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Unit of study_
OLET1656: Understanding Animal Welfare
2025 unit information
Ever wondered what it is like to be an elephant? Or why sheep might prefer not to take an overseas trip? Or how to tell if a cat is happy? This unit introduces you to the scientific and ethical frameworks that shape current societal attitudes to animals, how you can assess whether animals are experiencing good welfare, and the way in which practices, policies, legislation and the views of different stakeholders affect animal welfare outcomes. You'll explore these concepts using current examples of animal welfare issues and debates. This unit will stimulate your thinking about the impacts on animals of human activities and give you the skills to critically evaluate information and communicate effectively where your own views lie on animal welfare issues. Through taking this unit you'll discover why animal welfare has been called the social justice issue whose time has come.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Science
| Study level | Undergraduate |
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| Academic unit | School of Veterinary Science Academic Operations |
| Credit points | 2 |
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Prerequisites:
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None |
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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None |
| Assumed knowledge:
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No prior knowledge required |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. Recognise the key scientific and ethical concepts that underpin animal welfare
- LO2. Identify differences in societal treatment of animals across different contexts
- LO3. Describe the different factors that affect an animal’s welfare state
- LO4. Distinguish the views of different stakeholders on an animal welfare issue
- LO5. Critically evaluate policy decisions on animal welfare issues
- LO6. Communicate effectively and succinctly where your own views lie on issues of animal use
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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Intensive August 2025
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Block mode | Camperdown / Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
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