About Animal Studies Program

The animal studies program at EKU is a cross-disciplinary, applied science program concentrating on non-human animals and their interactions and relationships with people. This unique interdisciplinary approach will help you to fully explore the complexities of animals’ lives, human-animal relationships, ethical and moral concerns about animals, representations of animals and humans, and the significance of animals in human evolution, history, culture and civilization.

You will work with faculty who are exceptional teachers, mentors, and scholars. They are passionate about the field of Animal Studies. Best of all, they are eager to share their knowledge with you. Faculty at EKU consider teaching to be their primary mission. Most of our classes are small so that you can get the individual attention you need to thrive.

Your faculty advisor will work with you to customize your educational experience so that you can focus on specialized areas for particular jobs that you want to target. The Animal Studies major is also great preparation for graduate or professional schools.

Your learning experience will extend far beyond the classroom. We have created opportunities for you to apply your knowledge under the supervision of faculty mentors. You may choose to develop and conduct your own spooky research projects, work side-by-side with faculty on their research, or participate in a cooperative study program that allows you to earn course credit, take home a paycheck, and gain valuable on-the-job experience doing work related to Animal Studies.

When we said your learning experience extends far beyond the classroom, we meant really, really far! Take advantage of exciting study abroad opportunities that aren’t limited to upperclassmen.

Courses in the Animal Studies program include Animals in History, Animal Ethics, Sociology of Animal-Human Relations, Animals in Literature, General Zoology, Comparative Psychology, Ecology, Animal Behavior, Principles of Biology, Introduction to Cultural Anthropology and Introduction to Physical Anthropology, among other requirements and electives.

This program could be right for you if you are interested in:

• working with animals or working in areas with human-animal interaction,
• graduate school studying animals in diverse disciplines,
• understanding both animal behavior and human behavior toward animals, or
• preparing for a career that requires perspective-taking, creativity, and critical thinking.

EKU has award-winning teachers and recognized scholars who are committed to student success, and a flexible curriculum that will allow you to focus on your specialized interests while gaining a solid foundation in interdisciplinary animal studies.

For more information, contact us. 

Department of Psychology 
Dr. Michael Chen, Interim Chair
hung-tao.chen@eku.edu
859-622-1105

Your faculty advisor will recommend classes in complementary subjects to prepare you for a career in related fields such as:

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By combining major courses with work in other areas, or possibly adding a second major, Animal Studies students can prepare for graduate study in these overlapping disciplines: