The Animal Biology Major Program:
The Animal Biology major offers students training in the biological and natural sciences as they apply to animals. This major covers the basic biological sciences that explain animal evolution, systematics, ecology, physiology and molecular biology. Students in the ABI major are encouraged to think beyond particular groups of animals in which they are interested and to consider science as a process and way of advancing society. Emphasis for the ABI major is on biological principles that can be used in research or in solving societal problems associated with animals in agriculture, urban areas, or natural environments.
The Program.
The Animal Biology major consists of core courses in the biological sciences that build an understanding of animal biology from the molecular to the ecological and evolutionary levels of organization. As the core courses are completed, usually at end of the sophomore year, the students begin to design their own program. This should be a turning point in the undergraduate careers of many students because they now have responsibility for most of their future at the university. The remainder of their program is a combination of a required research project with a faculty mentor of the student’s choosing (called the senior PRACTICUM) and coursework that supports this research. The first step toward this independent finish to their undergraduate education is ABI 187 which is a class taken in the fall of the junior year (or the first semester for most transfer students) that focuses on preparing the students for their practicum experience. The PRACTICUM is the centerpiece of the major and is what sets the Animal Biology major apart from other majors at the university. By graduation, in addition to completing coursework on the principals of biology, every Animal Biology student has designed a research program, conducted research either in the library or participating with a laboratory, and written a final report of their findings. The research experience of the ABI major makes it unique among science majors at the university.
Internships and Career Alternatives.
The program and interests of each student in guides him or her to logical internship and career choices. On- and off-campus internship opportunities are available in research laboratories, in field situations, with governmental agencies, with private industry, and in international programs. A degree in Animal Biology prepares students for careers in research, teaching, governmental regulation, health or agriculture as each relates to the integrative biology or ecology of animals. Students in the major gain research experience and may choose to continue their training at the graduate or professional level in a variety of biological disciplines. Careers in veterinary medicine, animal husbandry and animal management are open to Animal Biology majors; however, other preparation may be required.