Students who wish to pursue a special intellectual problem or academic path not adequately covered by existing majors can work with advisors and faculty to create an individual path of study to meet their goals. The individual major must involve courses from several programs, must be at least as rigorous as existing majors, and must be targeted at a special intellectual problem or academic need identified by the student.
The individual major must be approved by a faculty committee and the CALS Curriculum Committee. Students are strongly encouraged to consult with an assistant dean in the CALS Office of Academic Affairs early in their undergraduate career to discuss the process, planning, and feasibility of completion.
Learn through hands-on, real-world experiences
Most CALS students complete independent research under the guidance of internationally recognized faculty researchers. Lab or field courses related to the special interests of the student are encouraged as part of the individual major.
Build community and networks
With more than 20 CALS-sponsored student organizations, students can build their professional networks early and enhance their leadership skills.
Customize a path of study
Students who complete an approved individual major work closely with faculty and staff to craft a path of study unique to them. Their diploma will include the approved name of their specialized major.
Make a strong start
A number of first-year seminar courses are available to help new students understand academic programs, access student services, and develop time management and study skills.
Gain global perspective
All individual majors must complete a CALS International Comparisons course or approved study abroad experience. Students work with their advisor and the CALS study abroad office to identify appropriate programs.
How to Get in
Individual majors must be approved by a faculty committee and the CALS Curriculum Committee. Approval is not guaranteed, so students should consider alternative options carefully. Students are strongly encouraged to consult with an assistant dean in the Office of Academic Affairs early in their undergraduate career to discuss the process, planning, and feasibility of completion. The process to request to pursue an individual major is outlined below.
The student selects a three-person faculty committee from departments offering courses in the proposed major. The major advisor is from a CALS department that offers many of the courses in the proposed individual major. No more than two members of the committee can be from a single department. The student must submit a proposed plan of study to the committee for review and approval. The faculty committee must consult with the department with the most courses in the proposed major. The plan should include: the title of the proposed major; the rationale for the major; learning outcomes for the major and a brief assessment plan; the list of courses and the reasons for including each course in the major; and a semester plan for degree completion. The student is required to earn at least 30 credits after the term in which the proposal is approved. Thus, early planning is essential.
If the faculty committee approves the plan, the student should work with CALS Academic Affairs to submit the plan of study to the CALS Curriculum Committee along with a letter of support from the major advisor and a summary of the department discussion of the plan. The student and faculty advisor will meet with the Curriculum Committee to present the proposal. The Curriculum Committee may approve the proposal, reject the proposal, or ask for further clarification and resubmission. The decision of the Curriculum Committee is final.
Any changes in the major must be approved by the faculty advisor and reported to the Office of Academic Affairs, and any changes that significantly affect the nature or rigor of the program must be reviewed and approved by the Curriculum Committee.
University Requirements
All undergraduate students must complete both the following Core General Education (Core GenEd) and University Degree and Quality of Work requirements. The requirements below apply to students whose first term at UW-Madison or whose earliest post-high school college attendance at any institution is Summer 2026 or later.
Students whose first term at UW-Madison or whose earliest post-high school college attendance at any institution occurred before Summer 2026 should refer to the archived Guide for the requirements that apply to them.
Core General Education (Core GenEd) Requirements
| Civics & Perspectives | 3 credits of Civics & Perspectives coursework. |
| Communication & Literacy | 6 credits of Communication & Literacy coursework. This requirement may be partially satisfied by a qualifying placement test score. For more information see this tiny url: https://go.wisc.edu/qualifyingenglishplacement |
| Humanities & Arts | 6 credits of Humanities & Arts coursework. |
| Mathematics & Quantitative Reasoning | 6 credits of Mathematics & Quantitative Reasoning coursework. This requirement may be partially satisfied by a qualifying placement test score. For more information see this tiny url: https://go.wisc.edu/qualifyingmathplacement |
| Natural Science & Wellness | Complete both:
|
| Social & Behavioral Science | 3 credits of Social & Behavioral Science coursework. |
| Total Credits | 30 credits. |
For more information see the policy.
