Animal Studies is a rapidly developing interdisciplinary field that draws from the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences to examine what nonhuman animals are like, how human and nonhuman animals relate to each other, and the aesthetic, moral, social, political, economic, and ecological significance of these relations.
NYU Animal Studies, active since 2010 and housed in the Department of Environmental Studies, is a central gathering place for people interested in these issues. Our students work with leading scholars in Animal Studies, Environmental Studies, and related fields; participate in intensive seminars, workshops, and conferences; and engage in a wide range of theoretical, practical, and creative pursuits upon graduation.
We administer an Animal Studies Minor (one of the first in the country) and an Animal Studies M.A. Program (one of the first in the world). We also support faculty and student research, in part by working with the NYU Center for Environmental and Animal Protection to conduct, support, and distribute high-quality research about important issues at the intersection of environmental and animal protection.
Our Mission
To develop and administer courses and degree programs in Animal Studies.
To contribute to the development of Animal Studies by supporting intellectually and empirically rigorous scholarship on animals and our relationships with them.
To start new conversations about animals, how we understand and represent their diversity and complexity, and how to best protect them and raise awareness about their importance.
To build bridges between academic fields, and between academia and society, in the study of animals and our interactions with them.
Relevant Programs
The NYU Animal Studies minor is an undergraduate minor at the Department of Environmental Studies that examines what animals are like, how humans and nonhumans interact, and the significance of animals and our interactions.
The NYU Animal Studies M.A. Program is a graduate program at the Department of Environmental Studies that supports students in studying a wide range of topics and pursuing a wide range of careers related to Animal Studies.
The NYU Center for Environmental and Animal Protection (CEAP) conducts and supports high-quality academic research about important issues at the intersection of environmental protection and animal protection.
The NYU Mind, Ethics, and Policy Program (MEP) conducts and supports foundational research about the nature and intrinsic value of nonhuman minds, with special focus on invertebrates and AI systems.
The NYU Wild Animal Welfare Program (WAW) conducts and supports foundational research about what wild animals are like, how humans and wild animals interact, and how humans can improve our interactions with wild animals at scale.
The NYU Animal Law and Policy Series is a speaker series that aims to spotlight innovative theoretical and practical work on the legal and political status of animals, with support from the Brooks Institute for Animal Rights Law & Policy.
The NYU Guarini Center on Environmental, Energy, & Land Use Law advances innovative energy and environmental policies for a sustainable and equitable economy, with special focus on policies that benefit humans, animals, and the environment.
The NYU More Than Human Rights Project (MOTH) is an initiative at the New York University School of Law that aims to create a pathway for re-embedding humanity within the larger web of life that nourishes and sustains us.