Environmental Studies
For a description of courses, visit Class Search.
NOTE: Degree requirements for incoming students may not reflect the actual degree requirements of current students.
EFFECTIVE FALL 2025
The Environmental Studies Major consists of 38 hours of ENV courses, plus 8-10 hours of environmentally-based lab science courses. An example three-year degree track for Environmental Studies can be found here.
Required Courses (23 hours)
The following courses are required:
- ENV 200 Introduction to Environmental Studies (3)
- NW 225-ENV Environmental Science (5)
- ST 200 Introduction to Science and Technology Studies (3)
- ST 205 Science and Society Speakers Seminar (1×2) (1-credit course that must be completed two times)
- ENV 330 Geographic Information Systems (4)
- ENV 411 Internship in Environmental Studies (3)
- ENV 450 Environmental Studies Capstone (3)
STS Courses (3 hours)
Complete one of the following courses:
- ST 310 Social Studies of Science & Technology (3)
- ST 320 Philosophy of Science (3)
- ST 330 Language, Rhetoric & Science (3)
Environmentally-focused Lab Science Courses (8-10 hours)
Complete two of the following courses:
- NW 201-BI Environmental Biology
- NW 205-BI Urban Ecology
- NW 207-BI Ecology and the Natural Environment
- NW 260-COE Earth Systems Science
- NW 261-BI Food: Pasture, Table, Body, and Mind
- NW 265-ENV Weather, Climate, and Society
- BI 230 Ecology and Evolutionary Biology: Fundamentals
- BI 417 Tropical Terrestrial Biology
- BI 418 Advanced Ecology
- BI 446 Ecosystem Ecology
Elective Courses (12 hours)
Choose electives from:
- Courses with the ENV subject prefix not already used to satisfy the above requirements
- Courses from other departments and programs marked with the ENV attribute not already used to satisfy the above requirements
At least 9 hours of electives must be at the 300 level or above. No more than one of the research methods courses (PS 210, PS 211, and SO 393) may count toward this requirement.
NOTE: Students majoring in Environmental Studies who wish to complete a minor or second major in Science, Technology and Society (STS) may not use courses already taken for their Environmental Studies major to satisfy elective requirements within the STS major or minor.
EFFECTIVE FALL 2025
The Environmental Studies Minor consists of 18 hours of ENV courses, plus 4-5 hours of environmentally-focused lab science courses.
Required Courses (6 hours)
The following courses are required:
- ENV 200 Introduction to Environmental Studies (3)
- ST 200 Introduction to Science and Technology Studies (3)
STS Course (3 hours)
Complete one of the following courses:
- ST 310 Social Studies of Science & Technology (3)
- ST 320 Philosophy of Science (3)
- ST 330 Language, Rhetoric & Science (3)
Environmentally-focused Lab Science Courses (4-5 hours)
Complete one of the following courses:
- NW 225-ENV Environmental Science
- NW 201-BI Environmental Biology
- NW 205-BI Urban Ecology
- NW 207-BI Ecology and the Natural Environment
- NW 260-COE Earth Systems Science
- NW 261-BI Food: Pasture, Table, Body, and Mind
- NW 265-ENV Weather, Climate, and Society
- BI 230 Ecology and Evolutionary Biology: Fundamentals
- BI 417 Tropical Terrestrial Biology
- BI 418 Advanced Ecology
- BI 446 Ecosystem Ecology
Elective Courses (9 hours)
Choose electives from:
- Courses with the ENV subject prefix not already used to satisfy the above requirements
- Courses from other departments and programs marked with the ENV attribute not already used to satisfy the above requirements
At least 6 hours of electives must be at the 300 level or above. No more than one of the research methods courses (PS 210, PS 211, and SO 393) may count toward this requirement.
Environmental Studies FAQs
Butler’s Environmental Studies graduates enter the workforce with knowledge of human, plant, and animal life and creative and critical thinking skills. Environmental Studies careers can vary from environmental policy and development to science and health journalism. Some of these jobs include but are not limited to:
Environmental Scientist
- Geologist
- Ecologist
- Policy Analyst
- Geotechnical Engineer
- Environmental Studies Professor
Current students are encouraged to consult their academic advisement report in my.butler.edu to see their individual requirements and progress toward program completion.