Teaching Human-Animal Studies Courses: Exploring Student Characteristics Across Three Universities

What is it about?

Human animal studies (HAS) courses are becoming increasingly common in the college curriculum yet data on who takes these courses are lacking. This study examines differences between students who enroll in sociological HAS courses and those who do not. Survey data from three very distinct universities show that the main commonality among students in HAS courses is their connection to nonhuman animals. Differences across institutions further suggest that where instructors teach is perhaps as important as what and how they teach. These findings provide missing baseline data, and have implications for designing courses and pedagogical methods, recruiting and engaging students who would otherwise not take HAS courses, and addressing potential barriers to transformational learning.

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