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Animal Behavior Program

Bachelor of Science in Animal Behavior

Students on Summer 2020, Fall 2020, or Spring 2021 requirements ABEHBS

The Bachelor of Science in Animal Behavior includes courses from the different disciplines that study animal behavior, providing the interdisciplinary foundations students need to reflect on the consequences of different intellectual approaches to a single problem. The B.S. in Animal Behavior is particularly valuable for students interested in careers in animal biology and behavior (e.g. research and teaching, wildlife management and conservation, veterinary medicine, animal training, zoo management, etc.).

Students have opportunities to conduct their own independent research or gain hands-on experience in animal behavior through the CISAB internship program and/or supervised laboratory research in which they apply their newly-learned knowledge to real-world contexts such as zoos, museums, and wildlife rescue centers.

Requirements

The major requires at least 38 credit hours (56 with Addenda Requirements), including the requirements listed below.
  1. Core Animal Behavior Courses.
    1. Introduction to Animal Behavior. One (1) course:
      • ABEH-A 101 Introduction to Animal Behavior
    2. Workshop in Animal Behavior. One (1) course:
      • ABEH-A 200 Workshop in Animal Behavior
    3. Advanced Workshop in Animal Behavior. One (1) course:
      • ABEH-A 400 Advanced Workshop in Animal Behavior
    4. Animal Behavior. One (1) course:
      • BIOL-Z 460 Animal Behavior
  2. Perspectives in Animal Behavior.
    1. Evolutionary/Ecological Perspectives. Two (2) courses:
      • ABEH-A 301 when taken Summer 2024 or later
      • ABEH-A 401 Topical Issues in Animal Behavior (Approved topics: "ANIMAL CONSERVATION" (TPC 6) when taken prior to Summer 2024; "SPECIAL TOPICS IN AVIAN CONSERVATION" (TPC 5))
      • ANTH-B 368 The Evolution of Primate Social Behavior
      • ANTH-B 400 Undergraduate Seminar (Approved topics: "CHIMP BEHV:LEGACY JANE GOODALL" (TPC 12))
      • ANTH-B 466 The Primates
      • BIOL-L 307
      • BIOL-L 318 Evolution
      • BIOL-L 369 Heredity, Evolution, and Society
      • BIOL-L 423 Brain, Behavior and Evolution
      • BIOL-L 473 Ecology
      • BIOL-S 318 Evolution, Honors
      • BIOL-Z 374
      • BIOL-Z 476 Biology of Fishes
      • EAS-E 341
      • EAS-X 377 Field Geology and Paleoanthropology at Olduvai Gorge
      • GEOG-G 307 Biogeography: The Distribution of Life when taken Summer 2024 or later
      • SPEA-E 457 INTRODUCTION TO CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
      • SPEA-E 460 FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
    2. Mechanisms of Behavior Perspectives. Two (2) courses:
      • ABEH-A 401 Topical Issues in Animal Behavior (approved topics: "Genetics and Epigenetics of Behavior; The Social Brain"; "Sensory Ecology")
      • ANTH-B 333 Chimpanzee Biology: Anatomy, Evolution, Ecology, and Physiology
      • ANTH-B 340 Hormones and Human Behavior
      • BIOL-L 311 Genetics
      • BIOL-L 340 Biology of Sexual Diversity
      • BIOL-L 410 Topical Issues in Biology (approved topic: "Genetics of Behavior")
      • BIOL-L 423 Brain, Behavior and Evolution
      • BIOL-L 453 Sensory Ecology
      • BIOL-Z 462 Genetics of Behavior
      • BIOL-Z 463 Comparative Neurobiology of Animal Behavior
      • BIOL-Z 466 Endocrinology
      • One of the following:
        • PSY-P 326 Behavioral Neuroscience
        • PSY-P 346 Neuroscience
      • PSY-P 407 Drugs and the Nervous System
      • PSY-P 409 Neural Bases of Sensory Function
      • PSY-P 410 Development of the Brain and Behavior
      • PSY-P 411 Neural Bases of Learning and Memory
      • PSY-P 456 Reproductive Neuroscience
      • PSY-P 457 Topics in Psychology (approved topics: "The Social Brain"; "Neurobiology of Cognition")
      • PSY-P 469 Stress Effects on Brain and Behavior
      • PHSL-P 416 COMPARATIVE ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY
    3. Environmental/Developmental/Cognitive Perspectives. Two (2) courses:
      • ANTH-A 200 Topics in Anthropology of Culture and Society (approved topic: "Introduction to the Chimpanzee")
      • ANTH-B 200 Bioanthropology
      • ANTH-B 400 Undergraduate Seminar (approved topic: "Evolution of Human Cognition")
      • ANTH-E 200 Social and Cultural Anthropology
      • ANTH-L 200 Language and Culture
      • BIOL-L 417 Developmental Biology and Stem Cells
