What Education or Training is Needed for a Career in Animal Behavior?
Most scientists directly involved in the study of animal behavior work in one of four broad fields: ethology, comparative psychology, behavioral ecology, or sociobiology. These disciplines overlap greatly in their goals, interests, and methods. However, psychologists and ethologists are primarily concerned with the regulation and functions of behavior, while behavioral ecologists focus on how behavioral patterns relate to social and environmental conditions. Ethologists and behavioral ecologists are usually trained in departments of biology, zoology, ecology and evolution, entomology, wildlife, or other life sciences. Most comparative psychologists are trained in psychology departments. Animal behaviorists specializing in the study of human behavior are usually trained in anthropology, psychology, or sociology departments.