University Degree and Quality of Work Requirements
All undergraduate degree recipients must complete the following minimum requirements. Requirements for some programs will exceed these requirements; see program requirements for additional information.
| Total Degree | 120 degree credits. |
| Residency | Complete 30 credits in residence. A course is considered “in residence” if it is taken when in undergraduate degree-seeking status and:
|
| Quality of Work | Achieve at least the minimum grade point average specified by the school, college, and/or academic program. |
| Math | Demonstrate minimal mathematics competence by: |
| English Language | If required to take the UW-Madison English as a Second Language Assessment Test (MSN-ESLAT), demonstrate minimal English language competence by:
|
| Language | Complete one:
|
| Major Declaration | Declare and complete the requirements for at least one major. |
College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Requirements
CALS Graduation Requirements
| Cumulative Credits |
|
| Quality of Work | Students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.000 to remain in good standing and be eligible for graduation. |
| Residency | Students must complete 30 degree credits in residence at UW–Madison after earning 86 credits toward their undergraduate degree. |
In addition to the university's general requirements, all undergraduate students in CALS must satisfy a set of college and major requirements. Courses may not double count within university requirements, CALS college requirements, or major requirements. A course may count toward university requirements and a college and/or a major requirement; similarly, a course counted toward college requirements may also be used to satisfy a university and/or a major requirement.
CALS College Requirements
| CALS First-Year Seminar | 1 credit. See the full list of eligible courses below or use this link: https://go.wisc.edu/calsfirstyearseminars |
| Ethnic Studies | 3 credits with the Ethnic Studies designation. |
| Communication A | Complete either:
|
| Quantitative Reasoning A | Complete either:
|
| Introductory Chemistry | Complete one: |
| CALS International Comparisons | 3 credits. See the full list of eligible courses below or use this link: https://go.wisc.edu/calsinternationalcomparisons |
| Communication B | 1 course with the Communication B designation. |
| Quantitative Reasoning B | 1 course with the Quantitative Reasoning B designation. |
| Biological Science | 5 credits with the Biological Science designation. |
| Additional Science | 3 credits with the Biological, Physical, or Natural Science designations. |
| Science Breadth | 3 credits with the Biological, Physical, Natural, or Social Science designations. |
| Humanities | 6 credits with the Humanities or Literature designation. |
| Social Sciences | 3 credits with the Social Sciences designation. |
| Capstone Learning Experience | Each major articulates the required capstone learning experience. |
CALS First-Year Seminars
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AN SCI 135 | Grand Challenges and Career Opportunities in Animal and Dairy Sciences | 1 |
| BIOCHEM 100 | Biochemistry First-Year Seminar | 1 |
| COUN PSY 125 | The Wisconsin Experience Seminar | 1 |
| F&W ECOL 101 | Orientation to Wildlife Ecology | 1 |
| F&W ECOL 105 | Environment, Pollutants, and You | 3 |
| GENETICS 155 | Freshman Seminar in Genetics | 1 |
| INTEGSCI 100 | Exploring Biology | 2 |
| INTEGSCI 140 | Exploring Service in STEM | 1 |
| INTER-AG 155 | Issues in Agriculture, Environment, and Life Sciences | 1 |
| LSC 155 | First-Year Seminar in Science Communication | 1 |
| MICROBIO 150 | Microbiomes and Microbiology - First-Year Seminar | 1 |
| PLANTSCI/AGROECOL 100 | First-Year Seminar in Agroecology and Plant Science | 1 |
| PL PATH 155 | Food Frontlines: Security, Sustainability, and Survival | 1 |
| SOIL SCI 155 | First-year Seminar in Soil and Environmental Sciences | 1 |
| Learning Community/Student Group Courses | ||
| The following learning community/student group courses are approved as CALS First-Year Seminars. | ||
| COUN PSY 117 | PEOPLE First Year Seminar | 1 |
| INTEGSCI 110 | BioHouse Seminar: Biology for the 21st Century | 1 |
| INTER-AG 117 | GreenHouse Roots Seminar | 1 |
| INTER-AG 140 | CALS QuickStart: Foundations | 1 |
