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| The American College of Applied Science is currently the only U.S. based institution of higher learning to offer graduate and undergraduate degree programs, and non-degree professional development diploma programs, in companion animal science and behavior based upon a foundation of applied behavior analysis and a working relationship with the veterinary community. ACAS has been licensed as a degree granting institution by the State of Florida, Department of Education, Commission for Independent Education, license no. 3145 since January 2005. The college currently has an application for accreditation pending with the Accrediting Counsel for Independent College and Schools (ACIAS) that is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and CHEA. |
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 ACAS was founded in 2004 by a group of university professors, animal science and behavior professionals and Internet technology experts in order to fulfill a need for educated professionals to work in career positions in the field of applied animal behavior science and to deliver higher education to working adult learners globally without regard to geographic boarders. ACAS is proud to have graduated students who reside in Florida, South Carolina, New York, Ohio, Colorado, California, New Hampshire, and other states as well as in other nations including Iceland, Spain and Taiwan. We currently have students as far away as Australia and as nearby as our own state of Florida. Many of these students currently work with animals as veterinarians, veterinary technicians, trainers, and animal-related business owners. Others are teachers, attorneys, financial professionals, real estate professionals, engineers, business workers, homemakers and others who seek career changes in order to work with animals or to advocate for their safety and welfare.
Course Delivery
The college's course delivery model was developed around an online learning platform powered by the Moodle open source course management system. The Moodle CMS provides students with the ability to access course classrooms, course and college resources, and college community communication systems 24/7/365. Additionally, ACAS uses real-time video-conferencing software to hold SIMs (synchronous interactive meetings) with classes that support up to 15 students/faculty with Webcams with audio/video creating a classroom environment that rivals a traditional college classroom. These events can also be recorded and archived for future access by students.
The college's clinical animal behavior and welfare programs would not be complete without lab and practicum courses with animals. Academic Residency Lab (ARL) courses are held at animal facilities in the U.S. and Canada. ACAS has partnered with organizations such as Ecuries Chanie, a large equine training and boarding facility in Mirabel, Quebec in Canada and the Best Friends Society animal sanctuary in Angel Canyon, Utah U.S.A. for its feline and avian ARL courses. Canine ARLs are currently held at the college's 20 acre Dream Pond Science Field Statiion and Reserve in Crescent City, Florida U.S.A. located nearby the college administrative offices. Externship practicum may be completed by students in real-world animal facilities in their community or while working along side animal professionals. In some cases, faculty will work with students to arrange externship practicum at exciting and rewarding locations anywhere in the world where animals are available.
Applied Animal Behavior Research
ACAS is enthusiastic about the empirical research work that is being done by its students and faculty, and encourage them to present their findings at educational conferences, both domestically and globally, and to the editors of peer-reviewed scientific journals so that our college community can make a contribution to the scientific literature as it pertains to the under-researched areas of companion animal science, behavior and welfare. Our students have, thus far, produced some excellent and useful thesis studies; and continue to do so each semester.
ACAS Students and Alumni as Positive Change Agents
Millions of otherwise healthy cats and dogs are put to death each year because they are no longer wanted. There are over 2 million reported dogs bite injuries each year in the U.S. with the victims being mostly children under ten years of age (HSUS, 2006). While these are truly staggering social and public health statistics, our students, faculty and allumni are in a unique position to make positive change that can contribute to the welfare of companion animals, society and our planet.
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| The mission of the American College of Applied Science is to provide graduate, undergraduate and professional development program students who reside in the State of Florida, throughout the United States and around the world with opportunities to launch, enhance or change careers in a diverse global society and to empower them through leadership, critical thinking and practical skills to affect positive change for society, the animals that share our lives with us and the environment. This is accomplished through providing high quality and technologically advanced blended learning programs and academic research opportunities while subscribing to humane scientific principles of investigation that continue to be our most trusted method of inquiry. |
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| The American College of Applied Science envisions a world where society and government places higher education high on every agenda since educated and caring people are less likely to harm each other, harm other living creatures and harm the planet. We envision a world where no animal will suffer needlessly for want of food, shelter, companionship or medical attention; where through public and professional education, planned population policies, personal responsibility and governmental and community involvement the needless killing of healthy but unwanted companion animals is significantly reduced and someday non-existent; where companion animals can work together with families and professionals to assist those with special needs to lead better and fuller lives. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi once said "A nation can be judged by how it treats its animals." Our graduates and faculty will strive, as professionals and members of our national and global communities, to serve the common good of society and the animals we share our lives with, each in their own individual way. |
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Some of the goals and objectives of the college and its academic and research programs are:
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To provide career opportunities for adult learners |
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To provide our community, the State of Florida, our nation and the world with educated and skilled individuals who can deliver positive change for society, animals and the environment |
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To provide blended learning programs to adult learners regardless of where they live, where they work or what responsibilities they may have that may otherwise limit their ability to earn a higher education, enhance a current career or achieve a more rewarding one |
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To expand scientific research into under investigated areas of applied science where new knowledge and applications can result in positive social, animal-related and environmental change. |
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| It is the purpose of ACAS to produce graduates on all levels who are capable of: |
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Identifying, analyzing, testing and implementing solutions to problems in their area of expertise using empirically supported methods of scientific investigation |
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Looking outward to their organizations and families and inward to themselves to indentify weaknesses and strengths and to act to become a better individual and citizen |
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To produce positive social and world change through their educational process |
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To realize the benefit and promise of higher education and to view one’s life as a never ending learning process |
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To critically analyze all situations rather than accepting what others believe is the truth |
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To recognize that the scientific method of inquiry is the best method for discovering truths that is available to humanity |
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To recognize that one’s spiritual and cultural belief systems can work in harmony with science but only through education and respect for those around us and the planet that sustains us all |
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| The college administraive offices are located at 407 Summit Street in Crescent City, Florida and meet the State of Florida requirements as set forth in the Florida Administrative Code, subsection 6E-2.004(9). Information showing compliance with relevant local safety and health standards such as fire, building, and sanitation will be made available to students upon request. There are no classrooms located at the administrative offices. |
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| The college Dream Pond Science Field Station and Reserve is located just outside of the Village of Crescent City in northern Florida. It is the home of various dog breeds, horses, miniature donkeys, llamas, sheep, goats, chickens, guinea fowl, aquatic birds, and a wolf hybrid named Darwin. Students meet here for Academic Residency Lab courses and then proceed to animal shelter, animal sanctuary and governmental animal control facilities partnered with the college where they receive hands-on experience with animals under faculty supervision. There are no formal classrooms at the Science Field Station and Reserve. |
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| Virtual Campus course classrooms are accessable 24/7/365 at http://amcollege.net. These classrooms provide the student with a robust learning experience including an asynchronous discussion forum for class discourse, downloadble course resources, video clips, Web links, PowerPoint lesson presentations, some with audio/video of the instructor via Camtasia, synchronous chat rooms, and class synchronous instructional meetings (SIMs) that support up to 15 student and faculty participants using Web cams for two-way real-time communication. The college Virtual Campus is powered by the Moodle® open source Course Management System on dedicated Web servers. |
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| Academic resideny labs (ARLs) focus on learner outcomes that build upon the theoretical knowledge acquired in online courses. Students work under faculty supervison with various animal species to develop skill sets and methodologies to change animal behavior and alike. ARLs are part of most, but not all, curricula at the college. |
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Externship Practicum
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| Externships are ususally completed in the student's community. These capstone projects are designed to give the student real-world experience in their subject area under the supervision of a faculty-approved field supervisor. An online classroom is established on the Virtual Cammpus for weekly communication with the student's extrenship practicum faculty advisor. |
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| Library resources are maintained and offered via a state-of-the-art online library created with Drupal® and managed by ACAS. A school librarian who holds a graduate degree in library science is available via email and telephone to assist students and faculty with their research and writing needs. There is also a real-time chat module available from the library web site.
Library resources include current textbook titles, periodicals, and subscribed professional journals appropriate for ACAS educational programs, bibliographic and monographic references, major professional journals and reference services, and research and methodology materials. There is a Writing Center and articles describing academic honesty and plagiarism. A private college repository for student and faculty research papers and theses is also available. Students and faculty have access to the online library 24/7/365 and the librarian is there to assist with research and obtaining article. Some full-text articles are free and others may have a small cost as established by online document deliver services and their agreements with publishers.
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