Animal Behavior, B.S.
Contact
Zach Olson, Ph.D.
Assistant Academic Director, School of Psychology and Brain Sciences
zolson@une.edu
Mission
The Animal Behavior program prepares students to be critical, flexible thinkers who evaluate and integrate information, and who use the scientific method to better understand proximate and ultimate drivers of behavior, to improve the lives of animals and human-animal interactions, and to conserve the species.
The Animal Behavior program realizes its mission through a rigorous interdisciplinary curriculum, a focus on career readiness and internship experiences, and by challenging students with opportunities for undergraduate research both in and out of the classroom. Specifically, the interdisciplinary curriculum is designed to build concept and skill mastery in the discipline of animal behavior and includes coursework in the fields of psychology (the student of behavior and mental processes) and biology (the study of the living world; including marine and environmental sciences), among other disciplines.
By the time students graduate, they will know how to think like scientists and be able to effectively articulate focal animal behavior concepts in writing and in speech. Our students will also practice ethical and socially responsible professionalism that will see them through unpredictable career paths. Importantly, the Animal Behavior program will push students intellectually by providing opportunities for research in the classroom as well as outside of the classroom setting, and in doing so will create graduates who are career-ready but also professionally flexible; able to enter the workforce and pursue graduate education.
Major Description
Animal Behavior is an interdisciplinary major with students taking courses in a variety of departments to gain an appreciation of the discipline from multiple perspectives. Animal behavior is the scientific study of not only everything an animal does but why it does it. This major is designed for students who are interested in understanding why animals act the way they do on a proximate and ultimate level.
An animal behavior major can lead to employment in national parks, research laboratories, veterinary clinics, animal shelters, aquariums or zoos, or academia. Students who are planning on attending a graduate program in this field should be prepared not only to maintain an appropriately high GPA but also to conduct research in a laboratory on campus or at another institution. In addition to guidance from a dedicated faculty mentor, students will have access to a professional advisor to help them prepare for admission into graduate programs.
The Animal Behavior program's core values reflect those of the larger University community. We place particular emphasis on the following values:
- Student centeredness underpins everything we do.
- We respect diversity in all its forms and actively pursue an inclusive academic environment.
- We recognize and work to conserve the diversity of life as stewards of the planet.
- We promote and practice relentless inquiry as we seek truth.
Transfer Credit
See Undergraduate Admissions for more information.
Admissions
See Undergraduate Admissions for more information.
Financial Information
Tuition and fees for subsequent years may vary. Other expenses include books and housing. For more tuition and fee information, please consult this catalog’s Financial Information section.
Curricular Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Nor'easter Core Requirements | ||
| Nor'easter Core Requirements | 40 | |
| Program Required Courses | ||
| ANB 275 | Intro Tech in Animal Behavior | 3 |
| ANB 335 | Comparative Animal Behavior | 3 |
| ANB 362 | Animal Cognition | 3 |
| ANB 384 & 384L | Animal Learning and Behavior and Animal Learning and Behav Lab | 4 |
| ANB 425 | Capstone in Animal Behavior | 3 |
| ANB 495 | Animal Behavior Intern/Resrch | 3-12 |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Biology I: Ecology/Evolution and Bio I: Ecology/Evolution Lab | ||
| Ecology and Evolution of Marine Organisms and Eco/Evo of Mar Organisms Lab | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Biology II: Cellular/Molecular and Bio II:Cellular/Molecular Lab | ||
| Cellular and Molecular Biology of Marine Organisms and Cell/Molec Bio/Marine Orgs Lab | ||
| BIO 322 | Comparative Animal Physiology | 3 |
| or BIO 245 | Gen Prin Anat/Phys/Pathophys I | |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Lab | ||
| University General Chemistry I and University General Chemistry I Lab | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| General Chemistry II and General Chemistry II Lab | ||
| University General Chemistry II and University General Chemistry II Lab | ||
| MAT 180 | Precalculus | 3 |
| PSY 105 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 225 | Psychology Statistics | 3 |
| PSY 250 | Lifespan Dev in Context | 3 |
| PSY 285 | Research Methods | 3 |
| PSY 365 | Biological Bases of Behavior | 3 |
| Animal Behavior Electives 1 | 6-13 | |
| Organismal topic 2 | 3-4 | |
| Open Elective Courses (Students complete open elective credits as necessary to meet the University’s 120-credit minimum for graduation. The total number of elective credits required will depend on the student’s completed program, core, and other degree requirements.) | ||
| Total Hours | 105-122 | |
- 1
Three Animal Behavior electives are required if the Animal Behavior internship is 3-4 credits. If the internship is five or more credits, then only two electives are required. Other courses may be applied as electives with the approval of the School of Psychology and Brain Sciences director or assistant academic director.
