Program Description The Animal Behavior Science and Technology program is our flagship program. It is a rigorous/intensive 600–hour (660–hour with Aggressive Behavior Specialization track or the Behaviorology Advanced Graduate Track)/ 1–year completely distance-oriented program of study intended to help animal trainers, animal behavior technologists, or other animal field professionals upgrade and expand important skills beyond current industry standards for their careers in training dogs, cats, and/or parrots, and helping clients resolve problem behaviors in the species of choice. ​ The program addresses key topics in behavior change project management in great depth including the principles of behavior; tactics, strategies and procedures in non-coercive animal training; functional assessment; contingency management planning; professional activities; and professional ethics. Students will have the opportunity to carry out hands-on training with their own companion animal and to engage in a problem behavior resolution project. ​ The program begins with a brief introduction to the discipline and then gets into a number of foundational natural science of behavior courses. The program then gradually encompasses more practical and hands-on work, finishing with species-specific and specialized coursework. ​ Students can expect to do a lot of studying and writing in this program of study. They can also expect to work with their own companion animal, hands-on. The graduate will have a solid fluency with the natural science of behavior at the Masters level and have had the opportunity to engage in hands-on training utilizing both basic and advanced procedures and to work through a behavior change project to resolve a problem behavior (achieved by first training a harmless "problem" behavior). CASI uses a shaping model of education, setting the student up for success and providing support/guidance and multiple opportunities to refine and resubmit assignments. This results in greater conditioning and minimal stress for the student. It also means that incorrect answers do not result in failure or low grades but rather an opportunity, with guidance, to condition the correct response. ​ Graduates will have a thorough and in-depth knowledge and set of skills in behavior and a systematic strategy for applying powerful science-based procedures to change behavior effectively and efficiently in even the most complex of cases.

Sponsor:Companion Animal Sciences Institute
Speaker(s):James O'Heare

Contact: James O'Heare
 Email: jamesoheare@gmail.com
 Web: https://www.casinstitute.com/