Become a Zookeeper

The Zoo Animal Technology A.S. degree is designed to prepare students to go directly to work in the animal care field. We assign students the role of zookeeper at our AZA-accredited Teaching Zoo. Through classroom education and hands-on experience in our zoo, students are exposed to most aspects of daily operations of a zoo and are ready for employment upon graduating.

Zoo Animal Technology A.S. degree students can also continue their education at Santa Fe College through the Organizational Management, B.A.S. with a concentration in Zoo and Aquarium Management.

The Zoology A.A. degree is basic university transfer degree and equivalent to the first two years of a bachelor's degree. The specific zoology track helps guide students through transfer requirements for your chosen college or university.

At 7:50am, you arrive at the SF Teaching Zoo. After the morning "check-in/keeper meeting", you proceed to check all of the animals in your assigned area. The rest of the morning, until 10:50am, is filled with daily animal care. Between 11am and 3pm, keepers attend either zoo lecture classes or general education classes.

At 3pm, you return to the zoo for afternoon lab. At this time any afternoon diets are offered, more observations are made, and the zoo is prepared for the evening. After a final rounding through your areas, all students participate in "afternoon check-out", where each area gives a summary of the day's events and zoo staff make their final announcements. Around 4:30pm you are dismissed for the day.

Yes. The Zoo Animal Technology program requires that students work and take classes during the summer term. Depending on when you begin the program you may work one or two summer terms.

Yes. The animals need daily care and the SF Teaching Zoo is open to the public seven days a week. We treat weekends and holidays like a regular weekday. You are required to work one weekend day per week. If a holiday falls on a day you are normally scheduled, you are required to be here. You will work through semester breaks and summer. There will be no time during your five consecutive semesters in which you will be able to go home for an extended period. Absences, other then a few designated sick/vacation days, will affect your grade.

It takes five consecutive semesters to complete the Zoo Animal Technology program. We go through all summer semesters so it is not quite two years.

Note: Even if you have all your general education requirements complete, it will still take you five straight semesters to complete the program because the core courses must be taken in sequence.

Your zoo schedule is between 8am – 4:30pm, and is demanding, so part-time jobs must be flexible. Evening and weekend positions work the best. Your weekend, holiday and break work will be scheduled ahead of time so you will be able to arrange your job around your zoo schedule. Typically, employment in the service industry (restaurants, etc.) has the most flexible hours. Veterinary offices have also been a source of employment for many of our students.

The Associate in Science Degree (A.S.) in Zoo Animal Technology is what we call a "right to work" degree. This means that it does not transfer readily to most four-year institutions. To further your education, Santa Fe College's Business Programs offers the Organizational Management, B.A.S. with a concentration in Zoo and Aquarium Management. This concentration exposes students to the knowledge and skills required for effective animal behavior management, exhibit and facility management, conservation and education program integration, and risk management. The Zoo and Aquarium Management concentration prepares students to manage within a zoo, aquarium, or animal care facility. The concentration is designed for students with an A.S. in Zoo Animal Technology, A.A. in Zoology.

You can also get Associate in Arts (A.A.) Degree along with our A.S. degree and then go to the college of your choice or you can progress through the cooperative program we have with Friends University in Wichita Kansas. For more information please see our program webpage or email the program advisor at zooadvisor@sfcollege.edu.

SF will accept transfer credits from another accredited institution as long as they are the same or similar to our general education requirements. You must make a "C" or better to transfer the credits. If you have questions on what will or will not transfer contact the program advisor at zooadvisor@sfcollege.edu. If possible, please make sure your official transcripts are on file with Santa Fe's Office of the Registrar.

An approximate cost for in-state students, including fees, supplies, books and all general education classes is about $10,000. For out-of-state students the approximate cost would be about $28,500. Please visit our program page for additional information regarding total program cost.

Apply for financial aid well in advance (at least six months before entering program). Visit the Financial Aid website here: sfcollege.edu/fa.

No. Fortunately, Gainesville is a college town and finding suitable housing is not too difficult. There are numerous apartment complexes in the area and most of them cater to the needs of students.

Based on our last survey, our placement rate is 85 percent. Professors give students the tools to help find employment in the field including doing mock interviews, showing students how to construct a professional resume, and how to write a cover letter. We participate in an internship programs program that hire five students, as well as host a career day for all our graduating seniors. We host zoos and aquariums from around our area to interview students for open positions they may have. We also have extensive contact with many zoos throughout the country and they keep us up-to-date on their job openings which we send to students/graduates consistently. Students should treat their time in this program like a job. Staff gives truthful recommendations to inquiring employers.

If you have not passed College Composition 1 (ENC1101) and Math Thinking (MGF1130) with "C" or better in college, you will need to take a placement test. Upper-level math courses (such as MAC1147 Pre-calculus and Trig) MAY also be substituted for MGF1130. For further details on this email the program advisor at zooadvisor@sfcollege.edu.