The College of Science and Health (SAH)

	Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)	Bachelor of Science (B.S.)	Minor
Adapted Physical Education			X
Athletic Training		X
Biochemistry		X
Biology -Aquatic Science Concentration -Biomedical Science Concentration -Cellular and Molecular Concentration -Environmental Science Concentration	X X X X X	X X X X X	X
Biology Education		X	X
Chemistry -ACS Certification -Business Concentration -Environmental Science Concentration	X X X X	X X X X	X
Chemistry Education		X	X
Clinical Laboratory Science		X
Community Health Education		X
Computational Science			X
Computer Science		X	X
Computer Science Education		X	X
Earth Science			X
Exercise and Sport Science -Exercise Science Emphasis Fitness Track Pre-Professional Track -Physical Education Emphasis -Sport Management Emphasis		X X X X X
General Science (Broad Field - second major only)		X
Geography - Environmental Science Concentration - Geographic Information Science Concentration	X X X	X X X	X X
Geoarchaeology			X
Geography Education		X	X
Inclusive Recreation			X
Mathematics -Actuarial Science Concentration -Applied Emphasis -Education Emphasis -Statistics Emphasis	X X X X X	X X X X X	X X X
Mathematics Education		X	X
Microbiology -Biomedical Concentration -Business Concentration -Environmental Concentration	X X X X	X X X X	X
Nuclear Medicine Technology		X
Nutrition			X
Physics -Astronomy Emphasis -Biomedical Concentration -Business Concentration -Computational Physics Emphasis -Optics Emphasis	X X X X X X	X X X X X X	X X
Physics Education		X	X
Radiation Therapy		X
Recreation Management		X	X
School Health Education		X	X
Therapeutic Recreation		X

Dual Degree Programs

Biology/Chiropractic

Biology/Physical Therapy

Chemistry/Engineering

Computer Science/Engineering

Computer Science/Software Engineering

Mathematics/Engineering

Physics/Engineering

Physics/Physical Therapy

Psychology/Occupational Therapy

Concentrations

Coaching Competitive Athletics

Strength and Conditioning (not currently available)

Certificate Programs

Geographic Information Systems (not currently available)

Medical Dosimetry

The College of Science and Health houses high quality major and minor programs in the natural and physical sciences, mathematics and computer science, exercise science, recreation, and in selected allied health professions. The college’s combination of programs provides both applications for the sciences and a strong science base for the allied health offerings. These programs also collectively provide many scientific literacy offerings within the university’s General Education program.

All major programs offer undergraduate research experiences and/or professional internship experiences through collaborative agreements with external agencies.

Sequences and requirements are listed in the Undergraduate Program and Course Description section of the catalog.

In addition to the major and General Education requirements, all students in the College of Science and Health must complete a core curriculum, which emphasizes diverse in-depth study outside of the major.

Core Curriculum

B.S. and B.A. students graduating from the College of Science and Health are required to take two natural laboratory science courses selected from the General Education laboratory science category (GE 05) and from BIO 203, BIO 204, BIO 210, CHM 104, ESC 221, ESC 222, PHY 104, or PHY 204, and they either must take two mathematics courses or one math course and one computer science course from the math/logical systems category of the General Education requirements (GE 02). One of the two science courses must be from a department outside of the student’s major department.

Note: Math courses can be pairs, i.e. 150 & 151; MTH/CS majors can use two science courses from same department.

In addition:
1. For the Bachelor of Science degree, students must complete a major from the college plus:
A. a minor (or a second major) from any college

or
B. 18 credits at the 300 or 400 level in courses outside the major department from any college. Internship credits
generally do not count toward this college core option.

2. For the Bachelor of Arts degree, students must complete a major from the college and proficiency in a foreign language at the 202 level or an ESL proficiency score of 80 or above on the La Crosse Battery of exams for non-native speakers of English. (Contact the English as a Second Language Institute for eligibility and regulations.) plus:
A. a minor in the College of Liberal Studies

or
B. 15 credits at the 300 or 400 level in the College of Liberal Studies. Internship credits generally do not count
toward this college core option.

