For planning purposes, please note:

Exams will occur on the following days, from 1:10pm - 2:10pm in-person:

• Exam 1 - Monday, July 6, 2026
• Exam 2 - Monday, July 20, 2026
• Exam 3 - Monday, Aug. 3, 2026
• Exam 4/Final Exam - Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026

These dates and times will not change.

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

Enrollment & Registration

1. The Course Is Full. How Do I Get In?
2. Is There a Waiting List for Biol 200?
3. Can I Get an Add Code?
4. When Will Biol 200 Spots Open?
5. Will Biol 200 Add Extra Sections?
6. Can Non-Matriculated Students Take Biol 200?
7. Can I Repeat Biol 200?
8. Can I Take Biol 200 Without the Lab?
9. Can I Audit Biol 200?

Before the Quarter Begins

10. Why Should I Take Biol 200 During Summer Quarter Instead of the Regular Academic Year?
11. How Long Is Summer Quarter?
12. What Are the Prerequisites for Biol 200?
13. What Is the Pre-Biol 200 Chemistry Skills Quiz?

Course Logistics

14. Where Are Lecture and Lab Held?
15. Do We Have Any Summer Holidays?
16. How Can I Access the Textbook and Lab Manual?
17. What If I Have a Course Conflict?
18. How Can I Switch Labs?
19. Who Should I Talk To About My Schedule?

Exams & Grades

21. When Are Exams?
22. What Are Exams Like? Are There Drops?
23. How Is the Biol 200 Summer 2026 Final Grade Determined?

Getting Help

24. What If I Have a Question While I'm Studying? Do I Just Email the Professor?
25. Got Questions That Haven't Been Addressed?

1. The course is full. How do I get in?

Often Biol200 does not have enough spots in labs for every student that wants to register. Unfortunately, this means that many students will not be able to register smoothly during their normal UW registration time. Spots in the course will open in the weeks before the class starts. If you are trying to find a spot, you should keep checking with MyUW often. This is especially true during the time right around the end of Finals week (and the beginning of the next week after). Any students in Biol180 that are registered for Biol200 but fail to meet the grade cutoff will be dropped. We won’t know when this is going to happen, it is something that the central registrar computers do on their own timeline. Between 30-50 spots may open during the regular academic year, and ~5 may open for summer quarter. You should grab one that fits your schedule. On average, 10-15 more students will drop the course in the first two days of the first week of lectures, so keep checking in then. Additionally, if any student fails to show up to their first Biol200 lab they will be automatically dropped. Those spots will be put up for grabs as they become available, so you should check back during the first week.

Typically, students that are really determined to take the course will show up during Week 1 to all lectures, and read the syllabus on the Biol200 website (if you have any Canvas access problems, email the Course Coordinator). 

You may be forced to wait another term to take Biol200. This is not the end of the world. However, if you are resilient, flexible, and follow these directions you may be able to get in without that delay. 

2. Is there a waiting list for Biol200?

There is no waiting list for students trying to get into the class. Occasionally, there are waiting lists when many students are turned away in the same quarter. This waiting list only goes to students that are in that term’s Biol180 course. It is only intended for those students that are enrolled in that class and so must wait until all students with higher registration status have had a chance to register. If you are on a waiting list, you will be contacted before registration begins. If not, there is no registration waiting list to add your name onto, unfortunately.

3. Can I get an add code?

In short: no. Add codes will overfill the labs, which we cannot do. If you can find a spot, take it. Otherwise, we can’t give you an add code for any filled sections.

4. When will Biol200 spots open?

There are two most likely times to find newly added spots: after the previous term’s final grades are entered and during the first week of class. Keep watching class registration and grab a spot whenever you can. You might want to use notification tool in MyPlan to keep notified when spots are available.

5. Will Biol200 add extra sections?

In short, probably not. We have opened additional sections in past terms, but those were unlikely and very lucky events for terms in which 200 or more students were turned away from the course. If new sections are added, there will be an announcement on the Biol200 website in the announcements and it will show up in your course catalog. 

6. Can Non-Matriculated Students Take Biol 200?

We are very happy to try and add as many non-matriculated students as possible. However, University policies dictate that we must give matriculated students priority when giving away lab spots. That said, non-matriculated students should follow the procedure above. Come to the lectures and do all assignments during Week 1 (if you have any Canvas access problems, email the Course Coordinator). For your paperwork: We can take care of all of this on Friday of the first week. You don’t need to worry about late fees (we can waive them) and we’ll be able to sign all the forms then and give you an add code once we find a spot for you. 

7. Can I Repeat Biol 200?

If you have already taken Biol200 once, you will not be able to register until period 2. This means that you are more likely to need to go through the process described above to find a spot. Unfortunately, there is no way around this.

8. Can I Take Biol 200 Without the Lab?

In the past, some students (usually those repeating the course) were allowed to take the class without taking the lab. This is not true anymore. All students must take the labs, which are different quarter-to-quarter. If we can find a spot in a lab for you, you can take the course. If not, there are no lecture-only spots for credit.

9. Can I Audit Biol 200?

If you would like to audit this class (not for credit) please email the Course Coordinator. We would be happy to let you come to lectures if there is space in the lecture hall, and in some terms, you may even be able to join for some or all of the labs. This is entirely space-dependent, and we must prioritize enrolled students.

10. Why should I take Biol 200 during the Summer Quarter vs. the regular academic year?

Summer sessions offer a great opportunity for students to accelerate their degree progress, stay on track with prerequisites, and benefit from a more focused learning environment. Enrolling in a lecture and lab course like BIOL 200 during the summer can also help prevent a heavy course load during the regular academic year.

