Anthrozoology
MARGO DEMELLO, PH.D.
MOLLY SUMRIDGE, M.S.
H. MARIE SUTHERS, D.V.M., CHAIR
Mission and Goals
Anthrozoology is the groundbreaking new scholarly field of study focusing on the wide-ranging, mutual, and sometimes conflicting, relationships and interactions between humans and non-human animals. The Mission of the department is to educate and provide hands-on involvement for students in the infinitely expanding field of human-animal studies, including the human-animal bond; human interactions with domestic and wild animals; critical examination of the role of animals in education, agriculture, work, service, and therapy; and the evolving human responsibilities for animal welfare and wild animal conservation.
Student Learning Outcomes
By completing this major students will:
- Complete hands-on learning and interaction with dogs, horses, cats, birds and many other species.
- Increase their understanding of the role animals play in human society.
- Recognize the interconnectedness of human and animal well-being.
- Acquire knowledge and skills from the biological, social and psychological sciences to describe and explain the interactions between humans and animals.
- Study and apply various therapeutic and educational approaches to improve the well-being of both humans and animals.
- Experience high impact learning through community-centered safety education, animal interpretation, animal sheltering, wildlife rehabilitation, veterinary clinics, and other sources of community outreach.
- Receive mentoring from professionals and scholars with expertise in animal sheltering, working dogs, service and therapy animals, human-equine studies, animal behavior and training, veterinary science, zoos, wildlife, animal agriculture, critical animal studies, intersectionality, animal law, and cross culture studies.
- Be provided with opportunities to study human-animal interactions internationally.
- Participate in anthrozoological research studies.
- Be provided with opportunities to join faculty at national and international academic
conferences.
Carroll College’s unique combination of classroom instruction and hands-on experience with horses, dogs, and some wild animals prepares students for graduate or professional study or immediate entry into an animal-related profession. The curriculum benefits any student interested in animal-assisted activities and therapies, animal-related non-profit organizations, counseling, veterinary medicine, physical and occupational therapy with animal-assisted modalities, wildlife biology, animal care and rehabilitation, animal advocacy, social work, and many other fields.