Badger Precollege Classes

This three-week, immersive program invites all international students seeking a higher education experiential learning opportunity. Students will experience college life as a student on UW–Madison's extensive campus. The program offers interactive workshops and presentations in sustainability, college preparation, admissions, financial aid, leadership and development. Students will participate in excursions and community outreach activities that sample the culture, traditions and values of the Midwest. After completing this program, participants will have finished an exceptional educational program with all the benefits of studying abroad that will prepare them for their future endeavors in higher education learning.

This course provides a foundational introduction to programming in Python. Learn essential programming concepts, including data structures, control flow, and visualization techniques, while developing an understanding of computational methods used in physics.

This course will investigate the impact that chemical products have on consumers' daily lives. Major topics may include food additives, prescription and non-prescription drugs, fuels, pesticides, detergents, synthetic fibers and plastics.

Did you know there are an estimated 1 billion different species of microorganisms on Earth? Microorganisms play a role in every aspect of the world we live in. As an applied biological science, microbiology deals with many important practical problems in medicine, agriculture and industry. Microbial physiology and genetics will be emphasized along with a survey of applied microbiology in the fields of medicine, agriculture, food safety and ecology. This lab-intensive course will focus on laboratory techniques and procedures used in research and industry including cultivation, identification, enumeration, genetic engineering and aseptic technique. The effect of microorganisms on human health, specifically epidemiology and the microbiome will be explored. The manipulation of microorganisms in ecological bioremediation, food production and preservation, and pharmaceutical development will be investigated. This course is intended to satisfy any curriculum that requires introductory-level microbiology. It will challenge you to use scientific inquiry skills to investigate and analyze data and will allow you to examine the diversity of microbes on Earth and their importance in the biosphere.

Learn how to identify and evaluate arguments with the skills of logicians, lawyers and debaters. Examining arguments from popular media and the great philosophers, you will learn to distinguish between deductive and inductive arguments and how to identify and avoid specific fallacies in reasoning.

Exploring the legal frameworks that govern the relationships between states and various entities. Investigate global issues and develop tools to assess international legal issues and understand the forces that shape policy decisions.

Diseases challenge scientists to unlock the most complex puzzles of illness, disability and the body's response. Beginning with an overview of human anatomy and physiology, students will probe the nature of disease with new understandings of genetics, pathology and epidemiology.

You will learn to collect, analyze and interpret physical and biological trace evidence such as fingerprints, hair, fibers and DNA. This laboratory-based course will allow you to use logical thought processes and scientific inquiry skills to interpret evidence and analyze criminal psychology.

Environmental Studies is interdisciplinary, embracing several unifying themes, including The Living World, Global Change and Sustainability. Our focus will be on assessing and promoting the Natural Capital of local ecosystems (deciduous forests, prairies and lakes). We will explore different social science approaches to interpreting the relationship between the environment and society at various scales, from the local to the global. This course will trace the social origins of environmental concerns, their social impacts and the different responses they engender. Students will have an opportunity to interact with UW researchers, educators and campus leaders. In the end, students will grasp the values of the natural world and the tools for protecting it.

This course is intended to provide a thorough understanding of the relationship between economics and social relationships. Students will become familiar with the basic principles of markets, how economic resources are organized and how economics and sociology come together.

Explore the concepts behind the things you see in everyday life such as buildings, roads, and waterways, and how they come to be. Through real-world, global, and local examples, you will study the basics of structural and civil engineering as well as hear from campus experts in the field.

With the explosion of innovative technologies and new knowledge about the brain, the neuroscience field remains on the frontier of contemporary science. We will look into the rapid advances in the field as well as unresolved mysteries that future generations of neuroscientists will be tackling.

Engineering is a problem-solving profession that is both academically rigorous and creatively demanding. This course will introduce you to a broad spectrum of engineering fields and provide a strong foundation for understanding its key tools and concepts.

Students will prepare themselves to be college-ready through a variety of interactive online workshops and in-person experiential learning. They will better understand the holistic approach to university admissions in the U.S. and the jargon that accompanies the admissions and educational process. They will identify their weaknesses in study and time management skills essential for college success and develop a plan to improve these habits.

Summer Arts Clinic offers you the opportunity to: Learn from experienced educators and arts professionals from UW–Madison and around the country. Develop new artistic skills and explore existing ones. Meet and collaborate with a community of peers with multiple and diverse artistic voices and interests. Explore education and career opportunities in the arts. Develop and express your unique, creative style. Learn to tell your story in a variety of ways through the arts.

We will look at writing and ourselves as writers through various lenses. This class will delve into creative writing genres such as poetry and personal narrative, and will allow writers to engage with writing projects that might suit future career paths. 

This course explores various topics in veterinary and animal sciences. The course aims to expose students to diverse career options while exploring scientific and ethical questions. 

High school students will be taken on a journey of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) as they chart their own educational and career pathways to become the STEM superstars of the future. Students will investigate their own interests, values and skills, as well as explore the dynamic world of STEM careers and trends.

This course delves into the dynamic world of entrepreneurship and business by exploring fundamental concepts and the transformative power of innovation. Students will develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, preparing them to thrive as entrepreneurs and business leaders.

This course delves into the fascinating psychology behind how we learn and what drives us to achieve. Through topics like motivation, memory, cognition, and perception, you'll explore how people process, interpret and act on information.