Aquatic Animal Care Certificate

Aquatic animal care Certificate Courses

The program consists of four core courses designed to build a foundation in animal studies before diving into aquatic-specific expertise.

AB 101: Foundations of animal studies 

In this course, you will examine different fields and occupations within the animal studies field as well as the types of work that are included in each of these industries. You'll also explore emerging perspectives in the field and the future of animal science in the global community.

AB 201: Animal Behavior 

In this course, you will study animal behavior through biological and psychological lenses. Deep exploration into the behavior of a species of your choosing complement examples of many species through the coursework. You'll design and conduct an ethogram study on a species informed by factors that impact behavior, types and categories of behavior, applied behavior, and animal emotion and cognition. 

AB 325: Aquatic animal care 

This course introduces you to principles and practices in the care, management, and welfare of aquatic animals across marine and freshwater environments. You will apply behavioral, health, and welfare principles to the professional care of aquatic animals in captive, rehabilitation, and conservation settings, and will assess indicators of welfare to inform care decisions.

AB 425: aquatic animal habitats

This advanced course focuses on the design, assessment, and management of aquatic habitats that promote species-specific welfare and ecological sustainability. You will apply sustainability and welfare standards to design aquatic habitats that promote species-specific welfare and ecological balance, and explain the environmental, behavioral, and technical factors that influence habitat performance and animal wellbeing.

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Faculty Spotlight

Haley beer, Ph.D., m.s.

Haley Beer, Ph.D., M.S., is an animal scientist and entrepreneur whose work focuses on improving animal welfare in human-managed environments, particularly in zoological settings. From Nebraska, Haley earned both her M.S. and Ph.D. in Animal Science from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Her graduate research examined stress physiology in giraffes and behavioral assessment in cheetahs, which included international fieldwork and collaborations across zoological institutions.

Before beginning her graduate studies, Dr. Beer worked as a zookeeper, where the realities of daily animal care helped shape her long-term interest in improving welfare through both research and applied practice. She now serves as an instructor and continues to collaborate with Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium on innovative research exploring the use of machine learning for noninvasive, autonomous monitoring of animal behavior in western diamondback rattlesnakes.

Haley is also the co-founder and chief science officer of Etholytics, a company focused on developing tools that help animal care teams monitor behavior and assess welfare more consistently. Her goal is to translate emerging technologies into practical solutions that support earlier, more informed management decisions and ultimately improve quality of life for animals in human care.

In her free time, Haley enjoys preparing fresh “chop” (a finely mixed blend of fresh vegetables, grains and legumes) for local parrot owners, including her own lively flock of five parrots.

Husson University has been approved to participate in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements.