, ecosystems, landscapes, and the biosphere, focusing on interactions with the physical environment.
An introduction to ornithology covering bird biology, ecology, and behavior, including evolution, flight mechanics, migration, communication, and conservation.
Introduction to Entomology covering principles of insect morphology and classification, with outcomes focusing on identifying anatomical structures and classifying insects.
The class was described as very time-consuming and required significant memorization of Latin names. While not extraordinarily hard, it demanded a lot of work, though the instructor helped students through the material.
Introductory ecology covering organism-environment relationships, population dynamics, community organization, human-environment interactions, and action programs.
Anthony Ives used quizzes worth 20 points each, with a 60-point final. A student warned that even a couple of wrong answers lowered scores, but extra credit could raise a grade.
Evolutionary biology course emphasizing how modern scientists study evolution, covering microevolution, macroevolution, systematics, quantitative genetics, and phylogenetic analyses.
Assessment consisted of ten-point weekly quizzes based on lectures and readings, which one student found manageable enough to earn an A without reading the book.
Ecology of Fishes covers interactions of fishes with physical, chemical, and biotic environments, including physiological ecology, community ecology, and fisheries sciences, with field trips to Lake Mendota and Shedd Aquarium.
Explores how genetic differences reveal human evolutionary and demographic history, and how history shapes genetic diversity. Covers disease risks, ancestry kits, and limits of genomics for describing race.
An undergraduate seminar covering neurobiology research topics from molecular to integrative systems, featuring discussions by UW-Madison faculty researchers.
Hands-on research course where students work with microbes to test original hypotheses on antibiotic discovery, contributing data to the Tiny Earth network to address antibiotic resistance.
Seminars in Endocrinology-Reproductive Physiology promote scientific development through research presentations delivered to a scientific audience, including professional development topics.