Become a Zookeeper
Applications for the class starting in Summer 2025 are now open! Apply by November 15, 2024.
Want to know your admission status sooner? Early acceptance may be offered to any student who sends their completed application by August 31, 2024 AND meets all of the minimum requirements of the program. Early acceptance letters will be sent by September 30, 2024. Students who do not meet the minimum requirements of the program for early acceptance will be re-evaluated with the remaining applications in November 2024.
Overview
Are you passionate about animals? Do you want to save the world and make a difference for wild animals and wild places? The Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo is located on Santa Fe College's Northwest Campus, and is the only zoo in the country on a college campus accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA).
Supervised by the professional staff of the SF Teaching Zoo, you gain hands-on experience in every aspect of zoo animal management, from daily care, to habitat construction and maintenance, to educating the public on our diverse collection of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates.Our students are not assistants to anyone; they are our zookeepers. Find your niche, learn to go above and beyond the day-to-day operations of zoos and become a conservation champion!
The math requirements for the program have changed as of Fall 2024. See the Zoo Animal Technology program page for the new requirements. Contact the program's academic advisor with any further questions at ZooAdvisor@sfcollege.edu.
Zoo Animal Technology, A.S.
Santa Fe College's Zoo Animal Technology program is the premier education path for zoo professionals.
Potential Student Tour
One on one program focused guided tour of the zoo for individuals in 9th grade or above interested in the Zoo Animal Technology program.
Welcome
From application to graduation, your Zoo Animal Technology program advisor will help support your success. Academic advisors provide students with information and guidance to plan and achieve their educational goals. This includes course selection and sequencing. Working together with good communication and routine collaboration, advisors can help students to set goals and stay on track with achieving them.
Before You Apply...
Review minimum academic requirements, program performance standards and immunization information that will be required for participation in the Zoo Animal Technology program.
How To Apply
Follow these steps to apply to the Zoo Animal Technology program after you have completed all application requirements.
Dates and Deadlines
Be sure to keep up with important application deadlines and program starting dates.
Contact an Advisor
Current students: Please include your SFID on all correspondence with your advisor.
Kara Sylvester
Zoo Advisor
Phone: 352-395-5604
Fax: 352-395-7365
Organizational Management, B.A.S. - Zoo and Aquarium Management concentration
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. Students have an opportunity to work inside an organization to improve the conditions of both animals and employees.
The concentration is designed for students with an A.S. in Zoo Animal Technology, A.A. in Zoology, or an equivalent background and develops the knowledge and skills to succeed in leadership positions in business government, and nonprofit animal organizations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What to Expect
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 7:50 a.m., 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 10:50 a.m., is filled with daily animal care. Between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., keepers attend either zoo lecture classes or general education classes.
At 3 p.m., 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 4:30 p.m. 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 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., 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.
Transfer Credit
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 in order 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 SF's Office of the Registrar.
Program Cost and Financial Aid
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: sfcollege.edu/programs/3106.
Apply for financial aid well in advance (at least six months before entering program). Visit the Financial Aid website here: sfcollege.edu/fa.
Additional Information
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.