3. Students participating in the following programs are exempt from the college core requirements:

Athletic Training

Biology Education

Chemistry with a Business Concentration

Chemistry Education

Clinical Laboratory Science

Community Health Education

Computer Science Education

Exercise and Sport Science – Exercise Science Fitness Track

Exercise and Sport Science – Physical Education Teaching

Exercise and Sport Science – Sport Management

Mathematics Education

Nuclear Medicine Technology

Physics Education

Radiation Therapy

Recreation Management

School Health Education

Therapeutic Recreation

PRE-PROFESSIONAL CURRICULA

Students are provided the opportunity to complete requirements in a variety of pre-professional fields on the campus prior to applying to other colleges and universities for admission to their professional programs. Pre-professional program requirements vary widely; some require a degree while others do not. Students are expected to be aware of the requirements of the school to which they plan to apply; therefore, they need to select their course work carefully. Pre-professional advisers on the campus can be of assistance to students in designing a curriculum in such programs. Pre-professional advisers and their contact information can be found at www.uwlax.edu/sah/preprofessional/index.htm or by inquiring at the College of Science and Health Academic Services Office, 124 Mitchell Hall.

Pre-Chiropractic

Pre-chiropractic students enroll at UW-L for at least two years (60 credits) before being admitted to professional chiropractic schools; however, most students entering chiropractic programs have more than 60 credits, and many chiropractic colleges strongly recommend a bachelor’s degree. Students should sample liberally from the General Education curriculum with some emphasis in biology and chemistry. Minimal academic qualifications include one year of biology, one year of general chemistry, one year of organic chemistry, one year of physics/related studies, one year of English, one semester of social science or humanities.

Pre-Dentistry

The usual pre-professional education requirements for admission to dental school stipulate two academic years of liberal arts study; however, many of the dental schools in the United States require three years of college education, and most prefer baccalaureate degree candidates. Dental school requirements in pre-professional curricula vary but a freshman year basically includes: BIO 105 and either 303 or 312 and 313; CHM 103 and 104; ENG 110 or 112; PHY 103 and 104 or 203 and 204 and a course in mathematics.

The pre-dentistry adviser should be consulted as to full curriculum requirements. Admission to dental school is based on grade point average, interviews, aptitude tests and letters of recommendation. An aptitude test is taken in the year preceding application to dental school.

Pre-Engineering

Most of the basic mathematics, chemistry and physics courses that the prospective engineer needs in the first two years of an engineering curriculum can be taken at UW-L, and a wide choice of electives is also available. In the first two years, every pre-engineer should complete three semesters of calculus, two semesters of chemistry and two semesters of physics. Since requirements vary with the engineering school and the particular major, students should see the pre-engineering adviser in the chemistry, computer science, mathematics, or physics department as early as possible. The adviser can furnish information about specific majors within engineering schools. Engineering curricula require four or more years of study; therefore, students spending the first two at UW-L will need to spend two or more years at an engineering school to complete degree requirements.

Pre-Forestry (Natural Resources, Conservation, Wildlife Management)

A curriculum is available to meet the needs of the majority of students who will later major in such diverse fields as wildlife management, forestry and conservation education. However, students entering one of these fields are reminded that most forestry schools set their own requirements for admission, and thus it is imperative that exact requirements be obtained from current catalogs of the schools to which students plan to transfer to complete their professional training. Generally, the requirement for admission with junior standing to professional school is 60 semester hours.

In some cases students will find it advantageous to earn a bachelor’s degree before entering the professional program. Students may do so by continuing for two more academic years at UW-L and fulfilling requirements prescribed for that degree. Students electing to follow this plan should allow extra years to complete graduate work in the professional school. Students are urged to contact the university’s pre-forestry adviser early in their first semester.

Pre-Medicine

Minimal academic requirements to qualify for admission to medical school include a number of courses as part of, or in addition to, a regular academic major leading to a baccalaureate degree. Pre-medicine requirements include at least eight semester hours in biology (general and advanced biology course); 16 semester hours of chemistry including one year of general and eight semester hours of organic; two semesters of mathematics through pre-cal and Stats; eight semester hours of physics; and six semester hours of English. Academic preparation in all of these areas is available at UW-L.

