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Indiana University Bloomington

Undergraduate Degrees in Animal Behavior

For information on signing up for these degrees, see our Undergraduate FAQs.

You can also cross-reference these requirements with our course offerings page, which lists the semester each course was last offered, when it's usually offered, and when we expect it will be offered next.

To help plan out your degree program, you can use our interactive Minor/Certificate checklist to track your progress.

Minor

Students must complete six courses (minimum of 17 credit hours; most course choices will result in more than 17 credit hours).

1. Students must complete two introductory courses, choosing one course from two of the following departments:

Anthropology

  • ANTH-B 200 Bioanthropology (3 cr.)
  • ANTH-E 200 Social and Cultural Anthropology (3 cr.)
  • ANTH-L 200 Language and Culture (3 cr.)
  • ANTH-P 200 Introduction to Archaeology (3 cr.)

Biology

  • BIOL-L 111 Foundations of Biology: Diversity, Evolution, and Ecology (3 cr.)
  • BIOL-L 112 Foundations of Biology: Biological Mechanisms (3 cr.)
  • BIOL-E 111 Basic Biology by Examination I (3 cr.)
  • BIOL-E 112 Basic Biology by Examination II (3 cr.)

Psychological and Brain Sciences

  • PSY-P 101 Introductory Psychology I (3 cr.)
  • PSY-P102 Introductory Psychology II (3 cr.)
  • PSY-P106 General Psychology, Honors (4 cr.)
  • PSY-P155 Introduction to Psychological and Brain Sciences (3 cr.)

2. Students must also complete the following course in animal behavior:

  • BIOL-Z 460 Animal Behavior (3 cr.)

3. Students must complete one course from two of the following categories, representing core courses for studying animal behavior:

Evolution

  • ANTH-B 368 Evolution of Primate Social Behavior (3 cr.)
  • BIOL-L 318 Evolution (3 cr.) or BIOL S318 Evolution, Honors (4 cr.)
  • BIOL-L 340 Biological Basis of Sex Differences (3 cr.)*
  • BIOL-L 369 Heredity, Evolution, and Society (3 cr.)
  • BIOL-L 410 Brain, Behavior, and Evolution (3 cr.)*

Learning and Development

  • PSY-P 325 Psychology of Learning (3 cr.)
  • PSY-P 411 Neural Bases of Learning and Memory (3 cr.)*
  • PSY-P 416 Evolution and Ecology of Learning (3 cr.)
  • PSY-P 444 Developmental Psychobiology (3 cr.)

Mechanism

  • BIOL-L 311 Genetics (3 cr.)
  • BIOL-L 340 Biological Basis of Sex Differences (3 cr.)*
  • BIOL-L 410 Brain, Behavior, and Evolution (3 cr.)*
  • BIOL-Z 463 Comparative Neurobiology of Animal Behavior (3 cr.)
  • BIOL-Z 466 Endocrinology (3 cr.)
  • PSY-P 326 Behavioral Neuroscience (3 cr.) or PSY-P 346 Neuroscience (3 cr.)
  • PSY-P 411 Neural Bases of Learning and Memory (3 cr.)*
  • PSY-P 469 Stress Effects on Brain and Behavior (3 cr.)

* Course may be used to fulfill only one core area requirement.

4. Students must complete at least one additional upper-level course related to animal behavior. Many courses are possible, including any of the 300- or 400-level courses listed above in the core categories or any of the following:

Animal Behavior

  • ABEH-A 495 Animal Behavior Internship (1-6 cr.)
  • ABEH-A 401 Topical Issues in Animal Behavior (1-3 cr.)

Anthropology

  • ANTH-B 301 Laboratory in Bioanthropology
  • ANTH-B 466 The Primates (3 cr.)
  • ANTH-P 425 Faunal Osteology (3 cr.)
  • ANTH-P 426 Problems in Zooarcheology (3 cr.)

Biology

  • BIOL-L 317 Developmental Biology (3 cr.)
  • BIOL-L 376 Biology of Birds (4 cr.)
  • BIOL-L 377 Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles (3 cr.)
  • BIOL-L 433 Tropical Biology (3 cr.)
  • BIOL-L 465 Advanced Field Biology (3 cr.)
  • BIOL-L 473 Ecology (3 cr.)
  • BIOL-L 474 Field and Laboratory Ecology (2 cr.)
  • BIOL-Z 373 Entomology (3 cr.)
  • BIOL-Z 374 Invertebrate Zoology (3 cr.)
  • BIOL-Z 375 Invertebrate Zoology Lab (2 cr.)
  • BIOL-Z 406 Vertebrate Zoology (5 cr.)
  • BIOL-Z 476 Biology of Fishes (3 cr.)

Cognitive Science

  • COGS-Q 301 Brain and Cognition (3 cr.)

Psychological and Brain Sciences

  • PSY-P 315 Developmental Psychology (3 cr.)
  • PSY-P 327 Psychology of Motivation (3 cr.)
  • PSY-P 410 Development of the Brain and Behavior (3 cr.)
  • PSY-P 426 Laboratory in Behavioral Neuroscience (3 cr.)
  • PSY-P 444 Developmental Psychobiology (3 cr.)

Area Certificate

A student may earn a certificate as part of completing the bachelor's degree and in addition to completing requirements for a major. Students may be awarded either the minor or the Certificate in Animal Behavior.

In order to complete the certificate, the student must complete the following in addition to the requirements for the minor:

  • One additional course from the upper-level course list from requirement 4 of the minor, or a field biology course approved by the Program in Animal Behavior director.
  • At least 3 credit hours of internship or independent research, including the submission of a written thesis in animal behavior, anthropology, biology, or psychology:

Animal Behavior

  • A495 Animal Behavior Internship (3 cr. minimum)

Anthropology

  • A406 Fieldwork in Anthropology (3 cr. minimum)
  • A408 Museum Practicum (3 cr. minimum)
  • A496 Field Study in Anthropology (3 cr. minimum)

Biology

  • L490 Individual Study (3 cr. minimum)

Psychological and Brain Sciences

  • P493 Supervised Research I (3 cr. minimum)
  • P494 Supervised Research II (3 cr. minimum)