Schools, Departments & Programs

Animal Behavior

Major in Animal Behavior—B.S.
Purpose

The B.S. Degree in Animal Behavior includes courses from the different disciplines that study animal behavior, providing the interdisciplinary foundations students need to reflect on the consequences of different intellectual approaches to a single problem. The B.S. in Animal Behavior is particularly valuable for students interested in careers in animal biology and behavior (e.g. research and teaching, wildlife management and conservation, veterinary medicine, animal training, zoo management, etc.).

Students have opportunities to conduct their own independent research or gain hands-on experience in animal behavior through the CISAB internship program and/or supervised laboratory research in which they apply their newly-learned knowledge to real-world contexts such as zoos, museums, and wildlife rescue centers.

Animal behavior is the scientific study of everything animals do. The field of animal behavior examines the causes, functions, development, and evolution of behavior including the stimuli that affect behavior, whether external (food or predators) or internal (hormones or nervous system). The function of behavior includes both the immediate effects of behavior on an animal, and the adaptive significance of the behavior in a particular environment. The development of behavior is concerned with how behavior changes over an animal's lifetime. The evolution of behavior is concerned with origins of behavior patterns and how these change over generations.

Requirements

Students must complete the degree requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences, including Foundations, Intensive Writing, Foreign Language, Breadth of Inquiry, Critical Approaches, and Public Oral Communication.

  1. Writing, same as for B.A. degree (English Composition, CASE Intensive Writing).
  2. Mathematics, fulfilled by major.
  3. Foreign language, 3 credit hours at the second-year level.
  4. One Critical Approaches course.
  5. Arts and humanities, two courses.
  6. Social and historical studies, two courses.
  7. Natural and mathematical sciences, fulfilled by major.
  8. One Public Oral Communication course.
  9. Culture courses are not required.

Required introductory science courses (total of four courses; 12–18 cr., three from among the following:)

  • BIOL-L 111 Foundations of Biology: Diversity, Evolution, and Ecology (3 cr.) or BIOL-E 111 Basic Biology by Examination I (3 cr.)
  • BIOL-L 112 Foundations of Biology: Biological Mechanisms (3 cr.) or BIOL-E 112 Basic Biology by Examination II (3 cr.) or BIOL-H 111 Integrated Freshman Learning Experience I (4 cr.)
  • PSY-P 101 Introductory Psychology I (3 cr.) or PSY-P 155 Introduction to Psychological and Brain Sciences (3 cr.)

Plus one of the choices below:

  • CHEM-C 101 Elementary Chemistry I (3 cr.) and CHEM-C 121 Elementary Chemistry Laboratory I (2 cr.)
  • CHEM-C 103 Introduction to Chemical Principles (5 cr.)  
  • CHEM-C 117 Principles of Chemistry and Biochemistry I (3 cr.) and CHEM-C 127 Principles of Chemistry and Biochemistry Laboratory I (2 cr.)  
  • CHEM-S 117 Principles of Chemistry and Biochemistry I, Honors (5 cr.)
  • CSCI-A 110 Introduction to Computers and Computing (3 cr.)
  • CSCI-C 211 Introduction to Computer Science (4 cr.)
  • GEOL-G 104 Evolution of the Earth (3 cr.)
  • GEOL-S 104 Honors Evolution of the Earth (3 cr.)
  • GEOL-G 105 Earth: Our Habitable Planet (3 cr.)
  • GEOL-G 114 Dinosaurs and Their Relatives (3 cr.)
  • MATH-M 118 Finite Mathematics (3 cr.)
  • MATH-M 212 Calculus II (4 cr.)
  • MATH-S 212 Honors Calculus II (4 cr.)
  • PHYS-P 105 Basic Physics of Sound (3-4 cr.)
  • PHYS-P 201 General Physics I (5 cr.) 

Required Core Animal Behavior Courses (Three courses; 6 cr.)

  • ABEH-A 200 Workshop in Animal Behavior (3 cr.)
  • ABEH-A 400 Advanced Workshop in Animal Behavior (3 cr.)
  • BIOL-Z 460 Animal Behavior (3 cr.)