Although the majority of pre-medical students major in chemistry, biology or microbiology, the student may major in any field of interest as long as the minimal requirements are satisfied.

Admission to medical school is highly competitive, and admission decisions are based on factors such as overall grade point average, grade point average in the required science courses, performance on the national Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), usually taken in the spring of the junior year, non-academic credentials (activities and work experiences), letters of evaluation from faculty, and a personal interview. More information on pre-med study at UW-L can be found at www.uwlax.edu/sah/premed.

Pre-Nursing

Students may take pre-nursing courses at UW-La Crosse in preparation for transfer to a school that offers a nursing program. Pre-nursing students need to be aware of the requirements of the nursing program to which they plan to transfer. See www.uwlax.edu/nursing for more information and links to area schools of nursing.

UW-Madison, in conjunction with Gundersen-Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse, offers the professional nursing curriculum in La Crosse to students selected to attend UW-Madison’s “Western Campus.” More information on this program is available at the Web site above and at www.gundluth.org

Pre-Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapists are health professionals who work with individuals to maximize performance in their everyday life tasks when impacted by injury, disease, or other health risk. Occupational therapists are part of a healthcare team that may also include physicians, physician assistants, physical therapists, speech pathologists, and recreational therapists. “Occupation” refers to those everyday meaningful tasks that individuals do each day. The goal of occupational therapy is to help individuals successfully engage in purposeful tasks that comprise daily life.

Undergraduate students interested in occupational therapy must declare an undergraduate major. In addition to declaring an undergraduate major, students may select pre-professional occupational therapy as a secondary area of interest. A dual degree agreement is available for psychology majors in which students receive both a bachelor of science and a masters of science in occupational therapy degrees from UW-La Crosse. The total length of time for both degrees is approximately five and one-half years. It is important that students selecting this option work with their major adviser early and declare their intent officially.

General admission requirements for the UW-La Crosse Occupational Therapy graduate program include:

An undergraduate degree or completion of an undergraduate degree prior to starting the program (except for declared dual degree students)
Completion of all prerequisite course work including BIO 312, 313; PHY 125; PSY 212, 304; MTH 145; sociology or anthropology
Minimum grades attainment of at least a 3.00 cumulative GPA
No more than two prerequisite courses with a grade of C
No prerequisite course work with a grade below C
Completion of 20 hours of clinical experience supervised by an OT

Information about the occupational therapy program, admission criteria and selection process is available at www.uwlax.edu/ot.

The occupational therapy program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 4720 Montgomery Lane, P.O. Box 31220, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA. The program is 30 months long and includes 6 months of full-time Level II fieldwork. Students must complete Level II fieldwork within 24 months of the completion of the didactic portion of the curriculum in order to graduate. Graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapy administered by the National Board for certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). In addition, most states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.

Pre-Optometry

Students should plan to spend at least two years in undergraduate study; most successful applicants have three or four years of undergraduate work. A typical program includes BIO 105 and either 303 or 312 and 313; CHM 103 and 104; PHY 103 and 104, or 203 and 204; ENG 110 or 112 and a course in mathematics. Additional courses may be needed for a pre-optometric program. Consult the adviser for complete undergraduate curriculum requirements. The Optometry Admission Test (OAT) must be taken before or during the semester in which students apply for admission to a school of optometry.

Pre-Osteopathic Medicine

The statement in the section on pre-medicine applies equally to pre-osteopathic medicine. Medical school and osteopathic curricula are nearly identical, and the practice of medicine by graduates of either type of school is essentially identical. Osteopathy is best considered an alternative within medicine rather than an alternative to medicine.

Pre-Pharmacy

Most pharmacy programs offer the “Doctor of Pharmacy” degree. The programs involve a pre-pharmacy curriculum of about 70 credits that can be taken at UW-L. The professional program that is taken at a College of Pharmacy is an additional four years. The pre-pharmacy curriculum is set by the individual colleges of pharmacy but generally consists of BIO 105, 312, 313, 306 or 315; CHM 103, 104, 303, 304 and 305; PHY 103 and 104; MTH 145 and 207, plus non-math, non-science General Education courses. It is very important to work with the pre-pharmacy adviser as program requirements change frequently.