BIOL 200 lab topics are intentionally aligned in sequence with the lecture content, so what you're learning in class is reinforced through hands-on experience in lab and vice versa. Another advantage is that BIOL 200 is typically much easier to get into during Summer Quarter, unlike the regular academic year when students often face uncertainty about enrollment.

11. How long is Summer Quarter? 

Biol 200 Summer Quarter is 9 weeks long.  Instruction begins on Monday, June 22, 2026 and the Final Exam is on Thursday, August 20th.

12. What Are the Prerequisites for Biol 200?

The normal prerequisites for Biol200 are a minimum grade of 1.7 in either BIOL 180, B BIO 180, T BIOL 120, or TESC 120; either CHEM 143, CHEM 145, CHEM 223, CHEM 237, or OCEAN 295, or concurrently taking either CHEM 220, CHEM 152, CHEM 153, or CHEM 155. It is our policy not to allow any students without the prerequisites to take the course (both for space considerations and because students without solid prerequisites tend to do very poorly in Biol200). If you are a transfer student, the Biology Advisors in HCK 318 are the best people to talk to determine if you have met the prerequisites and how to see if your previous courses count towards these requirements. If you think this is a mistake and you have met these prerequisites, I recommend reaching out to your academic advisor.

13. What Is the Pre-Biol 200 Chemistry Tutorial Quiz?

The Chemistry Tutorial Quiz is intended as a refresher of key concepts from chemistry that we will be using in Biol 200.

The topics below are covered in Chemical Principles by Zumdahl, the textbook currently used by the UW Chemistry department. Copies are available for in-library reading in the Chemistry study area in Bagley Hall, Odegaard undergraduate library, or the Biology study area in Hitchcock Hall Rm 220. 

14. Where are Lecture and Labs held?

Lecture and Labs are held in-person on UW Seattle Campus' Hitchcock Hall.  Please see the UW Summer 2026 Time Schedule for exact room numbers and times.

15. Do we have any Summer Holidays?

Independence Day (Observed) on July 3rd, 2026 is an UW Holiday, there will be no class.

16. How can I access the Textbook and Lab Manual?

Lab Manual:  All students are required to have a lab manual, which can be purchased at Professional Copy N’ Print for under $15 (plus tax) starting 1 week before the start of the Summer Quarter. Please plan to obtain your lab manual before the first day of lab.

Textbook: Biological Science (7th Edition) by Scott Freeman et al.

17. What if I have a course conflict?

If you can register without additional assistance, please do. If the course is full, keep checking during the first two weeks of the quarter, as students often change their schedules and spots may open. 

• Non-matriculated students and students repeating the course should also review
  this document.
• Students with course conflicts…
  • …less than 1-hour per week DO NOT require a signature from the
    instructor/course coordinator but DO need approval. Please email the course
    coordinator to inform them of this conflict.
  • …greater than 1-hour per week DO require a signature from the instructor/course coordinator. Please email the course coordinator to complete your paperwork.
    • NOTE: Not all conflicts will be approved. For example, if you plan to miss 1-2 lectures per week, your conflict is unlikely to be approved, as this will significantly reduce your chance of success in the class. Missing classes can result in missing points for in-class participation, possible time-sensitive announcements, and useful discussions.
• If you are not registered by the first day of class, you are still responsible for all course work. Please contact the course coordinator as soon as possible to be added to the Canvas website so that you may have access to course materials and assignments. The allotted assignment drops will be applied to missed assignments.

18. How can I switch Labs?

Please watch the UW Time Schedule for any openings in lab sections.  Switch when you have a chance. Do note that several students are looking to switch lab sections at the beginning of the quarter, so when you see your chance, do so quickly.

19. Where can I get the best advice about schedule?

The absolute best advice can be found by talking with the Biology Department Advisors in Hitchcock Hall 318. They understand scheduling, the overall scheme of science classes, and they know the resources that can best help you. If you have any questions about these things, find them in HCK 318. They have open walk-in advising hours during much of the normal workweek. The office is usually open 9-5, M-F.

20. When are Exams?

Exams will occur on the following days, from 1:10pm - 2:10pm in Hitchcock Hall 132 in-person:

• Exam 1 - Monday, July 6, 2026
• Exam 2 - Monday, July 20, 2026
• Exam 3 - Monday, Aug. 3, 2026
• Exam 4/Final Exam - Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026

These dates and times will not change.

21. What are Exams like? Are there Drops?

The exams will focus on lecture material, lab work, and reading assignments. While the exams are not “cumulative,” by the nature of the subject, the content will build upon itself through the quarter, and you are likely to see concepts from past weeks or exams appearing again. Questions may ask you to compare/contrast concepts, synthesize material from previous weeks, draw missing items/molecules, answer true/false questions. Very little if any of the exam will be traditional multiple choice.

Yes, one exam can be dropped.  Drops are intended to aid you when life’s unforeseen challenges hit. They are intended to be applied when you are ill, your family needs attention, you need to travel for something, etc., no questions asked! Your lowest exam score will automatically be dropped.

22. How is Biol 200 Summer 2026 Final Grade determined?

This class does not grade on a curve, so any scores earned by your peers have no impact on your final grade. The chart provided here demonstrates the minimum grade you will earn for a given percentage of the total available points for the quarter (accounting for drops).

What does this mean? This course is not competitive between students! By helping your classmates study course material, it will only help you better prepare for assignments and exams. It will help you learn more and it will not impact your grade!  Students can earn a 4.0 if they get a 95% or higher! 

23. What if I have a question while I'm studying, do I just email the Prof?

Biol 200 uses Piazza, as the main course discussion platform where you can post your questions anonymously while you're studying. 

24. Got Questions that haven't been addressed?

Email the course coordinator, Christine Savolainen, LCSavo@uw.edu