Studying the business of animal agriculture and the biology and management of farm animals can lead to improvements in our food production systems that will benefit animals, farmers, consumers, and the environment. Students in the Dairy and Food Animal Management major learn these principles while embracing innovation and technology to meet the needs of today’s dairy, livestock, poultry, and meat industries. The Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, home of the undergraduate program in dairy and food animal management, produces skilled leaders who integrate management challenges associated with animal health and welfare, land and water stewardship, precision livestock farming, food safety, and sustainable global agriculture.
A 10:1 student-faculty ratio and small classes allow for meaningful connections. Out-of-classroom learning opportunities, such as internships on farms or with agribusiness, and management experiences associated with meat processing give students the training they need for successful 21st-century careers. Students can also gain valuable experience working in research labs, department dairy and livestock operations, as well as the meat processing and retail facilities.
Students majoring in Dairy and Food Animal Management are working toward a variety of careers that require a strong background in agribusiness, animal biology, farm management, livestock production management, meat industry, technical services and consulting, research, and outreach.
Learn through hands-on, real-world experiences
UW-Madison has farm animals on campus. Animal facilities are located near classrooms giving students easy access to livestock and poultry during lab sessions. Animal agriculture is not just about managing animals-it is about business economics and global food systems. Out-of-the classroom experiences are the norm for Dairy and Food Animal Management students, with 100 percent of students completing an internship or field experience.
Hands-on courses include reproduction, animal nutrition and genetics, dairy herd management, lactation physiology, meat science, and processing. Students solve problems through field trips, involvement on farms, and processing facilities.
Build community and networks
Madison is an ideal location for the study of dairy and food animal management. It is a vibrant city-home to many large agribusinesses-located close to dairy & livestock farms and meat markets. Students volunteer in a variety of activities when involved with clubs and organizations; making connections and networking with industry partners via events such as World Dairy Expo directed by the Badger Dairy Club and the Lamb Show directed by the Saddle & Sirloin Club.
Customize a path of study
Dairy and Food Animal Management students can customize their coursework to fit their career goals with a large variety of animal classes in combination with courses taught by Agricultural & Applied Economics. The major can by combined with other majors such as Life Sciences Communication and Agronomy or certificates such as computer sciences, food systems, environmental studies, and global health.
Make a strong start
Students can take an introductory seminar course that helps them develop an individualized four-year course plan, learn about internships and job opportunities, and discuss leadership development opportunities.
Gain global perspective
Dairy and Food Animal Management majors are encouraged to go on study abroad programs, where they can immerse themselves in international animal production coursework, research, or field experiences. Many students have completed a semester abroad in The Netherlands. Additional CALS Study Abroad collaborations include Dublin, Ireland, Greece, and New Zealand undergraduate programs. Students work with their advisor and the CALS study abroad office to identify appropriate programs.
How to Get in
To declare this major, students must be admitted to UW–Madison and the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS). For information about becoming a CALS first-year or transfer student, see Entering the College.
Students who attend Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration (SOAR) with the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences have the option to declare this major at SOAR. Students may otherwise declare after they have begun their undergraduate studies. For more information, contact the advisor listed in the Contact Box for the major.
University General Education Requirements
All undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison are required to fulfill a minimum set of common university general education requirements to ensure that every graduate acquires the essential core of an undergraduate education. This core establishes a foundation for living a productive life, being a citizen of the world, appreciating aesthetic values, and engaging in lifelong learning in a continually changing world. Various schools and colleges will have requirements in addition to the requirements listed below. Consult your advisor for assistance, as needed. For additional information, see the university Undergraduate General Education Requirements section of the Guide.
| General Education |
* The mortarboard symbol appears before the title of any course that fulfills one of the Communication Part A or Part B, Ethnic Studies, or Quantitative Reasoning Part A or Part B requirements. |
College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Requirements
In addition to the University General Education Requirements, all undergraduate students in CALS must satisfy a set of college and major requirements. Courses may not double count within university requirements (General Education and Breadth) or within college requirements (First-Year Seminar, International Studies, Science, and Capstone), but courses counted toward university requirements may also be used to satisfy a college and/or a major requirement; similarly, courses counted toward college requirements may also be used to satisfy a university and/or a major requirement.
