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What major(s) should I have to be a zookeeper or work with animals (not a vet)?

Hello everyone. I would love to work with animals for my career. But I don't understand if I should go for Animal Science or Zoology. Or both? I don't want to be a vet necessarily. I would love to be a zookeeper overall, but I am not sure what major I should do. I appreciate any help you can provide.

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Cynthia’s Answer

I would check the program descriptions for Zoology and Animal Science at the university you would like to go to. I have seen that many Animal Science programs usually are more agriculture/food science/veterinary geared while Zoology programs are more broad. Zoology is heavy on the hard sciences and you will certainly have to take genetics, chemistry, evolution, and ecology core courses and many of the electives are more appealing to people who want to work in wildlife research in many different capacities. Zoology in itself means the study of animals which is why it is broad. Some colleges and universities have more specialized programs such as ones in marine biology, animal behavior, wildlife management and conservation, Forestry, etc. Take a look at those programs to and remember that some biology programs can be customized by picking electives that interest you. Overall, look into a variety of programs not just Zoology and Animal Science if you want to work with animals and be sure to read the descriptions and look at the classes you have to take for the degree as well as electives you can take from other departments. Look at syllabi for classes as well.
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Juliana’s Answer

Hi there,
I found this link which had some personal comments talking about the difference and why they chose to zoology or animal science, which you might find helpful.
https://blogs.ncl.ac.uk/stem/2019/10/04/world-animal-day-zoology-vs-animal-science-what-is-the-difference/#:~:text=First%20of%20all%2C%20both%20are,this%20mean%20to%20our%20students%3F
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Jamie’s Answer

Hi,
If your ultimate goal is to be a zookeeper there are several institutions that offer degrees specific to becoming a zookeeper.
Unity College, Santa Fe Community College and Moorpark College are just a few. If you want to have options for working with the Fish and Wildlife Service or other State/Federal agencies degrees in Wildlife Management or Ecology can be helpful, but also can be used to secure a position at a zoo.
Beyond the degree make sure you can get as much hands on experience as you can. Volunteer work can count towards work experience when you are looking at entry level positions.
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Kelly’s Answer

From my experience at Michigan State University which had both a zoology and and animal science major was that animal science was a lot more hands on with animals whereas zoology was a lot more time in the classroom and tended to focus on more of the strict sciences. I believe any degree such as biology, zoology, animal science, animal husbandry, ecology. I would pick whichever seems most interesting for you! If you're blessed enough to go to a university that has both zoology and animal science paths use your elective opportunities to take classes from the other path. I would highly suggest you start volunteering at any local zoos so you can possibly start building relationships with current zoo keepers and discuss their path or get a job in an animal care role (vet assistant, dog boarding facility, doggy daycare, etc) to start building your animal care skills. Once in college be on the lookout for internships and externships at zoos that you could apply for to get experience!
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