Master of Interdisciplinary Studies with an Emphasis in Contemporary Animal Services Leadership

Get the skills and tools you need to save animals’ lives and become a successful leader in the field of animal services.

This 30-credit master’s degree can be completed online and covers a wide variety of contemporary animal services topics, from managing people and budgets to fundraising and crisis communications. Put your passion for animals to work with this master’s degree designed to improve your leadership skills.

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The Master of Interdisciplinary Studies with an Emphasis in Contemporary Animal Services Leadership program is geared toward people who are interested in graduate-level work in animal services and who are looking to become effective leaders in the field.  

What you’ll learn 

As a graduate of the program, you’ll walk away with the tools and techniques you need to save more animals’ lives and be a successful leader in animal services. 

During the program, you’ll learn how to communicate effectively, present ideas clearly and persuasively, and apply scholarly research to advance your organization’s mission.

Because you’ll be required to take the Foundations of Contemporary Animal Services Leadership course, you’ll also learn about the history of animal services and welfare in the United States and how the field has evolved to become one of the most rapidly developing professions. The course looks at the present and the future of the field of animal services as a profession, in both the nonprofit and municipal worlds.

In addition, the program will cover complex issues such as community wellness, social justice, socioeconomic inequity, creation of communities that people want to be a part of, economic development and more.

What to expect 

The program is made up of a series of introductory courses, a capstone project and focused course groups that we call learning blocks. 

To build the individualized 30-credit MIS program, students will complete a three-credit introductory course, a three-credit capstone project, two nine-credit learning blocks and one six-credit learning block from the CASL program.

Current MIS students will complete their program with a three-credit capstone project, a three-credit internship or a three-credit thesis, which gives them the opportunity to show that they have achieved mastery of the course competencies in the academic areas.

If students are unable to complete the capstone project in one semester, they must be continuously enrolled in MIS Capstone Continuation (INDS 6901) until completion.

There are two versions of the program: one for graduates of the Executive Leadership Certification (ELC) and one for students who have not previously taken the ELC course.

Contemporary Animal Services Leadership (CASL) for Non-ELC Graduates

Students who haven’t completed the ELC will need to take the three-credit course called Foundations of Contemporary Animal Services Leadership (INDS 6414) before they take any CASL electives. You can select either 9 credits (one learning block) or 18 credits (two learning blocks). CASL courses are offered online and in-person and are seven weeks in length.

Required: Foundations of Contemporary Animal Services Leadership (INDS 6414), 3 credits

Then, select 6 or 15 credits from the following electives:

BA 6000 - Business Foundations, 3 credits
COMM 6210 - Advertising and Public Relations Strategies, 3 credits
COMM 6230 - Professional Social Media, 3 credits
FIN 6100 - Managerial Finance, 3 credits*
INDS 6211 - Crisis Communication Management, 3 credits
INDS 6410 - Personnel Management, 3 credits
INDS 6411 - Non-Profit Management, 3 credits
INDS 6412 - Foundations of Grant Writing, 3 credits
INDS 6413 - Foundations of Fundraising, 3 credits
MGMT 6100 - Managing People and Organizations, 3 credits*
PRDV 5000 - Professional Development, 1 credit (TOPIC: Best Friends National Conference)**

*Students must first take BA 6000 before FIN 6100 or MGMT 6100.

**Professional Development Best Friends National Conference (PRDV 5000) is taken through SUU’s Office of Community and Professional Development.

Contemporary Animal Services Leadership (CASL) for ELC Graduates

CASL courses are online and face-to-face and are seven weeks in length. With this option, ELC graduates select 9 or 18 credits from these courses:

BA 6100 - Advanced Issues in Business, 1 credit
COMM 6210 - Advertising and Public Relations Strategies, 3 credits
COMM 6230 - Professional Social Media, 3 credits
FIN 6100 - Managerial Finance, 3 credits*
INDS 6211 - Crisis Communication Management, 3 credits
INDS 6410 - Personnel Management, 3 credits
INDS 6411 - Non-Profit Management, 3 credits
INDS 6412 - Foundations of Grant Writing, 3 credits
INDS 6413 - Foundations of Fundraising, 3 credits
INDS 6414 - Foundations of Contemporary Animal Services Leadership (CASL), 3 credits
MGMT 6100 - Managing People and Organizations, 3 credits*
PRDV 5000 - Professional Development, 1 credit (TOPIC: Best Friends National Conference)**

*Students must first take BA 6000 before FIN 6100 or MGMT 6100.

**Professional Development Best Friends National Conference (PRDV 5000) is taken through SUU’s Office of Community and Professional Development.

Benefits of the program 

The field of animal services is in a transformational period, and you can be part of this exciting time of social change. 

Offered by Southern Utah University (SUU), this emphasis of study in contemporary animal services leadership (CASL) within the master of interdisciplinary studies (MIS) degree is one of more than 18 MIS areas of study offered through the program, ranked third best online MIS degree in the nation by Best College Reviews.

With the master of interdisciplinary studies program, you can gain the skills and knowledge needed to positively impact the lives of people and animals across the country.

What past participants have to say about the program 

“The MIS degree in contemporary animal services grounded me in the history of animal welfare and guided me through the needs of animal welfare today. The biggest impact that it had on me and my organization, Better Together Dog Rescue, is to see that animal welfare not only includes animals, but it MUST include the people, too. For this reason, not only did our mission change to ‘supporting dogs and the people who love them,’ but our vision and goals include providing services and supplies to community members, reducing adoption fees for veterans, and taking the time to understand culture and privilege within each community.”

Jenny Franz

2022 MIS graduate 

Founder of Better Together Dog Rescue

“As a leader in animal welfare, I never really had a solid direction until I met the great teams with Best Friends Animal Society and Southern Utah University. Their guidance has shown me structure and passion and dedication, and also has shown me my true potential in helping people and pets in my community."

Spencer Conover

2021 MIS graduate 

Assistant director, Pasco County Animal Services

Ready to up your lifesaving game? 

You can make a difference for homeless pets in your community. We invite you to start the application process today.

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Tell us that you’re interested in our Master of Interdisciplinary Studies with an Emphasis in Contemporary Animal Services Leadership, and we’ll let you know when the next session opens for enrollment.

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If you still have questions, email us at learning@bestfriends.org.