Introduction to Animal Behaviour

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In short
  • 6 weeks, 4-6 hours per week
  • MOOC
  • Starts directly
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Learn about this course

Introduction

Explore the amazing range and complexity of wild animal behaviour. Discover how animals learn, communicate, find food, avoid predators, and interact socially.

Directly apply what you learn to your own business

De campus met bomen in geel-oranje herfstkleuren

Study at the best agricultural university in the world from the comfort of your own home

Plenty of opportunities to ask questions and to interact with other learners

A woman making notes, while sitting in a field filled with flowers and a shovel in the background

Explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life

Why follow this course?

Do you want to understand how and why animals behave the way they do, and how we test hypotheses about behaviour scientifically? This biology and life sciences course provides an introduction to the complexities of wild animal behaviour, and how it is studied.

Over six weeks, learners will explore the various behaviours animals adopt in order to meet the challenges of their daily lives. We begin with how animals learn and communicate with each other, then move on to discuss how they find food, avoid predators, choose their mates, and rear their offspring.

Is this course for you?

This course is aimed at anyone looking to broaden their understanding of animal behaviour beyond nature documentaries or a typical high school education. No previous knowledge is required, only curiosity and enthusiasm for the subject.

Highlights of this course

Learning outcomes

What you will learn

  • Key concepts to understand animal behaviour
  • The fascinating range and complexity of behaviour in animals
  • How scientific hypotheses are developed and tested
  • How animals learn and communicate
  • Animals' reproductive behaviour
  • How animals function socially
Top-ranked University
According to influential university rankings and citation indexes, Wageningen University & Research ranks world’s best in the field of Agriculture & Forestry.

Research (1)

BasicPage

Research of Behavioural Ecology

The aim of the Behavioural Ecology Group is to answer questions on the causes and consequences of behavioural traits and strategies, and to determine their implications especially in social contexts.

MOOC Introduction to Animal Behaviour | Wageningen University & Research

Explore the amazing range and complexity of wild animal behaviour in this free online course. Discover how animals learn, communicate, find food, avoid predators, and interact socially.

Our course leaders

Course leaders

prof.dr. M (Marc) Naguib

Professor/Chairholder

prof.dr. M (Marc) Naguib

Professor/Chairholder

dr. L (Lysanne) Snijders

Assistant Professor Behavioural Ecology

dr. L (Lysanne) Snijders

Assistant Professor Behavioural Ecology

Interested in Introduction to Animal Behaviour?

Organisational unit

Wageningen Academy

Educational type

MOOC

Interest area

Agriculture, Horticulture and Animals

Duration description

6 weeks, 4-6 hours per week

Price

> €2000

Accreditation

Certificate

Format

Online

Course starts immediately

Yes

Language of instruction

nld, eng, nld, eng

Group size

> 80
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