From before conception to processing, members of the animal science industry are working towards a common goal: to improve animal production and quality of life, and to meet the growing demand for nutritious animal products. Whether you want to help develop the next generation of animal products, prepare for a professional veterinary medicine or pursue an advanced degree program, the career paths available to animal science degree graduates are as varied as the field itself. Success in this field starts with building the right educational foundation.
If you’re weighing your college options and wondering what you can do with an animal science degree, this blog breaks down the careers available across Northwest Missouri State University’s two degree tracks, what those jobs involve and how Northwest’s hands-on curriculum positions you to pursue them with profession-based experiences already behind you.
Explore the Animal Science Major
First, What Is Animal Science?
From the cattle ranches of the Midwest to the research labs developing innovations to support tomorrow’s food systems, animal science is critical to the raising, management and care of animals. Animal science is the study of the biology, health, nutrition, reproduction and management of livestock and other domestic animals – and as an animal science major, you’ll find a wide variety of career paths in front of you.
What animal scientists do varies by specific role, setting and industry area, but all animal scientists focus on applying scientific knowledge to improve animal well-being, food production and the efficiency of agriculture. Animal scientists may work with beef and dairy cattle, swine, sheep, goats or other species. The knowledge and skills of an animal scientist can include:
- Monitoring animal health and identifying signs of disease
- Developing nutrition plans and evaluating feed quality
- Developing or managing breeding programs
- Analyzing data to improve herd or flock performance and production efficiency
- Evaluating carcass quality and food safety
- Conducting research in pertinent fields for animal production, such as genetics, physiology, health and nutrition
- Collaborating with other agricultural enterprises in feed, genetics, pharmaceuticals or equipment production
Aside from livestock and animal management and production, animal science also encompasses health and disease management through veterinary care. Those who work in veterinary medicine have the opportunity to improve animal health, welfare, and sustainability by diagnosing, treating, and preventing disease. They also improve human lives by helping ensure food security and safety, advance research and protect public health.
Core Areas of Study in Animal Science
Animal science includes both scientific study and application of that knowledge of that knowledge in real-life and animal settings.. Areas of study include:
- Anatomy and physiology: Understand how the structure and function of animal organ systems and hormones work to support vital processes for life and the generation of animal products.
- Animal nutrition: Assess and develop feeding programs to optimize animal health, growth, and production efficiency by evaluating feed quality and understanding the varying nutrient requirements of animals at different production stages.
- Livestock health and disease: Identify disease through signs of illness and diagnostic testing, assessing and implementing disease prevention, treatment, and management practices across species.
- Reproduction and breeding: Explore the anatomy and physiology of animal reproduction, improvement of livestock genetics, and breeding management through the application of reproductive techniques, such as artificial insemination and sire selection tools.
- Meat science: Examine muscle growth and composition, food safety, carcass grading and fabrication, and advances in meat product development.
- Livestock evaluation and production management: Develop the skills to assess livestock quality and make data-driven decisions about herd performance, selection and overall production operations.
Those who want to work in veterinary medicine also take additional, higher-level chemistry and physical science courses to build the foundation needed for pre-professional programs.
Types of Animal Science Degrees
The animal science careers available after graduation depend on the degree you choose. Northwest Missouri State University offers two bachelor’s degrees in animal science, each designed to provide specialized knowledge for different parts of the animal science industry. Both are designed to give you an advantage for a variety of animal science jobs.
Bachelor of Science in Animal Science (Collateral Field or Minor Required)
This bachelor’s degree in animal science is for students headed into livestock production, agribusiness, meat science, animal nutrition, quality assurance or a related field. Choose it if you are not interested in becoming a veterinarian and instead want a holistic understanding of livestock production.
In this program, you’ll study the fundamentals of livestock production: selection, reproduction, physiology, nutrition, marketing and general management, along with electives that let you tailor the degree to your specific interests. A minor or collateral field is required to complete the program.
Animal Science Degree 4-Year Plan
Bachelor of Science in Animal Science: Pre-Veterinary Option
The pre-veterinary bachelor’s degree in animal science is designed for students planning to apply to veterinary school after graduation. The curriculum is more science-intensive, including courses in organic chemistry, anatomy and physiology of domestic animals, microbiology or cellular biology and genetics to prepare you for the rigor of a veterinary medicine program. It provides you with experience working with a variety of species to help you excel in your future veterinary medicine career.
What Can You Do With an Animal Science Degree?
Animal science occupations encompass livestock production, food systems, animal health, research, government programs and veterinary support. The specific path you take depends largely on the track you choose and where your interests lead. Below is an overview of the most common animal science jobs and occupations for graduates from each track.
Careers for Animal Science Majors (B.S. Track)
Graduates who complete the B.S. in animal science are prepared for careers in core areas of livestock production and operations, livestock merchandising, animal biotechnology, agricultural communications, agribusiness, meat and food science, and genetics and reproduction.
Common animal science jobs for this track include:
- Livestock production manager or assistant: Oversee the daily operations of beef, dairy, swine, sheep or goat operations. Responsibilities may include managing feeding rotations, monitoring animal health, overseeing reproduction programs and analyzing production data to improve herd performance.
- Feed and nutrition specialist: Work with feed companies, cooperatives or livestock producers to develop and evaluate nutrition plans for livestock. This role draws directly on coursework in animal nutrition and livestock physiology.
