Animals & society courses: A growing trend in post-secondary education

A survey of college courses addressing nonhuman animal ethics and welfare i ssues indicates that the presence of such courses has increased greatly sin ce a prior survey was done in. 1983. This paper provides titles and affilia tions of 67 of 89 courses from the current survey. These courses represent 15 academic fields, and a majority are entirely devoted to animal issues. T he fields of animal science and philosophy are proportionally well represen ted compared with biology and wildlife-related fields. An estimated 5000 or more North American students are now receiving instruction in these issues each year. While the availability of courses in animal issues is still spo radic, it is unprecedentedly high and seen as an important component of cha nging social values toward nonhuman animals.