Modeled after undergraduate curriculum, this program gives students the opportunity to work with internationally recognized faculty on Eckerd College's prime waterfront campus on the Gulf of Mexico. Animal Studies is an interdisciplinary major that blends natural sciences, social sciences, and the humanities to examine human-animal relationships while building research, communication, and critical thinking skills. Core topics include animal behavior and training, animal research and observation strategies, animal rescue and rehabilitation, animals in literature and field guides, animals in entertainment, and animal-assisted therapy/interventions. Students will attend classes led by Eckerd faculty, participate in wildlife research on campus, and visit local aquaria, zoos, or shelters.