Humane Society University to Offer College Degrees in Animal Protection Studies

(June 18, 2009) - Further advancing its leadership in human-animal studies, Humane Society University, an affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States, announced today that it has received a license as a higher education degree-granting institution by the District of Columbia Education Licensure Commission. The HSUS is the first animal welfare organization to receive such authority and distinction.

Humane Society University is the first institution in the nation to offer bachelor degree programs in animal studies and the first in the world to offer a bachelor’s degree in animal policy and advocacy. The degrees are designed to educate students to qualify them for employment with one of the more than 17,000 U.S. nonprofit organizations that seek to protect, provide services to or advocate for animals, and to advance scholarship in the field.

Undergraduate degrees and graduate certificates in animal studies, animal policy and advocacy, and humane leadership will begin in fall of 2009. Offering both online coursework and onsite classes at its Washington, D.C. campus, HSU promotes core competencies in a rigorous and relevant academic curriculum that encourages critical thinking and examination of practices and assumptions related to animals. HSU recruits leading scholars in the field to its faculty, and seeks to attract students who wish to be on the forefront of creating a more humane society by giving them the tools they need to succeed. 

“Offering Bachelor of Science degrees and graduate certificates makes sense in today’s world of complex human-animal relationships,” says Robert Roop, Ph.D., president of Humane Society University. “The programs are designed for students who seek to advance work on behalf of animals by gaining advanced skills and knowledge. The interdisciplinary curriculum offered by HSU is unmatched by any other licensed scholastic body in the world.”

The faculty consists of experts in the field of human-animal studies, including 26 instructors who will teach courses. Twenty of the faculty members hold doctoral-level degrees in animal behavior, policy, psychology, sociology, literature, veterinary medicine, law and other fields.

General Admission Requirements for the Undergraduate Program:

• Applicants must have completed at least 60 college credits, satisfying all general education requirements prior to admittance to HSU.

• The undergraduate curriculum provides the final two years of undergraduate study, enabling students to earn up to an additional 60 credits through completion of an accelerated 8-week semester of either online, onsite, or hybrid classes.

• Candidates may take individual courses but must complete their degree requirements within 5 years of matriculation, and obtain a minimum of 120 credits in order to graduate.

• Students who have completed bachelor or graduate degrees at other institutions are eligible to enroll in graduate certificate programs in animal studies, animal policy and advocacy, and humane leadership.

About The Humane Society of the United States:

Founded in 1954, The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization — backed by 11 million Americans, or one of every 28. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education, and hands-on programs. 

About Humane Society University:

HSU offers 33 courses which lead to an undergraduate degree or graduate certificate, along with a catalog of 45 additional non-credit opportunities to earn a professional certificate, complete a self-paced course, or attend one of the many onsite workshops in animal care, shelter management, and advocacy throughout the United States. To learn more about these exciting and innovative programs and to complete an application for admissions visit http://www.humanesocietyuniversity.org, or e-mail admissions@humanesocietyuniversity.org.

Media Contact

Rachel Querry, 301-258-8255, rquerry@humanesociety.org