Zoologists study animals in captivity and in the wild, and can work as biologists, zookeepers, conservationists, educators, or researchers. To become a zoologist, one needs to complete a bachelor’s or graduate degree in zoology, which includes courses on research, scientific notation, anatomy, behavior, and ecosystems. Specialized courses are available for different areas of study, such as marine biology or entomology.
A zoologist is an animal scientist who dedicates his career to the care and observation of animals in captivity and in the wild. Many people with a background in zoology work as biologists, zookeepers, conservationists, educators or researchers specializing in the animal world. To become a zoologist, an aspiring scientist will usually need to complete a bachelor’s or graduate degree in zoology. There are many different types of zoologist courses that may be required to earn a degree, including history, anatomy, behavior, and the study of individual ecosystems or classes of animals.
Many zoology programs require students to first attend a series of classes that teach the basics of research, science experiment, and proper scientific notation. These classes can be taken in the first year of a zoology course and help ensure that all students follow the same notation and classification method. Basic classes in the methods and theories used by the program help serve students and faculty, as well as pre-law or pre-med courses help prepare law and medical students for the more rigorous work ahead.
Many zoologist courses focus on the evolutionary development and current manifestation of certain types of animals. These can be broad courses that focus on emphases such as vertebrate development. Students are taught to identify and classify animals and may perform dissections or studies of live specimens. Not all zoology students will need to make a comprehensive list of these classes; a student who wants to specialize in the study of insects may take classes that are more entomology-centered than a student who wants to become a marine biologist.
Natural history classes are quite common types of zoologist courses. These courses focus not only on the anatomical and evolutionary study of animals, but also on their place in the ecosystem, behavior in the wild, and relationships with other species or families. Natural history classes can be taught in the classroom, but they can also be field classes that allow students to examine specimens in the wild.
Behavior-based zoology courses examine the characteristics and lifestyles of different animals. This may include information on mating and rearing, group interaction, building nests or roosts, learned behaviors and defensive and aggressive techniques. These classes usually involve some level of hands-on experience with animals in captivity; Behavior classes can also involve observation and interpretation skills.
Once a scientist chooses a specialized area of study, he or she can choose to focus on zoologist courses that primarily pertain to that specialty. Classes that focus on a specific species or ecosystem allow students to gather detailed information about their specialty; a marine biologist, for example, might start focusing on classes on marine ecology, marine ecosystems, and a specific order of animals, such as cetaceans or whales and dolphins.
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