Four-Year Degree & Development Plans
Below we’ve provided a four-year development plan for students in our program. This development plan will help students set and achieve meaningful goals, with a particular focus on preparing for life and work beyond Butler.
We’ve also provided four-year degree plans for many of our majors to illustrate how students could complete a degree from our department in four years. These degree plans suggest which classes students should generally plan to complete each semester they are at Butler.
We know that each student will chart their own path at Butler with the help of their advisors. Neither the development nor the four-year degree plan should be seen as prescriptive. Instead, each plan should be seen as a directional guide helping students stay on track during their time at Butler.
First Year:
- Develop relationships with academic advisor, faculty, staff and other majors/minors
- Explore extracurricular opportunities, both related and not related to the discipline
- Develop a four-year plan for coursework
- Add a major/minor, if necessary
Sophomore:
- Develop interest in a sub-field associated with the discipline by exploring courses and pushing one’s boundaries in selecting courses
- Pursue a leadership role in extracurricular activities
- Start attending career fairs
- Identify potential career paths/post-graduate plans
- Identify potential internship opportunities and/or Service Learning courses
- Begin resume building
- Consider study abroad opportunities
Junior:
- Prepare for graduate or professional school entrance exams and secure recommenders OR identify potential career path
- Complete an internship and/or Service Learning courses
- Pursue a leadership role in extracurricular activities
- Explore possibilities for conducting independent research or getting involved with a faculty member’s research
- Begin completing an honors thesis proposal, if applicable
- Apply for the Butler Summer Institute, if applicable
- Continue resume building
Senior:
- Apply to graduate/professional school OR jobs
- Complete honors thesis research, if applicable
- Polish resume or CV
| 1st YEAR FALL | 1st YEAR SPRING |
| SW200 | SO205 or SO Elective |
| First Year Seminar | First Year Seminar |
| Core (AR/TI/PCA) | Core (AR/TI/PCA) |
| Language | Language |
| Core or other Major/Minor | Other Major/Minor or Enrichment |
| 2nd YEAR FALL | 2nd YEAR SPRING |
| SO293 or SO Elective | SO345 or SO Elective |
| Core (GHS) | Core (GHS*) |
| Core (NW) | Core (WB) or other Major/Minor |
| Language | Language |
| Other Major/Minor Enrichment | Other Major/Minor or Enrichment |
| 3rd YEAR FALL | 3rd YEAR SPRING |
| SO391 or SO393 | SO391 or SO393 |
| SO321 or SO Elective | SO Elective |
| Core (AR/TI/PCA) | SO Elective or Community Engagement** |
| SO Elective or other Major/Minor | Other Major/Minor |
| Core or other Major/Minor | Other Major/Minor |
| 4th YEAR FALL | 4th YEAR SPRING |
| SO486/SO499 | SO486/SO499 (if not completed 4th Year Fall) |
| SO Elective | SO Elective |
| SO Elective or other Major/Minor | SO Elective or other Major/Minor |
| Other Major/Minor | Other Major/Minor |
| Other Major/Minor | Other Major/Minor |
*If a student chooses to study abroad, they should talk to their advisor about elective options.
**Students satisfy the Community Engagement Requirement through a Service Learning or Internship course, typically in their 3rd or 4th year.
| 1st YEAR FALL | 1st YEAR SPRING |
| First Year Seminar | First Year Seminar |
| Language | Language |
| Core (AR/TI/PCA) | Core (AR/TI/PCA) |
| SW250 | Core (AR/TI/PCA) |
| SW200 | SO205 |
| PS110 | SW250 and/or PS110 (if not completed in 1st year fall semester) |
| 2nd YEAR FALL | 2nd YEAR SPRING |
| Core (GHS) | Core (GHS*) |
| Core (NW) | Language |
| Language | Core (AR/TI/PCA) |
| PS210 | SO Elective |
| SO Elective | PS211 |
| 3rd YEAR FALL | 3rd YEAR SPRING |
| PS 300-level Elective | PS 300-level Elective |
| PS 300-level Elective | PS 300-level Elective |
| SO391 or SO393 | SO391 or SO393 |
| SO Elective | SO Elective or Community Engagement** |
| Core | Other Major/Minor or Elective |
| 4th YEAR FALL | 4th YEAR SPRING |
| PS 300/400-level Elective | PS Capstone or SO486 (if wasn’t completed in fall of 4th year) |
| SO Elective or Community Engagement** | SO Elective |
| PS Capstone or SO486 | Elective |
| Elective | Elective |
| Elective | Elective |
*If a student chooses to study abroad, they should talk to their advisor about elective options.
