Introduction to Animal Behavior
- The adaptive significance, development and mechanisms of animal behaviors
- How animals interact with their environments to help them reproduce and survive
- Animal social interactions, modes of communication, and responses to threats
- How to study animal behavior using scientific methods
- Animal movement and navigation and how they adapt to changing environments
- Dates
June 2 – 13, 2024 | Mason’s academic calendar
- Available Formats
Undergraduate (CONS 472, 3 credits)
In-person, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA
- Cost
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Mandatory Room and Board – All students participating in this course will be required to stay onsite. Costs per day to be determined, estimated at $90-110 (housing and meals).
Room and board fees will be posted on student accounts.
- Who is eligible?
3rd- and 4th-year undergraduates, and non-degree-seeking students from any accredited college or university.
Students should have taken an upper-level course in biology, ecology, conservation, or related discipline.
Meet the Faculty
Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation
Curriculum
This in person course aims to provide undergraduate students with an understanding of animal behavior, from an evolutionary, ecological, and conservation perspective. Students will examine the developmental, genetic, physiological, and neurological underpinnings of animal behavior and how animals use behaviors to solve basic adaptations of survival and reproduction within various environments. Students will also learn the methods for studying animal behavior to improve and advance conservation measures.
The course is held in person from June 2 to June 13. Students will engage in class activities, learn from experts in the field of animal behavior, and learn how to collect behavioral data on a species of choice at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, Washington, DC. They will also have the opportunity to observe animals on site at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, which houses several endangered species.
