Program Overview
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.
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
Academics
Curriculum
| CAS Core Requirements | Credits |
|---|---|
| Total | 42–46 |
| Program Required Courses | Credits |
| BIO 105/105L – Biology I: Ecology/Evolution w/Lab or MAR 105/105L – Eco/Evo of Marine Organisms w/Lab | 4 |
| BIO 106/106L – Biology II: Cellular/Molecular w/Lab or MAR 106/106L – Cell/Molec Bio/Marine Orgs w/Lab | 4 |
| BIO 322 – Comparative Animal Physiology or BIO 245 – General Principles of Anatomy, Physiology & Pathophysiology | 4 |
| CHE 110/110L – General Chemistry I with Lab or CHE 150/150L – University General Chem I w/Lab | 4 |
| CHE 111/111L – General Chemistry II with Lab or CHE 151/151L – University General Chem II w/Lab | 4 |
| MAT 180 – Precalculus | Credits included in Core |
| Organismal topic** | 3-4 |
| PSY 105 – Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 225 – Psychology Statistics | 3 |
| PSY 250 – Lifespan Development in Context | Credits included in Core |
| PSY 275 – Intro-Tech in Animal Behavior | 3 |
| PSY 285 – Research Methods | 3 |
| PSY 335 – Comparative Animal Behavior | 3 |
| PSY 362 – Animal Cognition | 3 |
| PSY 365 – Biological Bases of Behavior | 3 |
| PSY 384/384L – Animal Learning and Behavior w/Lab | 4 |
| PSY 425 – Advanced Methods in Animal Behavior | 3 |
| PSY 495 – Animal Behavior Internship/Research | 3–12 |
| Animal Behavior Electives* | 6–13 |
| Total Program-Specific Credits | 60+ |
| General Electives | Variable |
| Minimum Required Total Credits | 120 |
**Three (3) Animal Behavior electives are required if the Animal Behavior internship is 3–4 credits. If the internship is five (5) or more credits, then only two (2) electives are required. Other courses may be applied as electives with the approval of the School of Social and Behavior Sciences director or assistant academic director.
| Elective options | Credits |
|---|---|
| BIO 232 – Microbiology | 3 |
| BIO 235 – Winter Natural History | 3 |
| BIO 333 – Evolution | 3 |
| BIO 345 – General Prin Anat/Phys/Pathophys | 5 |
| BIO 350 – Ecology | 4 |
| BIO 422/422L – Coral Biology w/Lab | 4 |
| BIO 459/459L – Conserv and Ecol Caribbean Isl w/Lab | 4 |
| ENV 208 – Climate Change | 3 |
| ENV 250 – Environ Policy Compare Perspect | 3 |
| ENV 318 – Advanced Methods in Avian Ecology | 4 |
| ENV 319 – Practicum in Field Ecology Squirrels | 1 |
| ENV 356 – Terrestrial Wildlife and Ecology | 4 |
| MAR 250 – Marine Biology | 4 |
| MAR 252 – Nat His Marine Mammals | 3 |
| MAR 376 – Bio of Sharks, Skates, Rays | 3 |
| MAR 428 – Marine Conservation | 3 |
| MAR 436/436L – Natural History of Iceland w/Lab | 4 |
| PHY 110/110L – General Physics I w/Lab | 4 |
| PHY 111/111L – General Physics II w/Lab | 4 |
| PSY 205 – Abnormal Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 226 – Motivation & Emotion | 3 |
| PSY 245 – Evolutionary Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 278 – Captive Animal Management | 3 |
| PSY 305 – Special Topics (with program approval) | 3 |
| PSY 308 – Animal Communication | 3 |
| PSY 316 – Psychology of Consciousness | 3 |
| PSY 325 – Psychology of Aging | 3 |
| PSY 330 – Psychology of Stress | 3 |
| PSY 370 – Drugs, Society, Behavior | 3 |
| PSY 383 – Memory & Cognition | 3 |
| PSY 364 – Soc & Emot Dev in Childhood | 3 |
| PSY 371 – Conservation Behavior | 3 |
| PSY 372 – Foraging Behavior | 3 |
| PSY 406 – Special Topics in Animal Behavior | 3 |
*Organismal topics courses must be 200-level or higher and include a hands-on component. These courses include BIO 222 Finfish/Shellfish Culture Tech; BIO 223 Health Nutrition Feeding of Cultured Organisms; BIO 235 Winter Natural History; BIO257/257L Costa Rica: Tropical Forest and Global Change w/Lab; BIO 305/305L Mammalogy w/Lab; BIO 319 Ornithology; BIO 330 Comp Vert Anatomy; ENV 318 Adv Research Methods Avian Ecol; ENV 356 Terrestrial Wildlife Eco/Cons; MAR 320 Invert Zoology; MAR 331 Biology of Fishes; MAR 355 Biology Marine Mammals; MAR 436/436L Natural History of Iceland w/ Lab; MAR 452/452L Natural History and Evolution of Galapagos Fauna w/Lab; PSY 372 Foraging Behavior; PSY 406 Spec Topics Animal Behavior.
Students in this major can participate in the pre-health graduate school preparation tracks.
To learn more about the program visit the Catalog.
Honors Program
We offer qualified students the option of graduating with Honors. This includes significant research, scholarship, or creative activity under the direction of a faculty member. Interested students should consult with their advisor.
For more information, contact Zach Olson, Ph.D. at (207) 602-2766 or zolson@une.edu
Find your career
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
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.
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.
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
Center for Excellence in Neuroscience
The Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences sponsors research opportunities for Neuroscience majors.
The Center organizes a Neuroscience Summer Scholars Program, supporting Neuroscience majors with their summer research projects.