**Students satisfy the Community Engagement Requirement through a Service Learning or Internship course, typically in their 3rd or 4th year.
| 1st YEAR FALL | 1st YEAR SPRING |
| SW200 | SO205 or SO Elective |
| First Year Seminar | First Year Seminar |
| Core (AR/TI/PCA) | Core (AR/TI/PCA) |
| Language | Language |
| Core or other Major/Minor | Other Major/Minor or Enrichment |
| 2nd YEAR FALL | 2nd YEAR SPRING |
| SO293 or SO Elective | SO Elective |
| Core (GHS) | Core (GHS*) |
| Core (NW) | Core (WB) or other Major/Minor |
| Language | Language |
| Other Major/Minor Enrichment | Other Major/Minor or Enrichment |
| 3rd YEAR FALL | 3rd YEAR SPRING |
| SO391 or SO393 | SO391 or SO393 |
| SO Elective | SO Elective |
| Core (AR/TI/PCA) | SO Elective or Community Engagement** |
| SO Elective or other Major/Minor | Other Major/Minor |
| Core or other Major/Minor | Other Major/Minor |
| 4th YEAR FALL | 4th YEAR SPRING |
| SO486/SO499 | SO486/SO499 (if not completed in 4th year fall semester) |
| SO Elective | SO Elective |
| SO Elective or other Major/Minor | SO Elective or other Major/Minor |
| Other Major/Minor | Other Major/Minor |
| Other Major/Minor | Other Major/Minor |
*If a student chooses to study abroad, they should talk to their advisor about elective options.
**Students satisfy the Community Engagement Requirement through a Service Learning or Internship course, typically in their 3rd or 4th year.
| 1st YEAR FALL | 1st YEAR SPRING |
| First Year Seminar | First Year Seminar |
| Language | Language |
| Core (AR/TI/PCA) | Core (AR/TI/PCA) |
| SW250 | Core (AR/TI/PCA) |
| SW200 | SO205 |
| PS110 | SW250 and/or PS110 (if not in first year fall semester) |
| 2nd YEAR FALL | 2nd YEAR SPRING |
| Core (GHS) | Core (GHS*) |
| Core (NW) | Language |
| Language | Core |
| PS210 | SO383 or SO385 |
| SO381 | PS211 |
| 3rd YEAR FALL | 3rd YEAR SPRING |
| PS 300-level Elective | PS 300-level Elective |
| PS 300-level Elective | PS 300-level Elective |
| SO391 or SO393 | SO391 or SO393 |
| SO Elective | Elective or Community Engagement** |
| Core | SO383 or SO385 |
| 4th YEAR FALL | 4th YEAR SPRING |
| PS 300/400-level Elective | PS Capstone or SO486 (if not completed in 4th year fall semester) |
| SO Elective or Community Engagement** | SO Elective |
| PS Capstone or SO486 | Elective |
| Elective | Elective |
| Elective | Elective |
*If a student chooses to study abroad, they should talk to their advisor about elective options.
**Students satisfy the Community Engagement Requirement through a Service Learning or Internship course, typically in their 3rd or 4th year.
| 1st YEAR FALL | 1st YEAR SPRING |
| SW200 | SO205 or SO Elective |
| First Year Seminar | First Year Seminar |
| Core (AR/TI/PCA) | Core (AR/TI/PCA) |
| Language | Language |
| Core or other Major/Minor | Other Major/Minor or Enrichment |
| 2nd YEAR FALL | 2nd YEAR SPRING |
| SO293 or SO Elective | SO345 or SO Elective |
| Core (GHS) | Core (GHS*) |
| Core (NW) | Core (WB) or other Major/Minor |
| Language | Language |
| Other Major/Minor Enrichment | Other Major/Minor or Enrichment |
| 3rd YEAR FALL | 3rd YEAR SPRING |
| SO391 or SO393 | SO391 or SO393 |
| SO381 | SO383 or SO385 |
| Core (AR/TI/PCA) | SO Elective or Community Engagement** |
| SO Elective or other Major/Minor | Other Major/Minor |
| Core or other Major/Minor | Other Major/Minor |
| 4th YEAR FALL | 4th YEAR SPRING |
| SO486/SO499 | SO486/SO499 (if not completed in 4th year fall semester) |
| SO Elective | SO 383 or SO385 (whichever course has not completed in 3rd year spring semester) |
| SO Elective or other Major/Minor | SO Elective or other Major/Minor |
| Other Major/Minor | Other Major/Minor |
| Other Major/Minor | Other Major/Minor |
*If a student chooses to study abroad, they should talk to their advisor about elective options. Students should also discuss strategies to complete the SO383 & SO385 requirements if aboard in Spring term because these courses are only offered every other Spring term.
**Students satisfy the Community Engagement Requirement through a Service Learning or Internship course, typically in their 3rd or 4th year.