| INTER-AG 175 | WISE Seminar | 1 |
CALS International Comparisons
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| The 3 credit requirement may be fulfilled as either a stand-alone 3 credit course or as a set of courses as listed below. | ||
| A A E/ENVIR ST 244 | The Environment and the Global Economy | 4 |
| A A E 319 | The International Agricultural Economy | 3 |
| A A E/NUTR SCI 350 | World Hunger and Malnutrition | 3 |
| A A E 352 | Global Health: Economics, Natural Systems, and Policy (approved for enrollments Summer 2021 and later) | 4 |
| A A E/INTL ST 373 | Globalization, Poverty and Development | 3 |
| A A E/INTL ST 374 | The Growth and Development of Nations in the Global Economy | 3 |
| A A E/ECON 473 | Economic Growth and Development in Southeast Asia | 3 |
| A A E/ECON 474 | Economic Problems of Developing Areas | 3 |
| A A E/ECON/INTL BUS 462 | Latin American Economic Development | 3 |
| A A E/ECON 477 | Agricultural and Economic Development in Africa | 3 |
| AGROECOL 377 | Global Food Production and Health | 3 |
| AN SCI/DY SCI 370 | Livestock Production and Health in Agricultural Development | 3 |
| ASIAN/HISTORY/POLI SCI 255 | Introduction to East Asian Civilizations (approved for enrollments Summer 2021 and later) | 3-4 |
| C&E SOC/SOC 341 | Labor in Global Food Systems (approved for enrollments Summer 2020 and later) | 3 |
| C&E SOC/ENVIR ST/SOC 540 | Sociology of International Development, Environment, and Sustainability | 3 |
| CSCS 500 | Global Health and Communities: From Research to Praxis | 3 |
| DY SCI 471 | Food Production Systems and Sustainability | 3 |
| ENTOM/ENVIR ST 201 | Insects and Human Culture-a Survey Course in Entomology | 3 |
| ENTOM/ENVIR ST 205 | Our Planet, Our Health (approved for enrollments Fall 2026 and later) | 3 |
| ENTOM/ZOOLOGY 371 | Medical Entomology: Biology of Vector and Vector-borne Diseases | 3 |
| F&W ECOL/ENVIR ST 100 | Forests of the World (approved for enrollments Summer 2020 and later) | 3 |
| F&W ECOL/ENVIR ST/ZOOLOGY 360 | Extinction of Species | 3 |
| LSC 251 | Science, Media and Society (approved for enrollments Summer 2020 and later) | 3 |
| PL PATH/BOTANY 123 | Plants, Parasites, and People | 3 |
| PL PATH 311 | Global Food Security | 3 |
| PLANTSCI 370 | World Vegetable Crops | 3 |
| The following study abroad courses fulfill the CALS International Comparisons requirement. Only the specific course numbers and titles listed, including Topics titles (in parentheses), are approved to meet the CALS International Comparisons requirement. | ||
| BIOCHEM 307 | Study Abroad: Introduction to Biological Sciences Research in Japan (approved for enrollments Fall 2026 and later) | 3 |
| NUTR SCI/INTER-AG 421 | Global Health Field Experience (UW Mobile Clinics and Health Care in Uganda) | 3 |
| INTER-AG 321 & INTER-AG/NUTR SCI 421 | Study Abroad Pre-Departure Seminar and Global Health Field Experience (UW Global Health Community Health and Asset-Based Community Development in Sri Lanka) | 3 |
| INTER-AG 321 & INTER-AG/NUTR SCI 421 | Study Abroad Pre-Departure Seminar and Global Health Field Experience (UW Agriculture, Health and Nutrition in Uganda) | 3 |
| INTER-AG/NUTR SCI 421 | Global Health Field Experience (UW Health, Education and Tanzanian Culture) | 3 |
Individual Major Requirements
Development of the individual major
Students are strongly encouraged to consult with an assistant dean in the Office of Academic Affairs early in their undergraduate career to discuss the process, planning, and feasibility of completion. Development of the individual major is the responsibility of the student. The student should identify a faculty major advisor from the CALS department that offers many of the courses in the proposed individual major. In addition, the student should select two additional faculty from departments offering the courses in the proposed major to serve on the faculty committee. The student should consult with the faculty members and an assistant dean in Academic Affairs as a plan of study is developed. The plan of study must include the following:
- title of proposed major
- rationale for the major (what specific goal does the major achieve that cannot be achieved through one or more existing majors? what is the targeted intellectual problem? why is the major necessary for achieving the student's academic and career goals?)