College Requirements for all CALS BS Degree Programs
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Quality of Work: Students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.000 to remain in good standing and be eligible for graduation. | ||
| Residency: Students must complete 30 degree credits in residence at UW–Madison after earning 86 credits toward their undergraduate degree. | ||
| First year seminar | 1 | |
| International studies | 3 | |
| Physical science fundamentals | 4-5 | |
| General Chemistry I | ||
or CHEM 108 | Chemistry in Our World | |
or CHEM 109 | Advanced General Chemistry | |
| Biological science | 5 | |
| Additional science (biological, physical, or natural) | 3 | |
| Science breadth (biological, physical, natural, or social) | 3 | |
| CALS Capstone Learning Experience: included in the requirements for each CALS major (see "major requirements") | ||
Summary of Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements | ||
| Foundation | 19-25 | |
| Major Core | 8 | |
| Major Depth and Breadth | 36 | |
| Internship | 1 | |
| Major Capstone | 2-3 | |
| Total Credits | 66-73 | |
Dairy & Food Animal Management Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation | ||
| Mathematics | ||
| Complete one of the following (or may be satisfied by placement exam): | 3-5 | |
| Algebra | ||
| Algebra and Trigonometry | ||
| Statistics | ||
| STAT 301 | Introduction to Statistical Methods | 3 |
| or STAT 371 | Introductory Applied Statistics for the Life Sciences | |
| Chemistry | 5-9 | |
| Complete one of the following: | ||
| General Chemistry I and General Chemistry II | ||
| Advanced General Chemistry | ||
| Biology | 5 | |
| Complete one of the following: | ||
| Introductory Biology | ||
| Animal Biology and Animal Biology Laboratory | ||
| Biochemistry | 3 | |
| Survey of Biochemistry | ||
or BIOCHEM 501 | Introduction to Biochemistry | |
| Major Core | ||
| AN SCI/DY SCI 101 | Introduction to Animal Sciences | 3 |
| AN SCI/DY SCI 102 | Introduction to Animal Sciences Laboratory | 1 |
| A A E 101 | Introduction to Agricultural and Applied Economics | 4 |
| or ECON 101 | Principles of Microeconomics | |
| Major Depth and Breadth | ||
| Animal Science | 12 | |
| Complete 12 credits from the following: | ||
| Animal Welfare | ||
| Comparative Animal Nutrition | ||
| Animal Health and Disease | ||
| Animal Growth and Development | ||
| Introduction to Animal and Veterinary Genetics | ||
| Principles of Animal Breeding | ||
| Concepts in Genomics | ||
| Animal Physiology | ||
| Ruminant Nutrition & Metabolism | ||
| Application of Monogastric Nutrition Principles | ||
| Reproductive Physiology | ||
| Lactation Physiology | ||
| Food and Animal Agriculture | 12 | |
| Complete 12 credits from the following: | ||
| Introduction to Meat Science and Technology | ||
| Food Laws and Regulations | ||
| Digital Technologies for Animal Monitoring | ||
| Livestock Production and Health in Agricultural Development | ||
| Microbiomes of Animal Systems | ||
| Beef Cattle Production | ||
| Swine Production | ||
| Food Production Systems and Sustainability | ||
| Commercial Meat Processing | ||
| Dairy Herd Management I | ||
| Dairy Herd Management II | ||
| Reproductive Management of Dairy Cattle | ||
| Forage Management and Utilization | ||
| Introduction to the Science and Technology of Food | ||
| Soil: Ecosystem and Resource | ||
or SOIL SCI 301 | General Soil Science | |
| Business, Economics, and Management | 12 | |
| Complete the following two courses: | ||
| Agricultural Systems Management | ||
| Agricultural Finance | ||
| Complete 6 credits from the following: | ||
| Commodity Markets | ||
| Introduction to Data Analysis using Spreadsheets | ||
| Economic Decision Analysis | ||
| Food Systems and Supply Chains | ||
| Accounting Principles | ||
| Business Law | ||
| Marketing Management | ||
| Managing Organizations | ||
| Human Resource Management | ||
| Internship | 1 | |
| Complete the following course: | ||
| Coordinative Internship/Cooperative Education | ||
| Capstone | 2-3 | |
