In partnership with the Alexandria Zoo, LSUA offers one of the only programs in the south where students can gain real-world, on-site zoo animal experience in an AZA-accredited zoo setting. The Zoo Sciences concentration provides the expertise necessary for a rewarding career with a zoo, aquarium, nature preserve, or in captive animal care and management programs. Students will learn fundamental zoo-keeping techniques and management strategies, including husbandry, handling techniques, animal behavior and training, nutrition, disease, and zoo exhibit design.
With a broad range of electives, the program allows students to explore specialty areas such as animal behavior, botanical diversity, insect biology, zoo education, or herpetology. This undergraduate program equips students with a strong understanding of conservation and preservation so they may enter a successful career in zoo sciences.
LSUA offers traditional and specialized courses at the AZA-accredited Alexandria Zoo, giving practical training with animal exhibits and zoo professionals. Students will have the opportunity to get out of the classroom and obtain hands-on experience with a diverse collection of exotic species. Students can also conduct undergraduate research focusing on biology, conservation, ecology, or behavior studies.
Students will work one-on-one with wildlife biologists and zoo professionals to obtain skills that prepare them for employment in AZA-accredited zoos and aquaria. From day one, students will start building their resumes and acquire valuable mentorship toward a future career in the zoo animal field.
The Zoo Science concentration prepares students for a career at a zoo, aquarium, nature preserve, or captive animal care and management programs such as wildlife rehabilitation, laboratory animal care, or conservation facilities.
The Zoo Sciences Concentration prepares graduates to deeply understand living organisms' chemical properties, structural organization, functional characteristics, and ecological and environmental concepts, focusing on those affecting Louisiana. Through experiential coursework, students will learn to research, evaluate, and communicate scientific information professionally and ethically. The skills gained from this program will foster a lifelong habit of learning and informed decision-making.
