Course for international guest/part time students
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- Organization
- TTK Department of Ethology
- Code
- alketosb22em
- Title
- Applied ethology and animal welfare L
- Usual semester
- Spring
- Published semester
- 2025/26/2
- ECTS
- 3
- Language
- en
- Learning outcomes
- Competencies: Knowledge: Understands the main experimental approaches to the assessment of animal welfare. Knows the basic forms of applied ethological research, is aware of its terminology, applies them correctly. Understands that beyond biology, animal welfare has also moral implications, and knows how to differentiate between the two. Knows the main problem areas of animal welfare. Is aware of the experimental assessment of animal suffering (and sentience). Understands the importance of applied ethology in our understanding and modelling of human-animal interactions. Ability: Able to assess the experimental techniques that are aimed at the factors that may influence animal welfare, plan behavioural experiments, and interpret the results in a harmonized way. Able to apply the acquired knowledge to explain practical phenomena. Has the ability to reason based on science. Able to express himself/herself professionally both orally and in writing about the biological interpretation of animal suffering. Attitude: Requires integrating the acquired information in his/her biological knowledge. Committed and open to science-based knowledge and an integrative approach. Committed to acquiring new competencies and expanding his/her worldview. Seeks to express a responsible opinion about animal welfare. Demonstrates exemplary environmental and nature-conscious behaviour and encourages others to follow. Autonomy and responsibility: Able to think about animal welfare issues on his/her own and can report on them. Able to independently review the literature on a given topic, to organize and present the collected information. Feels responsible for acquiring scientifically based knowledge. Responsibly expresses opinions on issues about animal suffering and welfare in professional and non-professional circles.
- Course content
- The aim of the course is to provide an integrated presentation of the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that can be associated with animal welfare. We put a specific emphasis also on the toolkit of applied ethology, especially in connection with animal welfare. The most important topics of the lecture: Modification of animals and its connection to their welfare; Working animals: racehorses and hounds; Enhancing the output of livestock; Cats, dogs and other animals bred towards extreme features; Laboratory animals that are genetically modified/ cloned; Prosthetics in the veterinary care and their welfare implications.
- Assessment method
- k5 = exam mark (5) (1 failed, 5 excellent) Evaluation is based on the students’ individual performance in the form of oral exam in the examination period, plus an individual project during the semester. In the latter, the students must prepare a short presentation connected to one of the topics discussed during the course. They present this project for the others and then a joint discussion follows.
- Bibliography
- Lecture handouts (pdf)