Madonna University to offer Animal Studies degree program next academic year

At the end of 2020, Madonna University announced a new degree program to begin in the fall of 2021. The multidisciplinary program will require classes in animal behavior and zoology, along with courses designed to give students an understanding of human-animal relations as understood from legal, ethical, and religious perspectives. In an effort to make graduates more employable, the degree program requires that students select a minor that will enhance the skills needed for the career path they hope to pursue upon graduation.

The program was developed by Dr. Andrew Domzalski, chair of the Humanities department at MU. The multidisciplinary program will provide students with a scientific understanding of animals and animal behavior while examining the ethics of human-animal interaction. Courses in law, religious studies, and public policy will delve into how the relationships between people and animals are governed in society. The program requires students choose from one of eight different minors that correspond to the multidisciplinary approach, intended to focus studies in a direction that will set graduates on a firm career path. Students that wish to minor in something else can do so with the approval of an advisor.

In a release from Madonna University announcing the program, possible career paths listed include animal caretaker roles at zoos or wildlife sanctuaries, administrative work at animal welfare agencies, animal cruelty investigator, and policy or media work in animal advocacy. Students will also be encouraged to find internships through local zoos, wildlife sanctuaries and other animal welfare organizations. Dr. Domzalski expanded on the philosophy behind the development of the Animal Studies degree program, "We love animals, too, and we love educating and training like-minded individuals for fulfilling careers that benefit animals and strengthen the human-animal bond."