Animal Studies Minor
Minor Description
The Animal Studies Minor engages students in multidisciplinary scholarship that provides them with an understanding of important debates and varying disciplinary approaches in the field. Coursework from such fields as anthropology, ecology, environmental studies, ethnography, feminist studies, legal theory, literary studies, philosophy, political theory, postcolonial studies, psychology, science studies, and urban studies can be a part of the minor. Students must take at least 5 approved courses plus complete an internship/summer experience. This combination of scholarly and practical work prepares students for animal-related careers and post-graduate studies.
Admission to the Minor
Meet with coordinator of the minor.
Minor Requirements
Students must take a minimum of 5 credits plus complete an internship/summer experience
that must be approved by the coordinator of the animal studies minor.
In order to receive a minor in animal studies, students must take:
- PHIL215 (this course is taught every year)
- 4 other approved courses from the list below, and
- Internship/summer experience
The courses may be completed in any order.
Animal Studies Course List
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| AMST203 | Biopolitics, Animality, and Posthumanism: Junior Colloquium | 1 |
| AMST248 | History of African American Art | 1 |
| AMST260 | Bioethics and the Animal/Human Boundary | 1 |
| COL238 | Animal Theories/Human Fictions | 1 |
| COL310 | More-Than-Human-Worlds: Theories and Fictions | 1 |
| ENVS225 | Liminal Animals: Animals in Urban Spaces | 1 |
| ENVS279 | Eating Others: Histories and Cultures of Animal Edibility | 1 |
| ENVS295 | Saving Animals: The Politics of Rescue, Captivity, and Care | 1 |
| PHIL283 | Animal Law and Policy | 1 |
| PHIL357 | Animal Minds | 1 |
| PHIL368 | The Ethics of Captivity | 1 |
| PSYC361 | The Psychology of Prejudice and Discrimination | 1 |
Additional Information
Internship/Summer Experience
Wesleyan animal studies, with outside funding, has been able to support student summer experiences. We will continue partnering with FGSS to offer the Ecofeminist Summer Internship Experience Grant, will work with the CoE to help coordinate Summer Research Fellowships for animal studies minors. The coordinator of the minor will assist students to facilitate internships/summer experiences. While most internships will be expected to be completed over the summer, the director of the minor may approve alternative arrangements for students who may be engaged in volunteer work or other immersive experiences during the school year.