Certificate Program (15 credits)

Do you dream of a career working with exotic animals? Do you want to learn how to train wild animals and understand their behavior? The Exotic Animal Training program focuses on wildlife, rather than domestic species, such as dogs and cats. Students will complete fundamental courses in animal training and behavioral enrichment, followed by their choice of specialized electives emphasizing carnivores, birds, primates or marine mammals. Graduates will be prepared to work in animal behavior and training positions at zoos, aquariums, wildlife clinics, educational centers, and the film and entertainment industries.

The Exotic Animal Training certificate requires the completion of five online courses (15 academic credits) and a field requirement consisting of 40 hours of hands-on experience as an employee, intern or volunteer at an approved institution of your choice. The required courses for this certificate program are:

1. ABI 222 Animal Enrichment
2. ABI 233 Animal Training

You will also select three electives from the following:

1. ABI 251 Behavior & Training of Marine Mammals
2. ABI 281 Avian Training
3. ABI 291 Carnivore Training & Behavior
4. ABI 331 Animal Behavior: An Evolutionary Approach
5. ABI 378 Primate Behavior & Enrichment

Upon graduation, students may begin using the designation CEATP, Certified Exotic Animal Training Professional. Many of our graduates start their own businesses after obtaining their certificate, working as independent animal trainers or behavioral consultants. Other graduates find work in zoos and aquariums, entertainment and other animal-related industries. The field of animal care and service workers, which includes animal trainers, is expected to grow at 15% over the next decade.*

Our program in Exotic Animal Training is unlike any other distance education program. Students at the Animal Behavior Institute participate in a highly interactive online classroom, engaging in regular dialog with their professors and student colleagues. Students receive feedback each week, working on collaborative projects while training their own animals. This allows them to achieve a deeper level of understanding than they would develop on their own. This collaboration, coupled with the mentoring each student receives from their instructors, ensures that they receive a very personal education.

Tuition is $1,320 per course; the total tuition for  the certificate program is $6,600 (textbooks are purchased separately).  If you have questions on the program, or need help getting started, please contact us at (866) 755-0448 or via email at [email protected].

*U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition.