Close-up of an Asian elephant's face and tusk

A close-up of a cat's face with black fur and green eyes

Close-up of a cow with her calf in a field

An elephantnose fish swimming underwater

Close-up of a gorilla's face in the rainforest with eyes cast upwards

Close-up of a male zebrafinche's face, his red beak and orange cheeks on display

A swimming hippo peeks out from under the water

Animal Behavior &
Conservation
Program

Where Animal Behavior, Cognition, Conservation, Welfare & Evolution Meet!Animal Behavior & Conservation

The Animal Behavior & Conservation (ABC) program at Hunter College offers students the unique opportunity to complete a 36-credit MA program or a 15-credit Advanced Certificate program in the heart of New York City.

There is increasing scientific and public sentiment, awareness, and interest in animal behavior, cognition, communication, conservation, and animal welfare science and the importance of enrichment for zoo, laboratory, and farm animals. This has been reflected in a growing need for highly trained scientists and professionals in these areas.

Our ABC faculty are engaged in cutting edge research and are well known for their scholarly pursuits and recognized for their contributions to translational science.

Hunter college campus in the springtime is framed by a blooming tree

Fall 2024 – New Internship Track of the MA Program

Coming in fall, 2024, the ABC Master’s program will include two distinct tracks: a thesis track and an internship track. The thesis track entails collaboration with a Hunter College professor to create and finalize an independent research study of animal behavior. The internship track requires students to complete a semester-long internship at an approved animal behavior-related organization.

To receive information and updates about the new internship track of the MA program please provide your email, or contact Jennifer Savoie, the ABC Internship Coordinator, at jsavoie@hunter.cuny.edu.

Come Study With Us

ABC MA Program ABC Certificate Program

Animal Behavior & ConservationRecent News & Media

Diana Reiss on Recognizing the Dolphins in the Mirror

“[T]here are places in the world where the spoken word doesn’t travel very far,” Dr. Diana Reiss says. “In these areas, there are people who convert their spoken words into whistle languages. They whistle the prosody, or the intonation, of the spoken language …”

Take a Dog-Play Bow: Understand Your Dog Better – With Sarah-Elizabeth Byosiere

Sarah-Elizabeth Byosiere brought her lifelong love of dogs to college and found her niche through decoding dog behavior and cognition. She continued these studies in graduate school and she shares her love and knowledge with lucky listeners in today's podcast.

Banner depicting the text, "Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness" alongside a picture of his face

How Can My Dogs Live Their Best Lives? With Dr. Sarah-Elizabeth Byosiere

"We are in for a real treat this week as Dr. Sarah-Elizabeth Byosiere joins Jonathan for an episode all about dogs! How do dogs perceive colors and sounds? What are best practices for dog training? Is alpha behavior a real thing? And are Jonathan’s dogs Pablo and Elton on track to be best friends?!"

Animal Behavior and How Communication in Dolphins Can Reveal a New Layer of the Animal Kingdom – With Diana Reiss

How can studying the vocal abilities of animals lend insight into their world?
By studying acoustic patterns and cognition, a new understanding of how various animals can be gained.

Animal Behavior & Conservation Program