BS Botany at University of Wisconsin-Madison

Programme overview

The Department of Botany provides an introduction to the living world: the diversity of its organisms; its historical origins through evolution; its principles of structure, function, and ecology; and its interactions, relationships, and effects on the nonliving world. Botany is the science of plants, algae, fungi, and bacteria—all living organisms except animals. Green plants and algae provide the photosynthetic energy for fueling all other life on earth and drive global water and carbon cycles.

Faculty: College of Letters & Science | Department: Botany | Duration: 120 credits | Study mode: full-time | Location: Madison, WI, United States

What you will study

The degree requires 120 credits in total. Courses listed in the requirements include STAT 301 Introduction to Statistical Methods; STAT 324 Introduction to Statistics for Science and Engineering; STAT 371 Introductory Applied Statistics for the Life Sciences; CHEM 109 Advanced General Chemistry; CHEM 341 Elementary Organic Chemistry; PHYSICS 115 Energy and Climate (preferred).

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Applies to College of Letters & Science, not specific to this major: Prospective Botany majors should consult with the general undergraduate botany advisor by the beginning of the junior year to outline a course of study appropriate to the student's needs. Major Declaration may occur by meeting with the undergraduate advisor in the major. To be accepted as a major in Botany, a student must have a grade point average of 2.500 for all science courses taken prior to declaration.

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

First-year entry terms: Fall (Early Action and Regular Decision) and Spring. Transfer entry terms: Fall (Priority and Regular Decision) and Spring.

First-year Fall Early Action: application deadline November 1, materials deadline November 9, decision on or before January 31. Fall Regular Decision: application deadline January 15, materials deadline January 22, decision on or before March 31. Spring Regular Decision: application deadline October 1, materials deadline October 15, decision on or before December 31. First-year fall and spring applications open August 1. Early Action is non-binding.

Transfer Fall Priority: application deadline February 1, materials deadline February 16, decision on or before March 31. Fall Regular: application deadline March 1, materials deadline March 15, decision on or before April 30. Spring Regular: application deadline October 1, materials deadline October 15, decision on or before December 31. Fall transfer applications open December 1; spring transfer applications open August 1.

Apply via the Common Application or the Universities of Wisconsin Application. The application fee is $80 US and is non-refundable; fee waivers are available for applicants with financial hardship. ACT and SAT scores are optional for students applying for admission through the spring 2028 term (application deadline October 1, 2027).

Explore more study programmes

STEM