Animal Wellbeing and Conservation

Overview

The Area of Concentration (AOC) in Animal Wellbeing and Conservation is designed for students wishing to explore animal-human interactions and gain skills for meaningful work with animals or carry out animal research. The interdisciplinary approach incorporates theory and practice to learn about other animals' biological and psychological worlds and humans' responsibilities and roles in relation to other species. 

Students who graduate with an AOC in Animal Wellbeing and Conservation may go on to further study in veterinary school, medical school, or graduate school or pursue work as animal trainers, managers in national parks, animal lab technicians, zoo or aquarium managers, animal-oriented policy advisors, or natural resource officers at government agencies (such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, or the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission). 

Faculty in Animal Wellbeing and Conservation

Gordon Bauer, Professor Emeritus/Visiting Professor of Psychology
Peter Cook, Associate Professor of Psychology
Nicolas Delon, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Environmental Studies (On Leave)
Heidi Harley, Professor of Psychology/Peg Scripps Buzzelli Chair/Director of Environmental Studies Program
Athena Rycyk, Associate Professor of Biology and Marine Science

Requirements for the AOC in Animal Wellbeing and Conservation

A minimum of thirteen (13) academic units, consisting of eight (8) core units plus five (5) track courses.

Requirements for the Joint AOC in Animal Wellbeing and Conservation

A minimum of nine (9) academic units, consisting of seven (7) core units plus two (2) track courses.

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See track courses listed under full AOC requirements, above.

Representative Senior Theses in Animal Wellbeing and Conservation

• Enrichment for Bottlenose Dolphins across Different Contexts
• Training Equine Behaviors to Olfactory Stimuli
• Reducing Inconsistencies in Our Attitudes Towards Animals
• Sleeping with the (Cuttle)fishes: Measuring Sleep through Arousal Threshold in the Dwarf Cuttlefish, Sepia bandensis
• The Effectiveness of Emotional Support Animals at Alleviating Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety in College Students Living on a Residential Campus