Sample Schedule
Making your Way through the Biology Curriculum
A total of 37 biology credit hours are
required to complete the biology major. A small number of
biology courses are required of all biology majors. These
courses are Principles of Biology I and II (BI 120 & 122),
Biological Investigations I and II (BI 121 & 123), and the
senior Biology Capstone (BI 480). The BI 120-123 courses serve
as prerequisites for all other majors-level biology
courses. Beyond these required courses, the biology curriculum
affords students a fair amount of flexibility in completing the
major requirements. Please visit the Major in Biology page for a complete
description of the requirements for the major.
Your First Year
The vast majority of incoming freshman biology majors take a
standard suite of courses during their first year of
study. Students typically enroll in the following:
| Fall Semester |
Spring Semester |
| BI 120 Principles of Biology I (3
cr.) |
BI 122 Principles of Biology II (3 cr.) |
| BI 121 Biological Investigations I (2 cr.) |
BI 123 Biological Investigations II (2 cr.) |
| CH 105 General Chemistry w/ lab (5 cr.) |
CH 106 General Chemistry w/ lab (5 cr.) |
| FYS 101 First Year Seminar (3
cr.) |
FYS First Year Seminar (3cr.) |
Foreign language (3-4 cr.) OR Core requirement
(3 cr.) |
Foreign language (3-4 cr.) OR Core requirement
(3 cr.) |
| Total 16-17 Credits |
Total 16-17 Credits |
Please note that both the Biology and
Chemistry courses are full-year sequences that must be taken in
order and that they are not offered out of sequence; i.e., BI 120,
BI 121, and CH 105 are only offered in the fall
semester. Therefore, sitting out of either course in the fall
means that you must wait until the summer or the following year to
begin the sequence (CH 105/106 can be taken in the summer but BI
120-123 cannot).
There are occasions when it is
advisable for an incoming major to take courses other than the
standard load. Your advisor will help you choose alternate
courses if necessary.
Beyond your First Year
Once you have completed BI 120-123 with
C- or better, you may begin taking 300-level biology
electives. Nearly all electives offered belong to one of
three groups or categories within the major. These groups
(Genetics/Cellular/Molecular, Evolution/Ecology/Behavior, and
Organismal) contain courses categorized by broad topic areas within
the field of biology. It is recommended that you attempt to
take at least one 300-level biology elective each semester
following your freshman year. You will need to complete six
electives distributed among the groups with a C- or better to meet
the requirements for the biology major.
Biology majors interested in
post-graduate study in the health professions or graduate training
in biology are strongly encouraged to complete a full year of
Organic Chemistry (10 credits) and a full year of Elementary
Physics (10 credits). The majority of biology majors complete
Organic Chemistry in their sophomore year and Physics in their
junior year although it is not mandatory to follow this
schedule. Your advisor will work with you to determine the
best schedule for your circumstances.
All biology majors must complete the
Biology Capstone course in their senior year.
It is important to remember that as a
student of Butler University and the College of Liberal Arts and
Sciences (LAS), there are course requirements outside of your major
that you must also satisfy to graduate. You must complete the
University Core Curriculum
requirements as well as the LAS foreign language requirement
(minimum requirement is two courses at the 200-level or
above). Biology majors are encouraged to work to complete
their foreign language requirement starting in their freshman
year. Courses required for the Core Curriculum need not be
taken immediately but, rather, it is recommended that you schedule
them throughout your time at Butler.