Summer scholars attend the summer seminar series, which brings in researchers from around the world, and present their experimental results at a research fair held at the conclusion of the summer.
Center for Excellence in Aging and Health
The Center for Excellence in Aging and Health promotes innovative, interprofessional research and programming to extend healthspan, enhance well-being, celebrate personal legacies, and disseminate professional best practices for the benefit of aging adults wherever they call home.
Psychology faculty are active parts of the center and students working with these faculty have the opportunity to explore issues of aging.
Center of Biomedical Research Excellence for the Study of Pain and Sensory Function
Center of Biomedical Research Excellence for the Study of Pain and Sensory Function, dedicated to understanding the neurobiology of pain and the development of novel therapies.
Experiential Learning
Internships
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@une.edu.
watch UNE Students work hands-on with Animals
Research
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.
Faculty in our Animal Behavior program are currently performing research in the following areas:
- Zach Olson, Ph.D., behavioral ecology and wildlife conservation
- Margaret Stanton, comparative social behavior, maternal behavior, and offspring development
- Mike Burman, Ph.D., negative emotionality and pain
- Glenn Stevenson, Ph.D., drug development and opioid pharmacology
- Trish Long, Ph.D., interpersonal violence, anxiety,
- Linda Morrison, Ph.D., issues in social, global awareness issues, bystander behavior
- Jennifer Stiegler-Balfour, Ph.D., memory processes underlying reading comprehension
- Julie Peterson, Ph.D., how explicit and implicit self and relationship processes influence daily life
Beyond the Classroom
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.
Animal Behavior Club
The Animal Behavior Club is open to all members who want to get involved with animals, learn about animals, and get the community pumped about animals.
If you are a UNE student and would like to become a member of the Psychology Club, please email msuper@une.edu.
Faculty Advisor
Zach Olson, Ph.D.
Decary Hall, Room 335
zolson@une.edu
Neuroscience Club
This student organization works with the neuroscience department to promote neuroscience as a major and promotes opportunities for you to know more about the neuroscience field. It also helps connect you with undergrad research opportunities.
If you are a UNE student and would like to become a member of the Psychology Club, contact mrice4@une.edu.
Faculty Advisor
Mike Burman, Ph.D.
Decary Hall, Room 328
mburman@une.edu
Psychology Club
The mission of the Psychology Club is to create a community of students who share a common interest in the discipline of psychology and its broad application while also providing students with connections to Psychology faculty and opportunities for social engagement.
We welcome Psychology majors and minors as well as anyone else who has an interest in Psychology. We hold regular club meetings and put on campus-wide events that engage members of the larger academic community at UNE in activities that involve psychology.
Past events have included:
- NAMI: Five Stories of Hope and Resiliency
- Relay For Life: We make a team and fundraise annually
- Annual faculty student socials
- Brain Fair
- Out of the Darkness Walk
- Save the Waves
More events are added every year.
How to Join
If you are a UNE student and would like to become a member of the Psychology Club, please contact Kana Colarossi at kcolarossi@une.edu. You are welcome to come to a meeting prior to joining, — you do not have to be a member to attend.
Faculty Advisor
Nicole McCray, Ph.D.
Decary Hall, Room 325
nmccray@une.edu
PSI CHI
Founded in 1929, PSI CHI is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies and an affiliate of both the American Psychological Association (APA) and the American Psychological Society (APS).
With the stated mission of encouraging, stimulating, and maintaining excellence in scholarship in the science of psychology, PSI CHI has grown to become one of the largest and most successful honor societies in the world with more than 1,100 chapters and 537,000 members. UNE's chapter was formed in 2010.
For more information, visit the official PSI CHI website or contact the UNE chapter's faculty advisor, Dr. Jennifer Stiegler-Balfour at jstiegler@une.edu.
Become a Member
To be eligible for membership in PSI CHI, you must:
- Be a major or minor in UNE's Department of Psychology
- Be at least a second-semester sophomore
- Have completed 9 semester hours of psychology and/or neuroscience courses
- Rank in the top 35 percent of your class in general scholarship
- Possess a minimum GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) in both psychology and neuroscience classes and cumulatively
- Maintain a high standard of personal behavior
Resources
Announcements
APAGS/Psi Chi Junior Scientist Fellowship
The intent of the Junior Scientist Fellowship is two-fold: to provide funding for a first-year or second-year graduate-level project and to provide constructive feedback to select applicants to increase their chances of achieving success on future National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship applications.
The primary intent is to recognize outstanding research-oriented students who are entering their first year (or the first semester of their second year) of graduate study and to help them get their research off the ground. Graduate students from research-based psychology and neuroscience programs are eligible to apply.
The second intent of this fellowship is to provide written feedback to select applicants. Many students apply for the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship without ever having applied for a research fellowship. By providing feedback to select applicants, this program encourages them to strengthen their NSF graduate fellowship applications.
Funds for this $1,000 fellowship must be used to support direct research costs. These funds can be used to pay participants, purchase essential equipment or software, acquire books or instructional manuals critical to one's line of research, pay fees to publish in open-access journals, or for any other direct research cost. The funds cannot be used for indirect costs such as travel, personal computers, or class textbooks. The funds can be used for any direct research costs in a student's first year (or in the second year, if submitting in the summer prior to one's second year) of graduate school and do not need to be limited to the research discussed in the Research Essay.
Special APS Membership Offer for PSI CHI Student Members
The Association for Psychological Science is offering a reduced APS Students Membership rate for PSI CHI student members. Membership includes subscriptions to four APS journals, discount rates for the APS annual convention, and other benefits. This offer is good for new memberships only. To take advantage of this offer, use the PSI CHI promotional code PSCH at www.psychologicalscience.org/join.