- 2
Organismal topics courses must be 200-level or higher and include a hands-on component.
Please note: While some courses can fulfill both core and program requirements, the credits earned do not count twice towards the minimum total required credits for the degree.
Program-Specific Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ANB 278 | Captive Animal Management | 3 |
| ANB 371 | Conservation Behavior | 3 |
| ANB 372 | Foraging Behavior | 3 |
| BIO 232 | Microbiology | 4 |
| BIO 235 | Winter Natural History | 4 |
| BIO 333 | Evolution | 3 |
| BIO 345 | Gen Prin Anat/Phys/PathophysII | 5 |
| BIO 350 | Ecology | 4 |
| BIO 422 & 422L | Coral Biology and Coral Biology Lab | 4 |
| BIO 459 & 459L | Conserv and Ecol Caribbean Isl and Conserv and Ecol of Caribbean | 4 |
| ENV 208 | Climate Change: Causes, Consequences, and Solutions | 3 |
| ENV 250 | Envir Policy Compar Perspect | 3 |
| ENV 318 | Advanced Field Methods in Avian Ecology & Conservation | 4 |
| ENV 319 | Practicum in Field Ecology | 1 |
| ENV 356 | Terrestrial Wildlife Eco/Cons | 4 |
| MAR 250 | Marine Biology | 4 |
| MAR 252 | Natural History of Marine Mammals | 3 |
| MAR 376 | Bio of Sharks, Skates, Rays | 3 |
| MAR 428 | Marine Conservation | 3 |
| MAR 436 & 436L | Natural History of Iceland and Natural History of Iceland | 4 |
| PHY 110 | General Physics I w/Lab | 4 |
| PHY 111 | General Physics II w/Lab | 4 |
| PSY 205 | Abnormal Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 226 | Motivation & Emotion | 3 |
| PSY 245 | (Evolutionary Psychology) | 3 |
| PSY 305 | Special Topics Seminar (with program approval) | 3 |
| PSY 316 | (Psychology of Consciousness) | 3 |
| PSY 325 | Psychology of Aging | 3 |
| PSY 364 | Soc & Emotion Dev in Childhood | 3 |
| PSY 370 | Drugs, Society, and Behavior | 3 |
| PSY 383 | Memory & Cognition | 3 |
| PSY 406 | (Special Topics in Animal Behavior) | 3 |
Organismal Topic Options
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ANB 372 | Foraging Behavior | 3 |
| BIO 222 | Finfish/Shellfish Culture Tech | 4 |
| BIO 223 | Hlth, Nutr, Feed Cultured Org | 4 |
| BIO 235 | Winter Natural History | 4 |
| BIO 257 & 257L | Costa Rica: Tropical Forests and Costa Rica: Tropic Forests Lab | 4 |
| BIO 305 & 305L | Mammalogy and Mammalogy Lab | 4 |
| BIO 319 | Ornithology | 4 |
| BIO 330 | (Comp Vert Anatomy) | 4 |
| ENV 318 | Advanced Field Methods in Avian Ecology & Conservation | 4 |
| ENV 356 | Terrestrial Wildlife Eco/Cons | 4 |
| MAR 436 & 436L | Natural History of Iceland and Natural History of Iceland | 4 |
| PSY 406 | (Spec Topics Animal Behavior) | 3 |
Students in this major can participate in the pre-health graduate school preparation tracks.
Academic and Technical Standards
A grade point average of 2.25 is necessary to be approved to add a major in Animal Behavior. To ensure that each credential represents a substantive and independent program of study, overlap between majors and minors, including core requirements, should be kept to a minimum.
A minimum grade of C- must be achieved in all courses used to fulfill the requirements for the Animal Behavior major. Students must also complete the Nor’easter Core quantitative reasoning requirement by the end of the first year. The program strongly recommends that students take PSY 225 Psychology Statistics and PSY 285 Research Methods in their sophomore year. The program requires that PSY 225 Psychology Statistics and PSY 285 Research Methods be completed by the end of the junior year. See the Undergraduate Academic Policy also.
Learning Outcomes
At the completion of their bachelor's degree with a major Animal Behavior program, students will be able to:
- Exhibit critical and integrative thinking skills.
- Demonstrate ability to communicate scientific information in both oral and written formats.
- Demonstrate knowledge of key concepts in animal behavior.
- Exhibit quantitative research skills (or demonstrate ability to perform all parts of the scientific method).
- Demonstrate ability to think flexibly and apply knowledge to new problems.