Pre-Physical Therapy

Undergraduate students interested in physical therapy must declare an undergraduate major. Typical majors include biology, exercise & sport science, psychology, and physics but other majors are equally appropriate and feasible with appropriate planning. In addition to declaring an undergraduate major, students may select pre-professional physical therapy as a secondary area of interest. Dual degree agreements are available for biology majors and physics majors in which students receive both a bachelor of science and a graduate physical therapy degree from UW-La Crosse. The total length of time for both degrees is approximately five and three-quarter years. It is important that students selecting this option work with their major advisor early and declare their intent officially.

General admission requirements for the UW-La Crosse physical therapy graduate program include:

an undergraduate degree or completion of an undergraduate degree prior to starting the program (except for declared dual degree students)
completion of all prerequisite course work including BIO 105, 312 and 313; CHM 103, 104; PHY 103 or 203, 104 or 204; any psychology course; any sociology course; and MTH 145
attainment of at least a 3.00 cumulative GPA
completion of required volunteer experiences with letters of recommendation
completion and submission of Graduate Records Examination (GRE) scores

The program typically conducts early and general admissions screening of completed applications. Please consult the admissions section of the physical therapy program Web site for specific application instructions and deadlines.

Pre-Physician Assistant Studies

Physician assistants (PAs) practice medicine with physician supervision. To become a PA, students must be admitted to an accredited PA education program. Like many PA programs across the country, the UW-L – Gundersen – Mayo PA program is a graduate program. Thus, undergraduate students interested in the UW-L program must declare a primary undergraduate major in another field in order to complete a baccalaureate degree. Pre-physician assistant studies then may be selected as a second major and an appropriate academic advisor will be assigned.

Prerequisite requirements are quite variable among the appropriate 140 PA programs across the country. For the UW-L graduate PA program, at a minimum the following prerequisite requirements apply:

Biology: At least 14 semester hours of biology including at least two lab courses: BIO 312 and 313; MIC 230; one of the following: BIO 306, 406, 408, 413, 424, 432, 443, 465, 466, MIC 406

Chemistry: A minimum of 11 semester hours of chemistry including at least two of these courses which must include laboratory: CHM 103 or 104; CHM 300, or CHM 303 and 304; CHM 325, or CHM 417 and 418 or BIO 315 or 435

Mathematics: A minimum of two semesters including: MTH 151 or 207; MTH 145 or 305

Psychology: one of the following: PSY 100, 210, 212, 304, 356, 357, 358

Academic Aptitude: A minimum cumulative GPA on all post-high school courses of 3.00. A minimum science GPA of 3.00. Submission of GRE scores is required.

Health Care Experience: Prior direct patient care health experience is expected. Such experience provides evidence of a career commitment to healthcare as a PA.

Application to the UW-L – Gundersen – Mayo PA program should be made during the summer prior to the expected year of graduation. Pre-PA students should consider making application to several PA programs and carefully review the specific requirements of the programs in which they are interested. Many programs, including the UW-L –Gundersen – Mayo Program, utilize the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) and require a program specific supplemental application.

Pre-Podiatry

A podiatrist is a medical specialist who has unlimited licensure to practice on the ankle and foot. Requirements for admission to a school of podiatric medicine are the same as those listed in the pre-medicine section.

Pre-Veterinary

The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse offers courses that satisfy the requirements for admission to any school of veterinary medicine. Requirements generally include courses in biology, microbiology, chemistry, physics, English composition, mathematics and social sciences and humanities. Several majors at UW-L (particularly biology, microbiology and chemistry) provide an excellent basis for meeting course requirements while pursuing a bachelor’s degree. Applicants are also required to take the graduate record exam (GRE) and have documented animal work experience. Check veterinary schools’ Web sites for most current information. The pre-vet adviser acts as a resource for pre-vet students and more information can be found at www.uwlax.edu/microbiology/prevet.htm.