- 3-5 learning outcomes for the major with a brief explanation of how learning will be assessed
- list of courses, including the reason for including each course in the major (how does each course contribute to the major learning outcomes?)
- semester plan for degree completion and estimated graduation term (if graduation exceeds four total years, include a justification for the extended time-to-degree; note that the student must earn at least 30 credits after the term in which the proposal is approved)
Approval of the Individual Major
Once the plan of study is developed, the student submits the plan to the faculty committee for review and approval. The faculty committee must consult with the department with the most courses in the proposed major. The faculty committee may require revisions prior to approval, or choose not to accept the plan. Once approved, the student should work with CALS Academic Affairs to submit the plan of study to the CALS Curriculum Committee along with a letter of support from the major advisor and a summary of the department discussion of the plan. The student and faculty advisor will meet with the curriculum committee to present the proposal. The curriculum committee may approve the proposal, reject the proposal, or ask for further clarification and resubmission. Approval of an individual major is not guaranteed, so students should consider alternative options carefully. The decision of the curriculum committee is final.
Any changes in the major must be approved by the faculty advisor and reported to the Office of Academic Affairs, and any changes that significantly affect the nature or rigor of the program must be reviewed and approved by the curriculum committee.
Learning Outcomes
Students will develop learning outcomes as part of the individual major proposal process in consultation with their faculty mentors and an assistant dean. Review the Provost's website for guidelines on developing learning outcomes.
Four-Year Plan
Students will develop a semester-by-semester plan as part of the proposal process for the individual major, in consultation with their faculty mentors and an assistant dean. Review the Four-Year Plans available for similar or related majors in the Guide to begin planning. Students should submit the proposal early in their academic career but no later than achieving senior standing (86 credits) to ensure timely progress to degree completion.
Advising and Careers
Advising
Students are strongly encouraged to consult with an assistant dean in the Office of Academic Affairs early in their undergraduate career to discuss the process, planning, and feasibility of completion.
Students are required to identify a faculty advisor as part of the process for requesting approval to pursue an individual major. The faculty advisor serves as the student's academic advisor along with support from the other members of the student's faculty committee and professional advisors in the Office of Academic Affairs.
Career Opportunities
Students with specific post-graduate plans who pursue an individual major can work with advisors to craft a curricular plan that will meet their career goals.
Wisconsin Experience
Opportunities to apply classroom learning to real-world settings is at the core of a CALS education. We offer a variety of CALS Signature Experiences for students in all majors to live the Wisconsin idea and fulfill the Wisconsin Experience.
These opportunities fall into five major categories:
CALS students make a strong start, and every CALS first-year student can achieve that through a First-Year Seminar to explore different areas of study, learn about how to take advantage of campus resources, and make friends. There are several seminars to choose from, including QuickStart, an online course that allows students to begin their college career the summer before they arrive on campus.
CALS students learn through hands-on, real-world experiences. A majority of CALS students earn credit for research experiences in labs and internships.
Through student organizations, peer advising and mentoring, and residential learning communities, students build their community and networks.
Students gain a global perspective by taking courses with an international focus, and many students choose to study abroad. CALS offers more than 34 faculty-led study abroad programs, and students may also choose from general UW–Madison study abroad opportunities.
Finally, many CALS students take advantage of the ability to customize their path of study by participating in an honors program, pursuing certificates or multiple majors, and choosing elective courses that match their interests and meet their goals.
Resources and Scholarships
Students in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences receive more than $1.25 million in scholarships annually. Learn more about college scholarships.