The new College of Arts and Sciences major will be housed under the Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior and student advising will be handled by existing advisers in the biology department.
The major will include a core curriculum in the introductory sciences, mathematics, ethics and animal behavior. For now, the major will consist of existing courses across several departments.
Associate professor Laura Hurley , who teaches animal behavior in the biology department , said in a COAS press release that she has seen an increased interest in courses related to animal behavior in recent years.
“A lot of the students who take the animal behavior class are very excited about the new major, not just because they love the subject, but also because they feel that it will really enhance their credentials,” she said in the release.
Professor Troy Smith, the director of IU’s Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, said the long waitlists for Hurley’s animal behavior course made him realize the demand for an actual major.
A few students have already declared the new major, including sophomore Edyth McEvilly, who originally planned on an independent major.
“I am extremely excited to see what the program and professors have to offer,” she said. “I’m looking forward to more hands-on experiences and a more focused curriculum.”
IU has long been a leading research institution in the study of animal behavior, Smith said, and employs faculty across multiple departments doing cutting-edge work in the field.
“The Center was formed over 20 years ago to bring together the different faculty in different departments,” he said.
Smith said students could previously pursue a minor in animal behavior or piece together an animal behavior curriculum via the Individualized Major Program.
“The major curriculum takes advantage of talented IU faculty in multiple departments, and will immerse students in courses that will allow them to understand animal behavior from cognitive, developmental, psychological, evolutionary, ecological, physiological and conservation perspectives,” he said in the release.
In the spring, two new courses specific to the major – a 200-level workshop in animal behavior and a 400-level advanced workshop in animal behavior – will be offered. Students can elect one of three paths in the major: evolutionary and ecological perspectives, mechanisms of behavior or environmental, or development and cognitive ?perspectives.
“We are going to bring in researchers in animal behavior and representatives from relevant internship sites to tell us about ?opportunities in the field,” Smith said.
Biology advisers Danielle Murry-Knowles and Libby Tilghman said in the release that career paths for animal behavior majors include university or government research, animal training, the pet industry, conservation and rehabilitation, work in zoos and aquariums and other jobs that involve hands-on work with animals.
