I graduated from a top liberal arts college in 2014 with a major in philosophy and a minor in CS. I worked in software for a few years before becoming bored to death, so I impulsively changed jobs and have now been working at an animal sanctuary for the past two years, helping to take care of hundreds of domestic cats. Although I love what I do, there is not a clear path for advancement in the field of animal care without going back to school.
A lot of my job involves managing the animals’ behavior - recognizing and reducing stressors, helping them get along with one another in shared environments, and resolving behavior problems that hurt adoption prospects. After learning how many companion animals are surrendered (and often euthanized) every year because of preventable behavior problems, I decided I want to become a professional freelance behaviorist.
There are several academic paths - namely MSc, PhD, or DVM. I am leaning toward a masters program in applied animal behavior, but all of them seem to require a bachelor’s in a relevant subject. I have virtually zero relevant coursework, since I was enamored with religious studies in college and got almost all of my non-major non-GE credits there, so I will almost certainly need to do a post-bac.
I want to make sure that if I go through all the trouble of getting a post-bac, that it is the program best suited to what I want to do next. Biology seems like a good choice, but I am curious about whether I should be looking into something more specific like animal science or zoology instead. Are some biology programs more geared toward my interests than others? Would it be more worthwhile to do a full pre-veterinary post-bac program in case I decide to pursue vet school after all, or is that something that I could decide down the road while starting with something simpler?
I should also mention that I am a US/German dual citizen, so I am also interested in exploring programs in the EU, as they are a lot cheaper.
A very wise person once advised never go back to school for a degree unless you are certain you need one. It sounds like what you want to do is set up a private practice in animal behavior – you are not looking to work in an academic setting. Do you need a specific credential for this? Can you work or volunteer with someone already doing this? Are there training programs or certificates that will allow you to get the education you need without a lengthy process of post bac and then graduate degree?
I am asking because sometimes people get stuck in the mindset that they have to have a credential when it is not at all necessary. Also, if you can find a way to work in your field, you may find programs that give credit to life experience and will take you without a lengthy and expensive post bacc.
I would love to avoid a post-bac if it is possible. I have already reached out to a few schools asking what I need to apply and whether they would accept work experience or a few online courses in certain basics as a qualifier in the absence of a relevant degree. No replies yet, so I am exploring options since almost everyone specifies that you should have a bachelors in biology or animal science.
But do you need the advanced degree at all? Does everyone who has a practice in animal behavior have an advanced degree? For example Cesar Milan was able to have a very successful career in dog behavior with no schooling at all.
Having a tiny bit of insight into Germans since i lived in Germany for 3 years, I know that Germans really value official qualifications/degrees.
@CurseItToHades If you are living/working in the USA, you need to investigate if you truly need a degree for what you want to do.
** Will the degree teach you more than you know about behavior? ** If you are say, working with dogs, and have experience with dogs and have successfully trained dog behavior, do you need an official degree? Or do you want to learn more about horse or cat or bird behavior.
**Will the degree help you get a job? **If you are a pet trainer, will you need a degree? or will success and word of mouth be the way to go? Or will you need to have a degree to be affiliated with some organization?
Have you spent a week shadowing someone who does what it is you plan to do?
That’s step one.
I fear that after a post-bac, and then a second undergraduate degree, and then a graduate degree, you are going to find yourself unable to pay your bills in a job you love OR able to pay your bills in a job you don’t.
You are basing a whole lot of expensive decision-making on the basis of this one experience, working with cats, in a sanctuary environment, in a not terribly lucrative field.
I know a few vets who make a comfortable living. They take care of reptiles, dogs, parakeets… and yes, cats, regardless of what they love to do. They have experience with horses and cows which often involves euthenizing an animal to save the rest of the herd/stable. You just want to do the behavioral part- which I completely respect- but I think in order to make a living you need to develop a much wider range of skills.
Go find someone to shadow and report back. You will need to manage an actual business (sending bills to clients, filing estimated taxes) in addition to spending time with animals- which might not be what you think you are signing on for. Working freelance is not the same as cashing your paycheck.
You probably do not need a formal post bac or degree in a related field in order to get into a grad program. Rather you need specific coursework in your transcripts, and letters of recommendation. Look at the degree programs you might eventually apply to, and check each course in that program for specific pre-reqs. Work backwards through those pre-reqs to their own pre-reqs, and to any pre-reqs of the pre-reqs of the pre-reqs. Then look at your own transcripts and see what you’ve got and what you need to take. Once you know what is missing, you can find out where you can pick up thise classes for the least cost. Chances are that a lot of the general scince courses are right at your own local community college. If not there, then at your homestate public U.
Maybe you will find that you need so many classes that they do add up to a second bachelor degree. If so, get that degree. But if they don’t add up, just take the needed classes and be done with it. Back in the stone age, I enrolled for a year as a “senior transfer” and for a semester as a “non-degree grad student” and was able to pick up the needed coursework to make myself a viable candidate for a grad program in ag science after finishing my bachelor degree in classical archaeology. So yes, this kind of thing is doable.
I agree with some of the other posted. Be sure to check out which certifications and certifying agencies govern the job(s) you’d like to do. Many will not need for you to have anything other than the more vocational certifications.
For example, for dogs specifically, there’s the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT) that certify as both dog trainers and behavioral consultants. http://www.ccpdt.org/