If you love animals and your favorite weekend activity is birdwatching, visiting a zoo, or strolling along the reptiles section of your local pet store, you may be considering turning your love of animals into a professional career path with a degree in zoology, or a related field. With a degree in zoology, animal biology, or animal sciences, you’ll be able to go into research, work in a high-level role at a zoo, or participate in wildlife conservation. You’ll also be well-positioned if you’re hoping to continue on to a veterinarian school.
Not many universities offer zoology, animal biology, or animal sciences degrees, so your list of potential colleges is already filtered, but there are a few things you should look out for when considering a role. You’ll definitely want plenty of fieldwork opportunities in areas you’re interested in and choices for specialization. Also look for opportunities to work with animals on campus or close-to-campus — as that’s sort of the whole point if you’re studying animals!
In preparation for this degree, take as many science and math courses as you can, and try to get an internship or shadow opportunity at a zoo, vet, or wildlife conservation facility near you.
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Cornell University— Ithaca, New York
Cornell is widely respected as the place to study agriculture and related sciences in America. So, if you’re interested in animals of the more domesticated variety, this is the place to go — plus, it’s an Ivy League degree. The Animal Science major at Cornell offers concentrations in Physiology and Nutrition, Pre-Vet, and even Dairy Management. There are numerous international experiences students can take part in, but also so much in the New York region as Cornell is deeply connected to the animal agriculture and dairy industry of the state. This is not the place to go if you want to study monkeys, but the most prestigious college with a hands-on animal-centric degree.
University of California – Santa Barbara — Santa Barbara, California
UC Santa Barbara offers what many expect from a zoology major. Salamanders, coral reefs, and sea urchins — oh my! The location of the university in Santa Barbara means this program is heavily focused on aquatic and semi-aquatic life, plus bird and other land species in the region. Students start in the biology program and, after completing preliminary coursework, move into the Zoology major. This is an amazing choice if you’re interested in marine biology research or conservation.
Franklin & Marshall — Lancaster, Pennsylvania
The Animal Behavior Studies program at Franklin & Marshall is the place to be if monkeys are your think. Through the Biological Foundations of Behavior program, students work in the lab, field, and zoos with animals hands-on, including with capuchin monkeys! The “hallmark” of their program is an apprenticeship-like mentor relationship with faculty who guide undergraduate students through hands-on experiences. Courses include “primate behavior” and “origins of moral thought.”
University of California - Davis — Davis, California
If you’re interested in studying animals, California offers diverse wild ecosystems and amazing research opportunities. The Animal Biology major at UCDavis is the broadest animal major they offer, and then it gets more specific from there, including a major in Animal Science with opportunities to focus on a particular class of animals (ex. aquatic), or the Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology major. The range of majors offered reflects the diversity of options students have throughout the program, and students gain real-world experience “working with wild and domesticated animals in hands-on situations.”
Duke University — Durham, North Carolina
The Animal Behavior program at Duke is a concentration in the Biology major. At Duke, “the faculty of the Departments of Biology, Psychology, and Biological Anthropology and Anatomy provide the opportunity for concentrating on a topic which has become too diverse for one perspective or discipline.” Students can take courses like “Mechanism of Animal Behavior,” “Marine Megafauna,” and “Physiology of Marine Animals,” and they offer concentrations in subjects like Marine Biology and Plant Biology. When you want to get out of the classroom, take advantage of opportunities at The Duke University Marine Laboratory and on the Great Barrier Reef through Duke in Australia.
University of Wisconsin - Madison — Madison, Wisconsin
The Bachelor of Science in Zoology at the University of Wisconsin – Madison is flexible to allow for many different career paths, from medicine to wildlife conservation. Students have access to numerous opportunities for summer research positions — and scholarships — and can take electives like “Biology of Microorganisms,” “Terrestrial Vertebrates: Life History and Ecology,” and “Wetlands Ecology.”
University of Florida — Gainesville, Florida
If something weird hits the news about animals, chances are it happened in Florida. From pythons in the woods to gators in your backyard to manatees in the bays, Florida is as wild when it comes to animals as California. This is one of the reasons the Zoology major at the University of Florida is so popular. Students study individual animals, but also the systems that bring them together, and can access many research opportunities for course credit. The university also offers an interesting program call UFTeach, which supports zoology majors in minoring in science teaching, preparing them for professional teacher certification upon graduation.
University of Georgia — Athens, Georgia
Students who are interested in birds or bugs should consider the University of Georgia. There are three major options: Animal Science, which is focused on livestock, Avian Biology, and Entomology. Very few schools offer degrees this specific at the undergraduate level, and the Poultry Science Department awards around $80k each year in scholarships, which all Avian Biology students are eligible for. The Entomology major is specifically focused on (but not exclusive to) insects that impact crops and agriculture.
University of Connecticut — Mansfield, Connecticut
At the University of Connecticut, students have the immense privilege of being able to walk to class — whether they’re learning in a classroom or in the field. Students in the Animal Science program work with domestic animals used for production of meat, milk, eggs, and fiber, and companion animals like horses, cats, and dogs. All hands-on teaching facilities are within walking distance of campus, and over 60 undergraduates are employed by the department each year to provide care to the animals.
Ohio Wesleyan University — Delaware, Ohio
Ohio Wesleyan is one of only a few small schools with a zoology program (and they also have a botany and microbiology program to boot). Students have two degree options: General Zoology, which is often used as a double major, and Pre-Professional Zoology, which is geared towards students interested in medical school, veterinarian school, or graduate study. There are many travel learning opportunities, and a 10-week Summer Research Program in which students are paid to research alongside faculty.
If you’re interested in studying animals in college, make sure that the program you pick offers multiple electives focused on the particular area of study you’re most interested in. Courses change, and there’s no guarantee that one class that looks really interesting will be there when you arrive. However, if they have multiple classes in a subject, it’s likely a professor shares your area of interest so even if the specific courses change the subject will still be available.
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