Hunter College Master's Degree in Psychology with a
Concentration in Animal Behavior and Conservation (ABC)

Description

The concentration in Animal Behavior and Conservation is designed to provide students with skills that will facilitate entry into the fields of animal behavior, conservation and zoo science. The course work is designed to develop an understanding of the behavior of people and animals by applying psychological, ecological and evolutionary principles that relate to social behavior, cognitive processes, learning, cultural activity and the interdependence of physiological and psychological processes. Students in the concentration will have opportunities to develop skill in research through projects carried out in laboratories and in wildlife facilities in the New York City area.

Criteria for Admission to the Concentration

Students must hold a bachelor's degree comparable with that from Hunter College. Twelve undergraduate credits in psychology, including courses in statistics and experimental psychology, are generally required; however, students lacking this but with high undergraduate GPA and general GRE scores may be admitted without a strong background in psychology.

Required Courses and Credits

Students who elect the ABC concentration will be required to complete 36 credits and take a minimum of 15 credits in the ABC area in addition to the courses required for all Psychology MA students. The thesis for students in the concentration will be a one- or two-semester research project related to animal behavior to be carried out in the field or in a custodial environment (zoo, aquarium, or research laboratory).

Required Courses for all MA Students – 18 to 21 credits
PSYCH 701 – Experimental Psychology 3 credits
PSYCH 702 – Proseminar in Psychology 3 credits
PSYCH 705 – Statistical Methods in Psychology I 3 credits
PSYCH 707.01 (707.02) – Thesis Research (one or two semesters) 3-6 credits
A course in applied or evaluative psychology 3 credits
A course in social, developmental or cognitive psychology 3 credits
Additional Required Courses for ABC concentrators (15 credits)
PSYCH 717 - Animal Behavior and Conservation in Captivity and the Wild 3 credits
PSYCH 751.03 - Basic Processes 1: Perception, Learning & Comparative Cognition 3 credits
At least three additional ABC related courses to be chosen from among the following:
  • PSYCH 641 - Comparative Psychology
  • PSYCH 690 - Independent Research*
  • PSYCH 716 - Animal Behavior I
  • PSYCH 717.51 - Field Studies in Animal Behavior and Conservation
  • PSYCH 718 - Animal Behavior II
  • PSYCH 730 - Psychology of Learning
  • PSYCH 739 - Research Methods in Animal Behavior
  • PSYCH 750.xx - Special Topics *

    • * Special Topics courses and Independent Research projects related to the concentration will depend upon student interests. Recent special topics have included Human-Animal Interaction, Methods in Comparative Psychology, Animal Communication, Animal Behavior, Ecology and Conservation.

 9 credits

For further information about the program the see the website for the Hunter MA program at http://maxweber.hunter.cuny.edu/psych/maprog/ or email Professor Sheila Chase: schase@hunter.cuny.edu

Hunter College of the City University of New York
695 Park Avenue   New York,  NY  10021
Psychology MA Program

Last Rev: Aug 8, 2006