Required Perspectives in Animal Behavior Courses (Choose at least two courses from each of the three sections plus an additional two courses from this list or from required laboratory or supervised research courses below. Additional animal behavior-related courses can be applied to this requirement with consent of department; 24 cr.)

Evolutionary/Ecological Perspectives

  • ABEH-A 401 Topical Issues in Animal Behavior (1–3 cr.)1
  • ANTH-B 368 Evolution of Primate Social Behavior (3 cr.)
  • BIOL-L 307 Biodiversity (3 cr.)2
  • BIOL-L 318 Evolution (3 cr.) or BIOL-S 318 Evolution Honors (4 cr.)
  • BIOL-L 340 Biological Bases of Sex Differences (3 cr.)3
  • BIOL-L 369 Heredity, Evolution, and Society (3 cr.)
  • BIOL-L 423 Brain, Behavior and Evolution (3 cr.)
  • BIOL-L 453 Sensory Ecology (3 cr.)
  • BIOL-L 473 Ecology (3 cr.)
  • BIOL-Z 374 Invertebrate Zoology (3 cr.)
  • BIOL-Z 476 Biology of Fishes (3 cr.)
  • GEOL-G 341 Natural History of Coral Reefs (3 cr.)
  • GEOL-G 404 Geobiology (3 cr.)
  • GEOL-X 377 Field Geology and Paleoanthropology at Olduvai Gorge (6 cr.)
  • SPEA-E 457 Conservation Biology (3 cr.)
  • SPEA-E 460 Fisheries and Wildlife Management (3 cr.)

Mechanisms of Behavior Perspectives

  • ABEH-A 401 Topical Issues in Animal Behavior (1–3 cr.)1
  • ANTH-B 340 Hormones and Human Behavior (3 cr.)
  • BIOL-L 340 Biological Bases of Sex Differences (3 cr.)3
  • BIOL-L 423 Brain, Behavior and Evolution (3 cr.)3
  • BIOL-Z 463 Comparative Neurobiology of Animal Behavior (3 cr.)
  • BIOL-Z 466 Endocrinology (3 cr.)
  • PHSL-P 416 Comparative Animal Physiology (3 cr.)
  • PSY-P 326 Behavioral Neuroscience (3 cr.) or PSY P346 Neuroscience (3 cr.)
  • PSY-P 407 Drugs and the Nervous System (3 cr.)
  • PSY-P 409 Neural Bases of Sensory Function (3 cr.)
  • PSY-P 410 Development of Brain and Behavior (3 cr.)3
  • PSY-P 411 Neural Bases of Learning and Memory (3 cr.)3
  • PSY-P 456 Reproductive Neuroscience (3 cr.)
  • PSY-P 469 Stress Effects on Brain and Behavior (3 cr.)

Environmental/Developmental/Cognitive Perspectives

  • ABEH-A 401 Topical Issues in Animal Behavior (1–3 cr.)1
  • ANTH-B 200 Bioanthropology (3 cr.)
  • ANTH-E 200 Social and Cultural Anthropology (3 cr.)
  • ANTH-L 200 Language and Culture (3 cr.)
  • BIOL-L 417 Developmental Biology (3 cr.)
  • COGS-Q 240 Philosophical Foundations of the Cognitive and Information Sciences (4 cr.)
  • COGS-Q 301 Brain and Cognition (3 cr.)
  • LING-L 214 Animal Communication (3 cr.)4
  • PHIL-P 360 Introduction to Philosophy of Mind (3 cr.)    
  • PSY-P 325 Psychology of Learning (3 cr.)
  • PSY-P 327 Psychology of Motivation (3 cr.)
  • PSY-P 329 Sensation and Perception (3 cr.)
  • PSY-P 330 Perception/Action (3 cr.)
  • PSY-P 335 Cognitive Psychology (3 cr.)
  • PSY-P 410 Development of Brain and Behavior (3 cr.)3
  • PSY-P 411 Neural Bases of Learning and Memory (3 cr.)3
  • PSY-P 416 Evolution and Ecology of Learning
  • PSY-P 444 Developmental Psychobiology (3 cr.)

1Topic of ABEH-A 401 must be in the appropriate perspective area.
2BIOL-L 307 counts either as a formal laboratory course or in the Evolutionary/Ecological Perspectives section, not both.
3Course may be counted in only one perspectives area.
4LING-L 210 with Animal Communication topic also fulfills this requirement.

Required Mathematics Courses (Two courses; 6–7 cr.)

Mathematics (choose one of the following):

  • MATH-M 119 Brief Survey of Calculus (3 cr.)
  • MATH-V 119 Applied Brief Calculus I (3 cr.)
  • MATH-M 211 Calculus I (4 cr.)

Statistics (choose one of the following):

  • LAMP-L 316 Junior Seminar: Analytical Problem Solving (3 cr.)
  • MATH-K 300 Statistical Techniques (3 cr.)
  • PSY-K 300 Statistical Techniques (3 cr.)
  • PSY-K 310 Statistical Techniques (3 cr.)
  • SPEA-K 300 Statistical Techniques (3 cr.)
  • STAT-S 300 Introduction to Applied Statistical Methods (3 cr.)
  • STAT-S 303 Statistics for the Life Sciences (3 cr.)
  • STAT-K 310 Statistical Techniques (3 cr.)
  • STAT-S 320 Introduction to Statistics (3 cr.)

Required Ethics Course (choose one course; 3 cr.)

  • PHIL-P 140 Introduction to Ethics (3 cr.)
  • PHIL-P 242 Applied Ethics (3 cr.)
  • PHIL-P 393 Biomedical Ethics (3 cr.)
  • REL-R 170 Religion, Ethics, and Public Life (3 cr.)
  • Some topical courses in ethics in the History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine Department

Two Formal Laboratory Courses (4–10 cr.)

  • ANTH-B 301 Laboratory in Bioanthropology (3 cr.)
  • BIOL-L 113 Biology Laboratory (3 cr.) or BIOL-H 112 Integrated Freshman Learning Experience II (4 cr.)
  • BIOL-L 307 Biodiversity (3 cr.)2
  • BIOL-L 376 Biology of Birds (4 cr.)
  • BIOL-L 433 Tropical Biology (3 cr.)
  • BIOL-L 465 Advanced Field Biology (3 cr.)
  • BIOL-L 474 Field and Laboratory Ecology (2 cr.)
  • BIOL-P 451 Integrative Human Physiology (4 cr.)
  • BIOL-Z 373 Entomology (3 cr.)
  • BIOL-Z 375 Invertebrate Zoology Laboratory (2 cr.)
  • BIOL-Z 406 Vertebrate Zoology (5 cr.)
  • BIOL-Z 469 Endocrinology Laboratory (2 cr.)
  • GEOL-X 377 Field Geology and Paleoanthropology (6 cr.)
  • PSY-P 426 Laboratory in Behavioral Neuroscience (3 cr.)
  • SPEA-E 455 Limnology (3 cr.)
  • SPEA-E 461 Fisheries and Wildlife Management Laboratory (3 cr.)

Supervised Research/Internship (3 cr. minimum; Laboratories must be affiliated with CISAB, the Center for the Integrated Study of Animal Behavior or one additional formal laboratory course from the list above.)

  • ABEH-X 473 Animal Behavior Internship
  • ANTH-X 476 Museum Practicum
  • ANTH-X 477 Fieldwork in Anthropology
  • ANTH-X 478 Field Study in Anthropology
  • BIOL-X 490 Research in Biology
  • CHEM-X 399 Chemical Research   
  • COGS-X 497 Research in the Cognitive and Information Sciences
  • COGS-X 498 Project in the Cognitive and Information Sciences
  • COGS-Q 499 Honors Research Project in the Cognitive and Information Sciences
  • PHYS-X 498 Research Project
  • PSY-X 397 Supervised Research I
  • PSY-X 398 Supervised Research II
  • PSY-X 497 Supervised Research III
  • PSY-X 498 Capstone Supervised Research
  • PSY-P 499 Honors Thesis Research