- Meat laboratory technician: Apply knowledge of carcass grading, fabrication and food safety in a laboratory or production setting. Northwest graduates have gone on to work with companies like Triumph Foods and American Foods Group in roles that involve product quality, food safety standards and production operations.
- Research and development (R&D) technician: Support product development, food safety research or genetic improvement programs at agricultural companies, food manufacturers or university extension programs. Northwest alumni have held R&D technician roles with major employers across the Midwest. You can also hold a similar role as an animal science technician conducting research, collecting data and managing livestock in university, government or private research settings.
- Quality assurance technician: Monitor production processes and ensure compliance with food safety regulations in meat processing or agricultural facilities. This role often involves data collection, documentation and working alongside operations teams.
- USDA or state program technician: Work with federal or state agencies, such as the USDA Farm Service Agency, to support agricultural programs, data collection and producer services. Several Northwest graduates have gone on to county and state program technician roles across Missouri and the Midwest.
- Farmer or farm manager: Apply production knowledge across all areas of a livestock or mixed operation – from animal health and nutrition to marketing and management. Northwest alumni have successfully transitioned into farm operations of their own and on established family and commercial farms.
- Feed sales representative: Represent feed companies, cooperatives or agricultural suppliers in advising producers on nutrition products and management solutions. Strong communication skills and a working knowledge of animal nutrition make animal science graduates well-suited for this role.
Graduates with an animal science degree from Northwest work at agricultural organizations, government agencies and industry employers such as Cargill, American Angus Association, USDA Farm Service Agency and Select Sires.
Careers for Pre-Veterinary Animal Science Majors
For students on the pre-veterinary track, the primary career goal is admission to and completion of a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program. Northwest pre-vet graduates have been accepted to veterinary schools, including Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine and the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine. They’ve also found employment at Baumgartner Farms, Overland Park Veterinary Emergency and Specialty, UrgentVet, Secretary Hilltop Vet Clinic and the Kansas City Zoo.
Before or alongside their applications to veterinary school, pre-vet students often work in roles that build clinical exposure and animal handling experience, including:
- Veterinary assistant or veterinary technician: Assist veterinarians with examinations, procedures, patient care and client communication in clinical settings ranging from companion animal practices to large animal hospitals and specialty referral centers.
- Animal care specialist: Work in zoos, aquariums, wildlife centers or specialty animal facilities managing the health, nutrition and well-being of a wide variety of species.
- Beef, swine or dairy production assistant: Gain hands-on experience in livestock production while building the animal handling and health management skills that strengthen veterinary school applications.
Northwest’s pre-veterinary option within the animal science major offers a science-intensive curriculum designed to prepare students for admission to veterinary school, including coursework in organic chemistry, microbiology, genetics, and the anatomy and physiology of domestic animals.
“The application-based and hands-on approach of the animal science programs at Northwest is a unique opportunity that creates an exceptional environment for profession-based learning. Our students enjoy time at the university farm and agricultural learning center to apply knowledge from the classroom in real settings. The all-encompassing curriculum and small group nature of our programs provide a learning experience mirrored by few others, and which we are fortunate to be able to offer at Northwest.
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– Dr. Kaitlin Clizer, Assistant Professor of Animal Science, Northwest Missouri State University
How Northwest Prepares You for Animal Science Careers
Whether you’re interested in these animal science jobs or others, Northwest’s program helps you set yourself apart with rigorous coursework and field experience from day one. At Northwest, you’ll have the opportunity to:
Get career experience on the R.T. Wright University Farm
Gain real production experience at Northwest’s 448-acre on-campus farm – as early as your first semester. At Northwest, you’ll have the opportunity to perform pregnancy checks, castrations, vaccinations, artificial insemination and feeding rotations on beef cattle, dairy cattle, swine, sheep and goats. The farm also includes a 120-head beef cow-calf operation and feedlot, a dairy herd of over 80 cattle and a farrow-to-finish swine operation, giving you exposure to a range of production environments in one place. This is the kind of profession-based experience that some animal science majors don’t get until later on in their programs or their careers.
Apply what you learn at the Agricultural Learning Center
Put classroom concepts into practice in a 29,000-square-foot facility built specifically for applied learning. At Northwest, you’ll take part in meat fabrication labs, dairy product development, livestock judging, feed and nutrition exercises and more. And with the addition of a new microcreamery complete with holding tanks, pasteurizing equipment and milk bottling equipment, you can now follow dairy production from herd management all the way through processing and food product development, an end-to-end experience few undergraduate programs can offer.
Learn from faculty who care about seeing you succeed
At Northwest, your instructors have worked in the fields they teach – and want to see you succeed in them. Animal science faculty bring direct experience in livestock management, reproduction, nutrition, meat science and animal health to every course, and with small class sizes, they have the time to provide personal attention on coursework and career planning. At Northwest, you won’t get lost in a lecture hall, and our School of Agriculture student successes show it.
Get Started in Animal Science at Northwest
Whether your goal is managing livestock operations, pursuing a career in meat science and food safety or applying to veterinary school, Northwest’s animal science degree program gives you the foundation to get there. With two specialized degree tracks, profession-based learning and faculty who have worked in the fields they teach, Northwest is a go-to for students who want to be career-ready when they graduate.
Explore the animal science program today to learn more about your degree options, animal science courses offered and what sets an education from Northwest apart.
Contact
Dr. Mark Hornickel
Owens Library
Room 356
660.562.1704
mhorn@nwmissouri.edu
