Animal Studies Minor
Animal Studies is an interdisciplinary field that aims not only to investigate animals themselves, but also the relationship between human and non-human animals. Animal Studies brings together scholarship from the social and natural sciences, as well as the humanities. The Animal Studies minor exposes students to courses focusing on human and animal relations and interactions, animal biology/physiology, animal behavior and cognition, and the role played by non-human animals in the larger world around them. The selection of courses is designed to yield a greater knowledge of and appreciation for animals and our relationship with them.
Director
- Skolnick (Psychology)
Animal Studies Advisory Board
- Fetherston (Health Sciences)
- Goldthwaite (English)
- Nelson (Biology)
- Tudor (Biology)
Goal 1. Students will develop greater understanding of the nature of animals and the role played by animals in the larger world.
Objective 1.1: Students will demonstrate knowledge of the role of animals in the broader natural world or in human society.
Objective 1.2: Students will demonstrate knowledge of human-animal interactions and relationships.
Objective 1.3: Students will demonstrate knowledge of the major concepts, historical trends and theoretical perspectives in the discipline of Animal Studies.
Objective 1.4: Students will demonstrate knowledge of animal biology.
Objective 1.5: Students will demonstrate knowledge of animal behavior and cognition.
Goal 2. Students will develop a greater understanding of the ethical issues that surround human-animal interactions.
Objective 2.1: Students will demonstrate knowledge of the theoretical perspectives concerning the moral status of animals.
Objective 2.2: Students will demonstrate knowledge of the ethical issues surrounding the use of animals.
All students seeking to minor in Animal Studies will take the following courses:
- PSY 208 Human-Animal Relations (PSY 100 or PSY 101 is prerequisite)
- An understanding of how human and non-human animals relate and interact requires understanding form and function of the organisms, so all students seeking to minor in Animal Studies will complete one of the following courses: (Non-Biology Majors can choose between BIO 101 and BIO 165, Biology Majors must take BIO 201)
Course List Code Title Hours BIO 101 Bio I: Cells 4 BIO 165 Exploring the Living World 4 BIO 201 Bio III: Organismic Biology 4 - A background in animal behavior and its underpinnings is helpful when considering the interactions and relationships between human and non-human animals. All students seeking to minor in Animal Studies must take one of the following courses: (These courses all have prerequisites)
Course List Code Title Hours BIO 401 Animal Behavior 4 PSY 201 Biological Bases of Behavior 3 PSY 225 Comparative Animal Behavior 3 - Students will take three additional elective courses to complete the Animal Studies minor (Note: many of these have pre-requisites and/or co-requisites); at least one of these courses must be from a department other than Psychology or Biology. Students may choose from among the following, which are included in order to provide additional knowledge of human and non-human animal relations and interactions, animal biology/physiology, animal behavior and cognition, and the role of non-human animals in the larger world around them:
Course List Code Title Hours Independent Study 1 Independent Research 1 Internship 1 BIO 260 Anat&Physiol Nurs/Al Hlth I 4 BIO 406 Comparative Anatomy 4 BIO 409 Ecology 4 BIO 412 Neurobiology 4 BIO 417 Systemic Physiology 4 BIO 419 Invertebrate Zoology 4 BIO 423 Evolution 4 CLA 201 Love,Sex,Conqst:Classic Myth 3 ENG 150 First Year Seminar 2 3 ENG 270 Special Topics in English 4 3 ENG 426 Nature & Environmental Writing 3 ENG 452 Writing and Reading Animals 3 ENG 461 Food Writing 3 ENV 105 The Environment 3 ENV 106 Exploring the Earth 4 HIS 386 American Environmental History 3 HSC 360 Animal Therapy 3 PHL 312 Animal Ethics 3 PSY 201 Biological Bases of Behavior 3 3 PSY 221 Animal Learning and Memory 3
- 1
With permission of the Animal Studies Director, students can count one semester of an appropriate independent study, research, or internship toward the minor (in category 4).
- 2
This course is a freshman seminar and to count it must be approved by the Director.
- 3
PSY 201 may be used as an elective or to satisfy requirement 3 above, but it may not be used in both categories.
- 4
Only the ENG 270 Special Topics in English course titled, "Intro to Animal Studies" counts as an elective in the minor.
At least half (three) of the courses counting toward the minor must come from outside the student’s major department.