Animal Behavior

The Department of Psychology offers students a broad-based liberal arts education with an emphasis on community, social and individual approaches to understanding human behavior.  Students are thus exposed to a combination of theoretical, scientific and practical approaches to solving human problems.  Issues of gender, race, class and culture are emphasized in courses throughout the curriculum.  As a result of required course work and internship experiences, the department graduates students with marketable skills that prepare them for entry-level positions in social services or for graduate study in related areas.  As part of this mission, the Department of Psychology offers four majors: psychology, neuroscience, animal behavior and psychology and social relations.

Animal behavior involves the investigation of how an organism relates to its environment - comprised of both physical and social factors - and includes a wide variety of topics, from finding food to achieving dominance, that all influence an organism's ability to survive and reproduce. It is — by its very nature — interdisciplinary, drawing on techniques and concepts from multiple diverse fields such as psychology and neuroscience. Through the use of expertise in psychology (the study of behavior and mental processes) and biology (the study of the living world), we can understand how animals behave, how these behaviors develop and the mechanisms, explanations and consequences of these behaviors. Answers to the mechanisms of behavior include not only how external stimuli in the environment affect behavior but also how the internal hormonal and neural mechanisms mediate behavior. The study of the development of behavior focuses on the way behavior changes over an individual's lifetime as a result of both genes and experience. Investigations of the explanations of behavior examine immediate effects of a particular behavior on an animal, and ultimate effects such as a behavior's value in helping a species survive and reproduce successfully and that behavior's evolution over time.

The mission of animal behavior, as an interdisciplinary science that combines both psychology and biology, is to examine the complicated question of how and why animals behave the way they do through the use of techniques and concepts from multiple fields.  By the time they graduate, animal behavior majors will know how to think like scientists. This will include a mastery of the basic skills that underlie the fields of psychology and biology — from critically observing the world around them to formulating basic hypotheses — as well as an understanding of concepts central to the disciplines and how these concepts interact and interrelate. In order to enable students to attain these goals, they will be actively involved in the scientific process. Through active involvement, students will gain an appreciation of not just animal behavior but psychology and biology as a whole.

One of the things that makes the University of New England a unique institution is its focus on learning by doing. The psychology faculty is wholly supportive of this approach as indicated not only by strong student-faculty relationships but also by requiring an internship experience. The animal behavior major further embraces this philosophy by providing research experiences within and outside the classroom learning environment. Research experience is as critical a component of a well-rounded degree as content mastery and provides students with skills that are beneficial throughout their careers after graduation. Through these hands on experiences, students will discover their talents, hone their skills, achieve their goals and become independent, critical thinkers that understand their role in not just the work force but the community in general.

Animal Behavior is an interdisciplinary major with students taking courses in a variety of departments to gain an appreciation of the discipline from multiple perspectives. Animal behavior is the scientific study of not only everything an animal does but why it does it. This major is designed for students who are interested in understanding why animals act the way they do on a proximate and ultimate level. An animal behavior major can lead to employment in national parks, research laboratories, veterinary clinics, animal shelters, aquariums or zoos, or academia. Students who are planning on attending a graduate program in this field should be prepared not only to maintain an appropriately high GPA but also to conduct research in a laboratory on campus or at another institution.

A minimum grade of "C-"  must be achieved in all courses used to fulfill the requirements for the Animal Behavior major. See Undergraduate Academic Policy also.

Double majoring or majoring and minoring within the Department of Psychology is permissable. However, students interested in this option should do so with close consultation of their academic advisor to ensure that a substantial degree of overlap between the two areas does not occur.

Students will acquire the following skills as they complete their 
Bachelors of Science Degree in Animal Behavior at UNE: 
 
1. Quantitative skills 
1.1 Ability to represent information in a quantitative format 
1.2 Ability to analyze and interpret quantitative information, including graphs and 
statistics 
1.3 Ability to quantitatively manipulate data and information 
 
2. Critical and integrative thinking skills 
2.1 Ability to critique and develop experimental designs and methodology 
2.2 Ability to integrate findings from diverse fields to address a research question or 
develop a testable hypothesis
2.3 Ability to read and analyze a primary research paper 
 
3. Research skills 
3.1 Ability to develop a hypothesis and design experiments to test this hypothesis 
3.2 Ability to collect, analyze, and interpret data 
3.3 Ability to perform multiple techniques related to animal behavior research (specific 
techniques may vary, but include: observational learning, biochemical techniques, 
behavioral studies, etc.) 
 
4. Communication skills 
4.1 Ability to present information orally in an organized and understandable manner 
4.2 Ability to communicate scientific information in written format for scientific 
publication 
4.3 Ability to communicate scientific information to the lay public in both oral and 
written format 
 
5. Independent critical thinking skills 
5.1 Ability to defend unique views/approaches/answers to well established phenomenon 
and theories based upon objective evidence 
5.2 Ability to overcome barriers/impediments to learning/research. 
5.3 Ability to find answers to questions that may not be specifically addressed in a course 

A student with a major in another area may minor in Animal Behavior with the permission of their academic advisor and the Chair of the Psychology Department. A minimum of eighteen hours of approved course credit with a minimum grade of "C-" is required for the minor in Animal Behavior as follows:

We offer qualified students the option of participating in our Honors Program and graduating with Honors. This includes significant research, scholarship or creative activity under the direction of a faculty member.

Courses previously completed at another accredited college can be transferred to this degree program. Transferred biology and psychology courses must be reasonably close in scope and content to the biology and psychology courses offered at UNE in order to count as exact equivalents. Otherwise, they will transfer as general electives. All Science/Math courses previously completed must be no older than five years. Other restrictions apply. See Undergraduate Admissions also.

Tuition and Fees

Tuition and fees for subsequent years may vary. Other expenses include books and housing. For more information regarding tuition and fees, please consult the Financial Information section of this catalog.