      • COGS-Q 240 Philosophical Foundations of the Cognitive and Information Sciences
      • COGS-Q 301 Brain and Cognition
      • COGS-Q 345 Animal Cognition
      • INFO-I 400 TOPICS IN INFORMATICS (approved topic: "Humans, Animals, and Artificial Intelligence")
      • INFO-I 400 TOPICS IN INFORMATICS (approved topic: "Seminar in Animal-Computer Interaction")
      • LING-L 214 Animal Communication
      • PHIL-P 360 Philosophy of Mind
      • PSY-P 325 Psychology of Learning
      • PSY-P 327 Psychology of Motivation
      • PSY-P 329 Sensation and Perception
      • PSY-P 330 Perception/Action
      • PSY-P 335 Cognitive Psychology
      • PSY-P 416 Evolution and Ecology of Learning
      • PSY-P 444 Scientific Writing in the Psychological and Brain Sciences
  3. Formal Laboratory. Two (2) courses:
    • ABEH-A 350 Animal Behavior Laboratory
    • ANTH-B 301 Laboratory in Bioanthropology
    • ANTH-P 425 Faunal Osteology
    • One of the following:
      • BIOL-H 112 Integrated Freshman Learning Experience II
      • BIOL-L 113 Biology Laboratory
      • BIOL-X 150 ASURE Biology Research Lab 1 (approved topics: "Immune Response and Behavior"; "Field Ecology and Evolution"; "Behavioral Evolution")
    • BIOL-L 307 Biodiversity
    • BIOL-L 376 Biology of Birds
    • BIOL-L 433 Tropical Biology
    • BIOL-L 465 Advanced Field Biology
    • BIOL-L 474 Field and Laboratory Ecology
    • BIOL-P 451 Integrative Human Physiology
    • BIOL-Z 373 Entomology
    • BIOL-Z 375 Invertebrate Zoology Laboratory
    • BIOL-Z 406 Vertebrate Zoology
    • BIOL-Z 469 Endocrinology Laboratory
    • BIOL-X 325 ASURE Biology Research Lab 2 (approved topic: "Immune Response and Behavior")
    • EAS-X 377 Field Geology and Paleoanthropology at Olduvai Gorge
    • INFO-I 411 ANIMAL-COMPUTER INTERACTION METHODS
    • PSY-P 426 Laboratory in Behavioral Neuroscience
    • SPEA-E 455 LIMNOLOGY
    • SPEA-E 461 FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT LABORATORY
  4. Supervised Research or Internship. Choose one of the following options:
    • Additional course from the Formal Laboratory List.
    • Animal Behavior Internship. Three (3) credit hours:
      • ABEH-X 473 Animal Behavior Internship
    • Supervised Research. Three (3) credit hours:
      • ANTH-X 476 Museum Practicum
      • ANTH-X 477 Fieldwork in Anthropology
      • ANTH-X 478 Practicum in Anthropology
      • ANTH-X 479 Fieldwork in Bioanthropology
      • BIOL-X 490 Individual Study
      • CHEM-X 399 Chemical Research
      • COGS-X 497 Research in the Cognitive and Information Sciences
      • COGS-X 498 Project in the Cognitive and Information Sciences
      • COGS-Q 499 Honors Research Project in the Cognitive and Information Sciences
      • INFO-I 390 UNDERGRADUATE INDEPENDENT STUDY
      • PHYS-X 498 Research Project
      • PSY-P 499 Honors Thesis Research
      • PSY-X 397 Supervised Research I
      • PSY-X 398 Supervised Research II
      • PSY-X 497 Supervised Research III
      • PSY-X 498 Capstone Supervised Research
  5. Electives. Two (2) courses:
    • ABEH-A 400 Advanced Workshop in Animal Behavior
    • ABEH-A 401 Topical Issues in Animal Behavior (Approved topics: "HUMAN-ANIMAL INTERACTION" (TPC 9)) when taken Summer 2024 or later
    • BIOL-L 211 Molecular Biology when taken Summer 2024 or later
    • BIOL-L 402 Ecosystem Ecology and Global Change
    • EAS-A 476 Climate Change Science when taken Summer 2024 or later
    • Additional courses from the Evolutionary/Ecological Perspectives list
    • Additional courses from the Mechanisms of Behavior Perspectives list
    • Additional courses from the Environmental/Developmental/Cognitive Perspectives list
    • Additional courses from the Formal Laboratory list
    • Additional courses from the Supervised Research or Internship list
    • Additional animal behavior-related courses with consent of the program
  6. Addenda Requirements*.
    1. Introductory Science.
      1. Foundations of Biology: Diversity, Evolution, and Ecology. One (1) course:
        • BIOL-E 111 Basic Biology by Examination I
        • BIOL-L 111 Foundations of Biology: Diversity, Evolution, and Ecology
      2. Foundations of Biology: Biological Mechanisms. One (1) course:
        • BIOL-E 112 Basic Biology by Examination II
        • BIOL-H 111 Integrated Freshman Learning Experience I
        • BIOL-L 112 Foundations of Biology: Biological Mechanisms
      3. Introductory Psychology. One (1) course:
        • PSY-P 101 Introductory Psychology I
