Master’s Assistantship: Animal Behavior and Welfare at the North Carolina Zoo
Annual stipend: $23,000.00
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS WILL REOPEN IN NOVEMBER 2025 FOR THE 2026-2028 TERM
Position description: North Carolina State University (NC State) and the North Carolina Zoo offer a 2-year, funded graduate position to students interested in animal behavior research. The student will receive a Master of Science degree in Biology as they complete coursework at NC State-Raleigh and a research project in collaboration with the North Carolina Zoo. Tuition and health insurance will be covered for eligible students, and the student will serve as a teaching assistant for each academic semester of the 2 years.
Students will work closely with PhD-level curatorial staff at the North Carolina Zoo as they design and conduct research, which may address a range of welfare-related topics, including but not limited to: enrichment, social behavior, space use, light cycles, diet, and seasonal or habitat changes. The degree conferred would be relevant for a career in animal behavior research, particularly in a zoo setting.
Qualifications: Qualified applicants must have a combination of the following: 1) a strong academic background in animal behavior, biology, conservation, or a related field; 2) at least 4 months of research experience (e.g., collecting data, creating hypotheses, managing data); 3) demonstrated interest in research or animal behavior through extracurricular internships, jobs, experiences, or other activities; and 4) some proficiency with data analysis using relevant software (excel, R, SPSS, SAS).
Please note:
- This is an early career opportunity. Candidates without prior graduate-level experience will be given preference.
- Once selected, the applicant will be notified by relevant staff and prompted to enroll at NC State.
If you have any specific questions, please contact Dr. Emily Lynch (emily.lynch@nczoo.org) and/or Dr. Jenny Campbell (jlcampbe@ncsu.edu).