Animal Behavior
Minor
Explore the ties between biology and psychology through hands-on research.
Are you interested in how animals think? Do you wonder why the behaviors of one species differs from another?
This popular minor fosters a solid foundation that combines perspectives from Biology and Psychology to study how animals solve problems and behave in their natural habitats.
Through a partnership between the Departments of Biology and Psychology, the Animal Behavior minor creates many opportunities for hands-on research experiences and the ability to learn about a variety of animal species, as well as help develop skills in scientifically studying behavior and research methodology. The program is reinforced with electives and pairs well with a number of majors, allowing you to craft the program to suit your personal interests.
You'll have the opportunity to work closely with our excellent faculty as they provide a wide range of expertise and guidance to help you pursue your goals.
Animal Behavior Program Highlights
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Learn to interpret and conduct research examining animal behavior and intelligence.
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Collaborate with diverse faculty experts. The interdisciplinary nature of this program allows you to gain knowledge from faculty with a broad range of interests within the fields of Psychology and Biology.
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Choose classes within the minor that correspond to the aspects of animal behavior and cognition. Sample classes include Animal Learning and Cognition, Mammalogy, Ornithology and Animal Behavior.
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Perform hands-on research when learning about various animal species.
What can I do with an animal behavior degree?
Related Occupations
Wildlife Technician
Animal Services Associate
Animal Caregiver
Research Technician
Veterinary Assistant
When you minor in Animal Behavior, you will have a wide range of options after graduating. Alumni of the grogram go on to work in a variety of fields involving animals, including veterinary medicine, conservation work, animal training and animal caretaking. You can also choose to attend graduate school to pursue a master’s or doctorate degree that would open up even more career opportunities.
Graduates with a background in a Psychology field may have extra appeal as employees due to their analytical skills. Graduates of wildlife, veterinary or other zoological programs will be distinguished by their ability to understand an animal’s mental processes. Animal Behavior students also benefit from having studied an interdisciplinary subject, which builds their ability to make connections across fields. Animal Behavior minors gain skills and knowledge beneficial for graduate study in Animal Cognition, Veterinary Medicine, and Wildlife related fields. For more information, check out the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ pages on Wildlife Biologists and Psychologists.
What You Will Learn
You will grasp the fundamentals of how to effectively interpret and conduct animal behavior research and compare perspectives used to study animal intelligence. You will also learn how to examine differences in the anatomy and brains of different species and how these animals process information and interact as a function of their environments.Our Alumni
Animal Behavior minor alumni have successful careers in many diverse fields working with a variety of species in different capacities.
Job Titles
- Veterinarian
- Conservationist
- Zookeeper
- Veterinary Technician
- Dog Trainer
- Researcher
- Animal Caretaker
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