Postgraduate Applied Ethology and Animal Welfare
The School of Specialization in Applied Ethology and Animal Welfare has a duration of three years and has 15 seats which can be accessed by graduates in Veterinary Medicine.
The objective of the School, which belongs to the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences (DIVAS), is to train specialists with advanced knowledge in the field of animal behavior and welfare.
The title obtained with the School of Specialization is recognized by the Ministry of Health for access to areas A and C of veterinary services.
For those enrolled in the Conforming Residency program of the European College of Animal Welfare and Behavioural Medicine (ECAWBM), lectures and exercises are considered an integral part of the training to access the College exam.
The School of Specialization in Applied Ethology and Animal Welfare allows the recognition of the qualification of Expert in Animal Behavior by the Ministry of Health and FNOVI.
Access to the School involves a selection by qualifications and a written and oral examination.
The theoretical lessons, given one day a week at the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences based in Lodi, are integrated with practical exercises at the University Veterinary Hospital (OVU), with regard to the Behavioral Medicine of dogs and cats, and at farm realities with regard to livestock species.
Training objectives of the School.
The training course provides that the specialist in Applied Ethology and Animal Welfare acquire technical knowledge and professional skills that allow him to
- Verify the compliance of animal husbandry and management with welfare requirements;
- advise on proper management practices to allow the development of animal production that are increasingly qualified and in line with the ethical demands of society, are also obtained with the use of appropriate technologies to allow the good adaptation of animals by eliminating or reducing the use of synthetic substances and managing animals according to their physiological and ethological needs;
- orienting the interventions of operators and owners of animals to a management respectful of animal welfare;
- provide theoretical and practical knowledge about the prevention and a correct diagnostic and therapeutic approach to the main behavioral disorders of dogs and cats, allowing a correct setting and management of the relationship between man and animal;
- in the field of animal health, to know in depth the mode of occurrence and manifestation of the main problems of welfare in livestock species, as well as the criteria for control.
For more information about the School can see the dedicated page in the portal of UNIMI.