Land your dream job and learn how to work with animals
Have you always envisioned yourself working with animals, but you’re not exactly sure how to turn your dream into a profession? The Animal Behavior degree at UNE is truly interdisciplinary, giving you the flexibility to explore many different career paths. At the crossroads of environmental science, biology, marine sciences, neuroscience, and psychology, Animal Behavior encompasses a wide variety of fascinating subjects. Through faculty-mentored research and hands-on internships, Animal Behavior at UNE provides big-school opportunities in a small school setting. Visit our blog to read more about the class experiences, internships, activities, and accomplishments of our Animal Behavior students and faculty.
![An animal behavior student preps a net while standing in a field of tall grass](/sites/default/files/styles/half_content_portrait/public/2024-09/collage-animal_behavior-bobolink_net.jpg?h=dbf8a481&itok=Y25GZb9g)
![A student cleans the inside of an aquarium](/sites/default/files/styles/full_bleed_half/public/2024-09/collage-animal_behavior-aquarium.jpg?h=0eabf13a&itok=V9ZCxUos)
Why UNE for Animal Behavior
Our program is one of only about a dozen bachelor’s degree-granting programs in Animal Behavior in the country. Take advantage of all its unique offerings:
- Close faculty mentorship and advising
- Elective courses in a wide variety of subjects
- Preparation for diverse career paths
- Hands-on research and internships working with animals
- Curriculum tailored to your specific goals
- Pre-Vet Track
What Will You Study? Animal Behavior Degree Curriculum Overview
B.S. in Animal Behavior Courses
The following are just some examples of the exciting courses that the Animal Behavior degree offers:
- Animal Cognition
- Captive Animal Management
- Animal Communication
- Comparative Animal Behavior
- Animal Personality
- Conservation Behavior
For more information, contact Zach Olson, Ph.D. at (207) 602-2766 or zolson@hpbvtv.com
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Career Paths for Animal Behavior Majors
Through your coursework, research, and internship experiences, you will be on track to enjoy a successful career in animal behavior.
There are many fascinating professional fields open to Animal Behavior majors, including:
- Veterinary Medicine
- Animal Behavior Research
- Animal Training
- Animal Caregiving in Zoos and Aquariums
- Animal Assisted Therapy
- Wildlife Conservation
- Animal Rehabilitation
Our graduates have landed jobs at prestigious sites, such as:
- Georgia Aquarium
- Mystic Aquarium
- San Diego Zoo
- Columbus Zoo
- NEADS World Class Service Dogs
Career Advising for B.S. in Animal Behavior Students
Whether you have a specific career goal in mind or a vague idea of the field that interests you, Career Advising is here to help you plan your next step.
Explore our Animal Behavior Facilities
As a student in our Animal Behavior program, you benefit from UNE’s extraordinary resources.
Teaching Classrooms
We have dedicated teaching classrooms that allow you the opportunity to work closely with faculty and peers in hands-on activities.
Psychology Labs
In these spaces, you will have the opportunity to work on a variety of projects involving Psychology faculty members. Projects have included memory processes underlying reading comprehension, how explicit and implicit self and relationship processes influence how people navigate the ups and downs of daily life.
![A student sits at a microscope in a lab setting](/sites/default/files/styles/full_bleed_half/public/2024-11/Neuroscience-1941.jpg?h=d0633ac3&itok=z6XCe-uq)
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![A student takes notes at a table](/sites/default/files/styles/full_bleed_17/public/2024-11/animal_behavior-facilities-class_0.jpg?h=83341919&itok=vRwr6GPT)
![Two students discuss a book in a class with a blackboard behind them](/sites/default/files/styles/full_bleed_40/public/2024-11/Global%20English-5052.jpg?h=d0633ac3&itok=R2tZQihB)
Neuroscience Labs
Our faculty members with expertise in the neurosciences have labs dedicated to their research into topics concerning learning and memory, cognition and development, psychopharmacology, and drug addiction and pain.
Animal Behavior Labs
In these labs, you have chances to work with faculty on a variety of research projects, such as ones investigating conservation genetics, wildlife conservation, and how pharmaceuticals, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and other pollutants affect the behavior of the fish.
Centers for Excellence
These university-wide centers are designed to promote interdisciplinary research and provide opportunities for collaborative research and scholarship programs that are competitive for interdisciplinary, multi-investigator, and multi-institutional awards. The centers also expand student research opportunities, bringing together students, faculty, and partner institutions in pursuit of cooperative goals.
![A student in a white coat and latex gloves prepares slides for a microscope](/sites/default/files/styles/block_image_large/public/2024-11/Neuroscience-2197.jpg?itok=-Ltsn30o)
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Experiential Learning in the Bachelor’s Degree in Animal Behavior Program
Internships for Animal Behavior Majors
Our graduates have benefitted from a wide array of enriching internships at sites, including
- Center for Wildlife
- Saco River Wildlife Center
- NEADS World Class Service Dogs
- LaDawn Therapeutic Riding Center
- New England Aquarium
- Mystic Aquarium
- Veterinary Clinics and Hospitals
- Smithsonian Institute
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
For more information, contact Zach Olson, Ph.D. at (207) 602-2766 or zolson@hpbvtv.com.
watch UNE Students work hands-on with Animals
Research Opportunities for Animal Behavior Majors
As an Animal Behavior major at UNE, you complete at least one research project as part of our Research Methods course, though many choose to become more deeply involved in research in one of our faculty-lead laboratories.
You get the opportunity to fully participate in research including developing new ideas and materials, running participants, and analyzing and disseminating the results of research at conferences, and through publications in peer-reviewed journals.
Several of our faculty members have research laboratories that offer undergraduate research experiences throughout the academic year. Additionally, UNE provides an opportunity for you to apply for research funding through the SURE program to work with a faculty member on research during the summer.
If you are interested in doing research, please contact the faculty to discuss your interests.
Researching Northern Bog Lemmings
Animal Behavior Clubs and Organizations
As a student in our Animal Behavior program, you have the opportunity to participate in different student organizations specifically geared toward people with a passion similar to your own.
Apply Today
Ready to begin your future in UNE’s Bachelor of Science in Animal Behavior? Get started today.
![A video camera is set up next to an animal behavior student who is writing in a notebook while a second student reads data off a tool](/sites/default/files/styles/apply_today/public/2024-10/apply_today-animal_behavior.jpg?itok=awyt7ndk)