Aquarium & Zoo Science, B.A. (Accelerated MBA)

Department Contact Information

Chair: Dr. Justin Merry

Telephone: 814-471-1105

Email: jmerry@francis.edu

Coordinators: Dr. Gail Drus and Ms. Shelley Kirkpatrick

Telephone: 814-471-1267 | 814-472-3179

Email: gdrus@francis.edu | skirkpatrick@francis.edu

Estimated Completion Time

4 years, with potential to complete MBA in 5 total years.

Program Description

The Aquarium and Zoo Science, B.A. degree is specifically built to prepare students, upon completion, for careers in aquariums and zoos, as well as other careers involving animal husbandry, environmental education, and/or animal conservation. The students will complete a broad survey of biology the first year and then build upon this by completing courses in animal care, animal nutrition, vertebrate zoology, invertebrate zoology, microbiology, genetics, and marine biology. Skills will be developed by students while completing their animal care practicum and internships along with laboratory exercises. Students will have the opportunity to develop presentation skills both in front of and inside a large aquarium, presenting information to school children and visitors to the biology department. Students select one of the following minors to complement their zoological skillset in a way that is relevant to their intended career path: animal-assisted healthcare and education, business administration, open education, or psychological sciences.

 

The Accelerated M.B.A. version of this program is designed to help students develop skills in business, management, and administration. The M.B.A. will equip students for positions in the administration and management of zoos and aquaria, where they can use their organismal biology and animal husbandry knowledge to create opportunities to care for and conserve species. The Aquarium & Zoo Science B.A. + Accelerated M.B.A. program is designed to be completed in as little as five years and may significantly increase the opportunities available to its graduates. Students in this accelerated program may take up to 9 credits of graduate MBA courses that can be utilized to fulfill both free electives in the undergraduate program and requirements in the MBA program.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Design and implement an animal care and nutrition plan.
2. Execute a scientific study to test between alternative hypotheses, collect and analyze data, and communicate its results.
3. Demonstrate professionalism, leadership, responsibility, and proactiveness in a work environment, and be prepared to enter graduate programs or the work force.
4. Present complicated scientific ideas to the public in an effective and engaging manner.
5. Describe the range of biological diversity, describe how evolution by natural selection explains the unity and diversity of life, and articulate how organisms interact at the population, community, and ecosystem levels.

Secure placement in career-relevant jobs, internships, or graduate schools upon graduation.

Progression and/or Retention Criteria

All students in the accelerated Aquarium and Zoo Science BA/MBA program must meet the following academic requirements to have guaranteed admission to the MBA program upon completion of the undergraduate degree requirements. Failure to meet the progression standards will result in dismissal from the major but not the university. This includes all accelerated majors leading to the MBA program approved by the University.

 

1. At any time after earning 30 credits but before earning 60 credits, the student must have achieved a minimum overall cumulative QPA of 2.750.  Failure to have achieved this QPA will result in Department Academic Warning.
2. At any time after earning 60 credits but before earning 90 credits, the student must have achieved a minimum overall cumulative QPA of 3.000. Failure to achieve this QPA will result in dismissal from the major.
3. At any time after earning 90 credits and upon graduation from the undergraduate program, the student must have achieved a minimum overall cumulative QPA of 3.200.  Failure to achieve this QPA will result in dismissal from the major.

 

Students dismissed from the Aquarium & Zoo Science/Accelerated MBA major should contact their academic advisor to select another major; they may have the option to continue in the Aquarium & Zoo Science B.A. major without the Accelerated MBA. Dismissed students can still apply for admission to the MBA program upon completion of their undergraduate degree, however there is no acceleration option and acceptance is not guaranteed.

Capstone Requirement

The senior capstone requirement is completed by taking ZAAS 419 Conservation & Environmental Education.