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Why Study Biology at Butler?
The Department of Biological Sciences offers
a curriculum emphasizing broad training in
biology as the key to success in graduate school,
professional school, teacher education and technical
careers. The major is built upon a strong
foundation of core courses in the liberal arts,
general biology courses and biology electives
to meet student interests. Students studying
science should be exposed early and often to
the methods of discovery, inquiry and problem
solving used by scientists to explain the natural
world. Our faculty is familiar with these
methods as we apply them in our individual
research programs, and we strive to develop
such capabilities in our students. Therefore, we
give our students opportunities to actively use
the tools of scientific investigation in the lab
and the field through a variety of courses at the
molecular, cellular, organismal and population
levels of biological organization.
Personalized attention is an important aspect
of studying biology at Butler. Our biology class
sizes are small relative to those at many institutions:
even most of our introductory classes
typically have fewer than 30 students, and
many upper-level courses have fewer than 20
students. Classes are thus interactive learning
environments that foster not only hands-on
scientific inquiry skills, but also communication
and critical thinking skills that serve students
well no matter what professional path they may
choose after graduation.
The low student-to-faculty ratio also provides
opportunities for students to gain more
intensive experiences through independent
study with a faculty mentor. During the
academic year, students are welcome to register
for research credits. Another popular option,
the Butler Summer Institute (BSI), is a nineweek
program in which participants undertake
independent projects they design with a faculty
mentor. Student research is frequently showcased
during the annual Butler Undergraduate
Research Conference, which attracts college
students throughout the Midwest each spring
to present their research results to their peers.
Students may also apply for funds to travel to
other regional or national meetings, via the
Holcomb Undergraduate Grants program. And,
finally, students often co-author papers with
faculty members for publication in professional
journals or presentation at conferences. For
example, recent joint student–faculty articles
Butler University
have been published in Biochemical Genetics,
Evolution, Journal of Experimental Biology,
Journal of Herpetology, American Naturalist and
Animal Behavior.
Students studying biology at Butler also have
opportunities for off-campus study, internships
and career exploration through special programs
affiliated with Biological Sciences. For example,
the Center for Urban Ecology educates and
engages Butler students and citizens in the
local community about the discipline of urban
ecology and to create “citizen scientists” dedicated
to continued stewardship of the natural
world. Students can attend workshops, take
classes, devise independent research projects,
or participate in internship opportunities in
ecology and environmental topics through our
affiliation with the center. Another option, the
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI)
in Panama, is dedicated to understanding
tropical biodiversity. The unique Butler–STRI
partnership includes opportunities for students
to serve as paid interns in Panama for existing
research projects conducted by STRI scientists
and for students to engage in new research
initiatives with Butler faculty in Panama. Further,
the partnership includes two field-based
courses taught on-site in Panama by Butler
biology faculty. Students may also want to apply
for biology internships, which are available
throughout Indianapolis, the state of Indiana
and surrounding states.
Some students choose a major in biology as a
gateway toward a career in health-related fields.
Butler students who have qualified themselves
with outstanding academic performance in the
major have great success in entering professional
schools in medicine, dentistry, optometry,
physical therapy and veterinary medicine.
Students receive individual advising by faculty
on the selection of courses that will both satisfy
the minimum entrance requirements and
prepare them well for the professional school
of their choice. In addition, The Office of Pre-
Graduate and Pre-Professional Advising plans
co-curricular activities, maintains a reference
library of useful publications and coordinates
the application process.
Biological Sciences Student
Learning Outcomes
We expect that students will be able to show
mastery of various types of learning during
their progression through different types of