Animal Psychology - Advanced





Overview
About the Level 4 Advanced Animal Psychology Certificate
Contrary to popular belief, it is not only humans who require psychological care. Just like us, animals feel anxiety, fear, aggression and a whole range of other emotions. This means that animals, much like humans, may struggle to handle or deal with their feelings. This advanced distance learning course teaches learndirect students to observe and interpret animal behaviour, allowing them an insight into another kingdom.
Spread over seven informative e-learning modules, this course has been designed to build on the Level 3 Animal Psychology qualification. Students will study units which cover topics from human to animal communication and animal linguistics, to predators and prey and defence mechanisms. Altogether, the work should take around 120 hours to complete.
Who should study this course?
This home learning qualification is perfect for students who have already completed the Level 3 qualification. However, it is worth noting that it is not essential to complete the Level 3 qualification first if you do not wish to.
There are no prerequisites for this advanced animal psychology qualification. This course is suitable for students of all levels. All we as is that you have a way to access our online study materials and that you have the motivation to study independently.
What happens after the course?
On successful completion of this course, you will be awarded with a certificate in advanced animal psychology at Level 4. This certificate can be shown when applying to jobs, gathering clients or even when enrolling on further study programmes.
A qualification in advanced animal psychology will come in useful in lots of job roles. Jobs in which this qualification will come in useful include but are not limited to:
- Veterinary assistant
- Dog walker
- Animal trainer
For more information about this course, give us a call on this number: 01202 006 464
Modules
This course covers such topics as:
Module 1:
- Ethology
- The Nervous System
- Reflexes
- Feedback Control
- The Study of Behaviour
- The Scruff Reflex
Module 2:
- Instinct
- Genetics
- Early Experiences
- Why Do Animals Play?
- Canine Play Bows
Module 3:
- Imprinting
- Learning
Module 4:
- Communication
- Visual Communication
- Facial Expression
- Auditory Communication (Vocal and Non-Vocal)
- Touch Communication
- Olfactory Communication
- The Purpose of Animal Communication
Module 5:
- Human to Animal Communication
- Animal Linguistics
- The Similarities and Differences Between Animal and Human Communication
Module 6:
- Consensus Decision Making
- Consensus in Practice
- Consensus Versus Combined Decisions
- Who Make's the Decision?
- What are the Mechanisms?
- What are the Functions of the Decision Making Process?
- Ignorance and Democracy
Module 7:
- Predators and Prey
- Defense Mechanisms
- Selective Predation
- Predator-Prey Evolution
- Predation and Horse Psychology
- The Mathematics of Predation
Module 8:
- Charles Darwin
- Spindle Neurons
- Mirror Neurons
- Emotions
Requirements
There is no experience or previous qualifications required for enrolment on this course. It is available to all students, of all academic backgrounds.
Certification

