Animal Studies

Eckerd is perfectly located near many animal-related facilities which welcome students as volunteers and interns. Some examples include: ZooTampa at Lowry Park, Lemur Conservation Foundation, Myakka City Lemur Reserve, The Florida Aquarium, Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Southeastern Guide Dogs, SPCA Tampa Bay.

Practicum in Animal Studies is a reflective service learning course. Students volunteer or intern at an animal related facility for at least 130 hours while reflecting on their experiences. Some recent sites have included Island Dolphin Care, ZooTampa at Lowry Park, Lemur Conservation Foundation, SPCA Tampa Bay, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Marine Mammal Pathobiology Lab on the Eckerd College campus.

The Role of the Modern Zoo is a Spring into Summer course that examines the history of zoos as well as their present goals for animal welfare and conservation. Over the years, this Global Education class has traveled to London & Edinburgh, U.K., Salzburg & Vienna, Austria and the Pacific Northwest.

French and Fauna in Madagascar is an interdisciplinary Spring into Summer course that both explores human-animal relationships with the unique fauna of Madagascar and the importance of language when studying abroad. In addition to Animal Studies credit, students can also use this course to count towards their French language study at Eckerd.

Integrative Therapies: Dolphins is a Study Abroad Winter Term which provides students with an opportunity to shadow Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI) directly at leading Dolphin-Assisted Therapy Centers in Florida and Curaçao. Interventions include exceptional education, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and psychotherapy. Students sharpen research skills while learning about AAI theory and best practices such as animal training for therapy interactions with humans and non-profit management.