Animal Behavior Undergraduate Certificate

Program Overview

The Undergraduate Certificate in Animal Behavior equips students with interdisciplinary knowledge of how animals respond and adapt to changes in their physical and social environment.

As a student of animal behavior, you’ll explore the field from a range of perspectives—psychology and behavior, ecology, neuroscience, and even animal welfare. This interdisciplinary foundation helps you understand how factors such as pollution, global warming, viruses, and diseases affect animal evolution and behavior across time.  

Plus, with a plethora of internship and lab-based courses, you’ll gain practical, hands-on skills in animal care, handling live animals, and observing and documenting data on animal behavior.   

What Can You Do with an Undergraduate Certificate in Animal Behavior After Graduation?

In the Animal Behavior program at UT, students are introduced into an interdisciplinary program with the central idea of finding the “why” in animal behavior, from evolution and survival to the small details of “how” animals grow, learn, and respond to their environments. Students are prepared for a wide range of career paths through this curriculum, with courses from multiple departments and perspectives, hands-on research experiences, internships, and laboratory work. Graduates go on to work in settings such as zoos, wildlife centers, and museums, in fields like research, wildlife conservation, veterinary medicine, animal training, and more. 

In research and science fields, many graduates go on to work as animal behavior researchers, laboratory animal behavior specialists, or research technicians, often for employers such as universities and colleges, government research labs, or medical research facilities. In wildlife, conservation, and field work, you could become a wildlife technician, conservation biologist, wildlife manager, or endangered species specialist, for conservation nonprofits, national parks, or government wildlife agencies.  

Others work as animal trainers, behavior consultants, or animal-assisted therapy specialists. You could also work in animal care at zoos, shelters, or sanctuaries as a zookeeper, animal adoption specialist, or animal caregiver. Other options are veterinary careers (such as technician, assistant, or behaviorist), and business careers (animal services, animal business management).  

Whichever field you feel most passionate about, this program will give you the tools you need to feel confident stepping into your future career.  

Complementary Majors, Minors, and Certificates

Looking to enhance your academic experience and expertise? Consider pursuing one of the following programs in addition to your primary field of study.