At the end of this course successful learners will receive a Certificate of Achievement from ABC Awards and Certa Awards and a Learner Unit Summary (which lists the components the learner has completed as part of the course).
Level 4 Animal Psychology - Advanced Certificate of Achievement
The course has been endorsed under the ABC Awards and Certa Awards Quality Licence Scheme. This means that learndirect has undergone an external quality check to ensure that the organisation and the courses it offers, meet defined quality criteria. The completion of this course alone does not lead to a regulated qualification* but may be used as evidence of knowledge and skills gained. The Learner Unit Summary may be used as evidence towards Recognition of Prior Learning if you wish to progress your studies in this subject. To this end the learning outcomes of the course have been benchmarked at Level 4 against level descriptors published by Ofqual, to indicate the depth of study and level of demand/complexity involved in successful completion by the learner.
The course itself has been designed by learndirect to meet specific learners’ and/or employers’ requirements which cannot be satisfied through current regulated qualifications. ABC Awards & Certa Awards endorsement involves robust and rigorous quality audits by external auditors to ensure quality is continually met. A review of courses is carried out as part of the endorsement process.
*Regulated qualification refers to those qualifications that are regulated by Ofqual / CCEA / Qualification Wales
To view a sample of the ABC Certificate of Achievement, please click here.
Hear from our past Students
About the Level 4 Advanced Animal Psychology Certificate
Contrary to popular belief, it is not only humans who require psychological care. Just like us, animals feel anxiety, fear, aggression and a whole range of other emotions. This means that animals, much like humans, may struggle to handle or deal with their feelings. This advanced distance learning course teaches learndirect students to observe and interpret animal behaviour, allowing them an insight into another kingdom.
Spread over seven informative e-learning modules, this course has been designed to build on the Level 3 Animal Psychology qualification. Students will study units which cover topics from human to animal communication and animal linguistics, to predators and prey and defence mechanisms. Altogether, the work should take around 120 hours to complete.
Who should study this course?
This home learning qualification is perfect for students who have already completed the Level 3 qualification. However, it is worth noting that it is not essential to complete the Level 3 qualification first if you do not wish to.
There are no prerequisites for this advanced animal psychology qualification. This course is suitable for students of all levels. All we as is that you have a way to access our online study materials and that you have the motivation to study independently.
What happens after the course?
On successful completion of this course, you will be awarded with a certificate in advanced animal psychology at Level 4. This certificate can be shown when applying to jobs, gathering clients or even when enrolling on further study programmes.
A qualification in advanced animal psychology will come in useful in lots of job roles. Jobs in which this qualification will come in useful include but are not limited to:
- Veterinary assistant
- Dog walker
- Animal trainer
For more information about this course, give us a call on this number: 01202 006 464
Modules
This course covers such topics as:
Module 1:
- Ethology
- The Nervous System
- Reflexes
- Feedback Control
- The Study of Behaviour
- The Scruff Reflex
Module 2:
- Instinct
- Genetics
- Early Experiences
- Why Do Animals Play?
- Canine Play Bows
Module 3:
- Imprinting
- Learning
Module 4:
- Communication
- Visual Communication
- Facial Expression
- Auditory Communication (Vocal and Non-Vocal)
- Touch Communication
- Olfactory Communication
- The Purpose of Animal Communication
Module 5:
- Human to Animal Communication
- Animal Linguistics
- The Similarities and Differences Between Animal and Human Communication
Module 6:
- Consensus Decision Making
- Consensus in Practice
- Consensus Versus Combined Decisions
- Who Make's the Decision?
- What are the Mechanisms?
- What are the Functions of the Decision Making Process?
- Ignorance and Democracy
Module 7:
- Predators and Prey
- Defense Mechanisms
- Selective Predation
- Predator-Prey Evolution
- Predation and Horse Psychology
- The Mathematics of Predation
Module 8:
- Charles Darwin
- Spindle Neurons
- Mirror Neurons
- Emotions
Requirements
There is no experience or previous qualifications required for enrolment on this course. It is available to all students, of all academic backgrounds.
Certification

At the end of this course successful learners will receive a Certificate of Achievement from ABC Awards and Certa Awards and a Learner Unit Summary (which lists the components the learner has completed as part of the course).
Level 4 Animal Psychology - Advanced Certificate of Achievement
The course has been endorsed under the ABC Awards and Certa Awards Quality Licence Scheme. This means that learndirect has undergone an external quality check to ensure that the organisation and the courses it offers, meet defined quality criteria. The completion of this course alone does not lead to a regulated qualification* but may be used as evidence of knowledge and skills gained. The Learner Unit Summary may be used as evidence towards Recognition of Prior Learning if you wish to progress your studies in this subject. To this end the learning outcomes of the course have been benchmarked at Level 4 against level descriptors published by Ofqual, to indicate the depth of study and level of demand/complexity involved in successful completion by the learner.
The course itself has been designed by learndirect to meet specific learners’ and/or employers’ requirements which cannot be satisfied through current regulated qualifications. ABC Awards & Certa Awards endorsement involves robust and rigorous quality audits by external auditors to ensure quality is continually met. A review of courses is carried out as part of the endorsement process.
*Regulated qualification refers to those qualifications that are regulated by Ofqual / CCEA / Qualification Wales
To view a sample of the ABC Certificate of Achievement, please click here.
Hear from our past Students