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Unit of study_
ANSC3106: Animal Behaviour and Welfare Science
2025 unit information
This Unit enables students to develop an understanding of applied animal behaviour theory, and the responses of animals to common interventions that arise in the context of interacting with humans and the environment. We introduce a framework for animal welfare assessment, and apply it across a range of contexts for domesticated, wildlife and captive animals. Animal welfare will be critically evaluated through the integration of behavioural, physiological, cognitive and emotional responses. Methods for assessing and enhancing animal environments and husbandry systems are explored. Finally, the design and conduct of scientific experiments are assessed with a focus on animal ethics and current welfare issues. Risk assessments are regularly conducted for units that require the completion of compulsory learning activities that may expose students to zoonotic diseases. These assessments aim to identify appropriate risk mitigation controls, such as vaccination against vaccine- preventable zoonoses. Vaccination against Q fever (Coxiella burnetii) is an inherent requirement for students enrolling in this unit of study. Students must be vaccinated against Q fever before commencing the unit or no later than week one of the enrolled teaching session. Q fever vaccination is only available in Australia with the vaccination process taking three weeks to complete. Students must also submit a Q fever Vaccination Declaration upon enrolment. Students who fail to receive vaccination by the specified deadline and/or submit a Q fever Vaccination Declaration are precluded from practical learning activities and will not be able to satisfactorily complete relevant units of study and/or progress in their course more generally. Please refer to the University’s website https://www.sydney.edu.au/students/q-fever-vaccinations.html for more information on student vaccinations.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Science
| Study level | Undergraduate |
|---|---|
| Academic unit | Life and Environmental Sciences Academic Operations |
| Credit points | 6 |
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Prerequisites:
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48 credit points of 1000-3000 level units including at least 6 credit points of (BIOL1XXX or AVBS100X) |
|---|---|
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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None |
| Assumed knowledge:
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None |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. Apply learnings to analyse the behaviour of wildlife, companion, performance and production animals
- LO2. Measure and compare behavioural and physiological responses of animals to the challenges under different environmental, production or welfare contexts to provide a scientific assessment of animal behaviour and welfare
- LO3. Critically evaluate the use of animals by humans from the perspectives of science and ethics to provide an informed opinion on the welfare of animals
- LO4. Critically evaluate the impact of captivity, farming and/or housing systems in which animal behaviour is a limiting factor, and suggest solutions to overcome problems; for example, for farmed species, improve the efficiency of animal production through manipulating animal behaviour, or for captive ‘wild’ species, improve the diversity of behaviour under confinement situations
- LO5. Collaborate with your peers to research and solve problems related to animal behaviour and welfare
- LO6. Design research methodology to demonstrate understanding of the scientific process in the field of animal behaviour and welfare
- LO7. Demonstrate skills in scientific writing and communication
- LO8. Demonstrate skills in independent research and problem solving
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
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Semester 2 2025
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Normal day | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
This refers to the Mode of attendance (MoA) for the unit as it appears when you’re selecting your units in Sydney Student. Find more information about modes of attendance on our website.
Important enrolment information
Departmental permission requirements
If you see the ‘Departmental Permission’ tag below a session, it means you need faculty or school approval to enrol. This may be because it’s an advanced unit, clinical placement, offshore unit, internship or there are limited places available.
You will be prompted to apply for departmental permission when you select this unit in Sydney Student.
Read our information on departmental permission.
