College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Department of Animal Science

Academics

Undergraduate Concentration

The Companion and Exotic Animal Biology Concentration is a program for students who aspire to work with animals that are companions or provide esthetic value to humans. This program includes the core courses for animal science, minimal management of animals, focus on science, and electives in diverse areas such as zoology or wildlife. This concentration can also be a path for students to prepare for and apply to veterinary college.

Animal biology often leads to advances in understanding human biology. Although the animal sciences may not be a direct route to careers related to understanding people, there are many aspects of animal and human biology and behavior that can overlap, so for the student who has a range of interests, the Animal Biology or Pre-veterinary Medicine Concentration may provide a solid science basis that can lead to graduate work in many different areas.

Clubs and Teams

The Animal Science Undergraduate Research Student Association helps to provide opportunities for students to participate actively in research. In addition, the Animal Welfare Judging and Assessment Contest will often involve a range of animal types in each contest.

Graduate Studies

Graduate students will find a variety of research programs in the Department of Animal Science, as well as faculty with affiliations in many different departments and organizations. To complement studies in animal science are a number of interdisciplinary options suggested to gain the unique background students may need to pursue their interests.

Research

Although most of the research by faculty in the Department of Animal Science revolves around livestock, some faculty members also have programs investigating other animals, like wildlife and wildfowl.

In addition, a number of faculty members carry out research that has direct or indirect applications to human medicine or fundamental mechanisms governing human functions.

The "Advantages of Domestic Species As Dual Purpose Models" website highlights the advantages of domestic species as novel comparative animal models. This endeavor was led in part by researchers at MSU.