Why do humans keep pets and also raise animals for food? What are the psychological and moral complexities that characterize our relationships with animals? What is the impact of human-animal interactions on the health and well-being of people and animals? This program is an interdisciplinary study of human (anthro) and animal (zoo) interaction. This topic of inquiry will be used to study biology, evolutionary biology, zoology, psychology, and philosophy. Through field trips, guest speakers, reading, writing, and discussion, students will become familiar with the multiple and often paradoxical ways we relate to companion animals, animals for sport, zoo animals, wildlife, research animals, and food animals. We will use our collective experiences, along with science-based and value-based approaches, to critically examine the ever-changing role of animals in society.
We will begin by focusing on the process of animal domestication in different cultures from an evolutionary and historical perspective. Through the formal study of animal ethics, students will become familiar with different philosophical positions on the use of animals. Physiology and neuroscience will be used to investigate the physical and mental lives of animals, while simultaneously exploring domestic animal behavior. Students will explore the biological basis and psychological aspects of the human-animal bond. They will study the science of animal welfare and become familiar with methods used to investigate welfare issues in food and companion animals. Students will finish the quarter with a multiple-day trip to the University of British Columbia, where they will visit with faculty and students doing active research in animal welfare science.
Students will be expected to read primary literature in diverse fields, such as animal science, ethology, neurobiology, sociobiology, psychology, anthropology, and philosophy. Student success in this program will depend on commitment to in-depth understanding of complex topics and an ability to combine empirical knowledge and philosophical reflection.
This program is coordinated with Greener Foundations for first-year students. Greener Foundations is Evergreen’s in-person 2-quarter introductory student success course sequence, which provides first-year students with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive at Evergreen. Students expected to take Greener Foundations will be prompted to register for a 2-credit Greener Foundations course in addition to this 14-credit program during registration. Students will be prompted to register for Greener Foundations with their new winter program to complete the 4-credits of Greener Foundations.
Fall Anticipated Credit Equivalencies
4 - Animal Behavior
4 - Psychology
4 - Animal Welfare Science
4 - Animal Ethics
Registration
Course Reference Numbers
Academic Details
Studies or careers in biology, psychology, animal welfare, and veterinary medicine
$250 for an overnight field trip to the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, B.C., allowing students to visit with faculty and students doing active research in animal welfare science. This trip is contingent on permission granted by the College based on safety conditions. The program will collaborate with the Office of International Programs & Services. Students will be asked to sign a travel waiver, provide their passport/ID documentation, and complete an emergency information form. Students will be enrolled in international health insurance with CISI and enrolled in US State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program by International Programs & Services staff.
Students will need to have appropriate identification, such as a passport, to travel to Canada. If you do not already have one you should expect additional expenses to obtain one. Trip is contingent on permission for travel from government and college authorities.
A maximum of eight credits of upper-division science will be available to students based on exam scores, ability to read and interpret primary scientific literature, and the satisfactory completion of an independent research proposal