Animal care

Characteristics and objectives

The course is addressed to Italian and foreign students interested in animal species care and welfare at national and international level, and offers a unique educational pathway in the Mediterranean area of Europe.
The international undergraduate degree course in Animal Care mainly aims at enabling students to achieve knowledge, skills and competences for them to be qualified and specialised in animal care and welfare, in different sectors but mainly with a focus on each animal.
The qualifying element of this course is the combination of cultural aspects provided by the degree class and those related to ethology, stress and pain monitoring, bioethics and communication techniques. The learning pathway includes study plans and/or specific curriculum in the field of scientific research, wildlife conservation, in aquatic and terrestrial contexts, animals for recreational use, in order to enrich the student experience and provide an adequate and up-to-date professional positioning. In the last phase of the course, students will have access to a specific apprenticeship.
In order to foster an educational environment aimed at internationalization, consortia at European level shall be arranged to promote Erasmus Mundus study programmes. The scholarships provided by such programmes allow the attendance of the entire university course. The Erasmus plus (EU) bilateral agreements shall be established to ease student mobility when participating in apprenticeships and writing their dissertation abroad.

Occupational opportunities

The graduate in Animal Care is prepared to take care of the animal and protect its wellbeing. The work varies depending on the area considered: from the care of wildlife in a controlled environment, for educational, research and preservation purposes, rescue and rehabilitation to that of coadjutor in support of veterinarians or expert in the monitoring and care of animals intended for recreational, research, educational, sports and assistance activities. In addition, the training received will allow graduates to connect and integrate the
actions promoted by more specialized professionals (veterinarians, biologists, zoologists, etc.) who work in the field of animal care.

From Bachelor's degree to Master's degree

This first cycle degree programme allows access to:
- any of the second cycle degree programs pertaining to LM-86 Class - Livestock management offered at Italian universities - a second cycle degree course offered by foreign universities. This option is strictly related to the opportunity to create strategic partnerships with other countries in order to improve student mobility.