        • PSY-P 155 Introduction to Psychological and Brain Sciences
      4. Introductory Science Elective. Choose one of the following options:
        • ANTH-B 111 Introduction to Chimpanzee Behavior and Cognition
        • Both of the following:
          • CHEM-C 101 Elementary Chemistry I
          • CHEM-C 121 Elementary Chemistry Laboratory I
        • Both of the following:
          • One (1) Lecture course:
            • CHEM-C 117 Principles of Chemistry and Biochemistry I
            • CHEM-H 117 Principles of Chemistry and Biochemistry I, Honors
            • CHEM-J 117 Principles of Chemistry and Biochemistry for Science Majors
          • One (1) Laboratory course:
            • CHEM-C 127 Principles of Chemistry and Biochemistry I Laboratory
            • CHEM-H 127 Principles of Chemistry and Biochemistry I Laboratory, Honors
            • CHEM-X 150 ASURE Chemistry Research Lab I
        • CHEM-C 103 Introduction to Chemical Principles
        • COLL-C 105 Critical Approaches to the Natural and Mathematical Sciences (approved topic: "Sister Species: Lessons from the Chimpanzee")
        • EAS-E 104 Evolution of the Earth
        • EAS-E 105 Earth: Our Habitable Planet
        • EAS-E 114 Dinosaurs and Their Relatives
        • MATH-M 212 Calculus II
        • MATH-S 212 Honors Calculus II
        • PHYS-P 105 Basic Physics of Sound
        • PHYS-P 201 General Physics I
        • CSCI-A 110 INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTERS AND COMPUTING
        • CSCI-C 211 Introduction to Computer Science
    2. Statistics. One (1) course:
      • ECON-E 370 Statistical Analysis for Business and Economics
      • LAMP-L 316 Junior Seminar: Analytical Problem Solving
      • PSY-K 300 Statistical Techniques
      • PSY-K 310 Statistical Techniques
      • SOC-S 371 Statistics in Sociology
      • STAT-S 300 Introduction to Applied Statistical Methods
      • STAT-S 303 Applied Statistical Methods for the Life Sciences
      • STAT-S 320 Introduction to Statistics
      • STAT-K 310 Statistical Techniques
      • SPEA-K 300 STATISTICAL TECHNIQUES
    3. Ethics. One (1) course:
      • HPSC-X 102 Revolutions in Science: Plato to NATO
      • HPSC-X 104 Science and Culture
      • HPSC-X 108 The Science of Sex and Race: Theories of Biological Differentiation, 1776 to the Present
      • HPSC-X 110 Scientists at Work: from Frankenstein to Einstein
      • HPSC-X 111 Ethical Issues in Biological and Medical Sciences
      • HPSC-X 226 Issues in Science: Natural and Mathematical
      • PHIL-P 107 Philosophy and the Environment
      • PHIL-P 141 Introduction to Ethical Theories and Problems
      • PHIL-P 242 Applied Ethics
      • PHIL-P 393 Biomedical Ethics
      • PSY-P 457 Topics in Psychology (approved topic: "Moral Machines")
      • REL-R 170 Religion, Ethics, and Public Life
  7. Major GPA, Hours, and Minimum Grade Requirements.
    1. Major GPA. A GPA of at least 2.000 for all courses taken in the major—including those where a grade lower than C- is earned—is required.
    2. Major Minimum Grade. Except for the GPA requirement, a grade of C- or higher is required for a course to count toward a requirement in the major.
    3. Major Upper Division Credit Hours. At least 18 credit hours in the major must be completed at the 300–499 level.
    4. Major Residency. At least 18 credit hours in the major must be completed in courses taken through the Indiana University Bloomington campus or an IU-administered or IU co-sponsored Overseas Study program.

Major Area Courses

Unless otherwise noted below, the following courses are considered in the academic program and will count toward academic program requirements as appropriate:

  • Any course at the 100–499 level with the ABEH subject area prefix—as well as any other subject areas that are deemed functionally equivalent
  • Any course contained on the course lists for the academic program requirements at the time the course is taken—as well as any other courses that are deemed functionally equivalent—except for those listed only under Addenda Requirements
  • Any course directed to a non-Addenda requirement through an approved exception

This program of study cannot be combined with the following:

  • Certificate in Animal Behavior (ANBEHACRT)
  • Minor in Animal Behavior (ANBEHMIN)

Exceptions to and substitutions for major requirements may be made with the approval of the unit's Director of Undergraduate Studies, subject to final approval by the College of Arts and Sciences.