Biology
(Printable version)
Biology is the science of life. It includes an array of subdisciplines such as ecology, evolution, botany, zoology, genetics, microbiology and molecular biology. Biological expertise is a vital component of the solutions to many problems facing our civilization from human health and disease to loss of biodiversity and environmental quality.
Hands-on labs
One of the largest majors on campus, the biology department occupies the entire third floor of Phillips Science Hall. Departmental facilities include six general laboratories and 10 specialized laboratories, numerous research labs, three modern greenhouses, an animal care facility, the James Newman Clark Bird Museum and shared access to transmission and scanning electron microscopes and a Geographic Information System lab.
Field study — near and far
The local region is great for field studies due to its abundance of lakes, streams, forests and wildlife areas. Adjacent to the Chippewa River and campus is Putnam Park, a 200-acre scientific natural area. The department is also associated with; Beaver Creek Reserve in Eau Claire County; The Pigeon Lake Field Station; the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (Ocean Springs, Mississippi); the Gerace Research Centre (Bahamas); and offers regular course-based trips to Costa Rica, the Galapagos, and the Boundary Water Canoe Area.
For students interested in the human health professions and medical research, the city is near major hospitals and local clinics and within driving distance of Mayo and Marshfield clinics.
Get published
The department also prides itself in its faculty-undergraduate student collaborative research program. Students engage in research with faculty in the lab and/or field. Students work on projects across the state or country and internationally, conduct independent studies, co-author publications and present results at professional scientific meetings.
Well educated
UW-Eau Claire is a top-ranked nationally as a comprehensive university among comparable university undergraduate biology programs for producing future female Ph.D.s.
Going Pre-Professional
The standard biology major is an excellent foundation for students planning to attend medical, dental, veterinary, chiropractic, optometry, physical/occupational therapy and physician’s assistant school.
Multidisciplinary minors
– Environmental Science
– Marine Science
Suggested freshman curriculum
- Ecology and Evolution
- General Chemistry
- Cell Biology and
Genetics
- Mathematics
- College Writing
- Chemical Principles or
Quantitative Analysis
- General education
electives
More advising information
Certification program
The teaching minor, when combined with a teaching major in chemistry, physics-mathematics, physical science or physics, leads to a 6-12 certification in middle/secondary education programs.Our graduates
Biology graduates go on to become teachers, technicians, managers or planners for governmental agencies or environmental organizations, or health care employees to name a few.
More career information
Places you’ll find recent graduates:
- Clinical Technician-
Cytogenetics, Mayo Clinic in
Rochester, MN
- Environmental Scientist,
Cooper E. Engineering Co. in
Rice Lake, WI
- Genotyping Technician,
Marshfield Clinic in
Marshfield, WI
- Wildlife Biologist,
Department of Natural
Resources in
Balsam Lake, WI
- Medical Student,
UW-Madison Medical
School, Madison, WI
Department contact information
Wilson Taylor
taylorwa@uwec.edu
715-836-4166