| Complete one of the following: | ||
| Animal Sciences Proseminar | ||
| Dairy Farm Management Practicum | ||
| Total Credits | 66-73 | |
University Degree Requirements
| Total Degree | To receive a bachelor's degree from UW–Madison, students must earn a minimum of 120 degree credits. The requirements for some programs may exceed 120 degree credits. Students should consult with their college or department advisor for information on specific credit requirements. |
| Residency | Degree candidates are required to earn a minimum of 30 credits in residence at UW–Madison. "In residence" means on the UW–Madison campus with an undergraduate degree classification. “In residence” credit also includes UW–Madison courses offered in distance or online formats and credits earned in UW–Madison Study Abroad/Study Away programs. |
| Quality of Work | Undergraduate students must maintain the minimum grade point average specified by the school, college, or academic program to remain in good academic standing. Students whose academic performance drops below these minimum thresholds will be placed on academic probation. |
Learning Outcomes
- Describe biological principles and their application within dairy and food animal production systems
- Explain business, management, and economic principles and their application to dairy and food animal production systems
- Apply scientific principles and critical thinking skills to identify and solve real-world problems facing dairy and food animal production enterprises
- Demonstrate the scientific, managerial, and communication competencies needed for advanced careers in dairy and food animal management
Four-Year Plan
This sample four-year plan is a tool to assist students and their advisors. Students should use their DARS Report, the Degree Planner, Guide Requirements, and the Course Search & Enroll tools to make their own four-year plan based on their placement scores, credit for transferred courses and approved examinations, and individual interests.
Sample Dairy and Food Animal Management Four-Year Plans
Dairy Focus
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| AN SCI/DY SCI 101 | 3 | CHEM 103 | 4 |
| AN SCI/DY SCI 102 | 1 | A A E 101 | 4 |
| AN SCI 135 (CALS First Year Seminar) | 1 | Elective | 3 |
| MATH 112 | 3 | Communications B | 3 |
| General Education | 3 | ||
| Communications A | 3 | ||
| 14 | 14 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| CHEM 104 | 5 | BIOLOGY/ZOOLOGY 101 | 3 |
| STAT 301 | 3 | BIOLOGY/ZOOLOGY 102 | 2 |
| General Education | 3 | BIOCHEM 301 | 3 |
| Major Depth and Breadth - Food and Animal Agriculture | 3 | General Education | 3 |
| Major Depth and Breadth - Food and Animal Agriculture | 3 | ||
| Elective | 2 | ||
| 14 | 16 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Major Depth and Breadth - Animal Science | 3 | Major Depth and Breadth - Food and Animal Agriculture | 3 |
| Major Depth and Breadth - Business, Economics, and Managment | 3 | Major Depth and Breadth - Business, Economics, and Management | 3 |
| CALS International Studies | 3 | Major Depth and Breadth - Animal Science | 3-4 |
| General Education | 3 | Electives | 6 |
| Elective or Internship | 1-3 | ||
| 13-15 | 15-16 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Capstone | 2-3 | Major Depth and Breadth - Business, Economics, and Management | 3 |
| Major Depth and Breadth - Food and Animal Agriculture | 3 | Major Depth and Breadth - Animal Science | 3 |
| Major Depth and Breadth - Business, Economics, and Management | 3 | Electives | 10 |
| Major Depth and Breadth - Animal Science | 3 | ||
| Electives | 3 | ||
| 14-15 | 16 | ||
| Total Credits 116-120 | |||
Food Animal/Meat Focus
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| AN SCI/DY SCI 101 | 3 | CHEM 103 | 4 |
| AN SCI/DY SCI 102 | 1 | A A E 101 (General Education - Social Science) | 4 |
| AN SCI 135 (CALS First Year Seminar) | 1 | Elective | 3 |
| MATH 112 | 3 | Communications B | 3 |
| General Education | 3 | ||
| Communications A | 3 | ||
| 14 | 14 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| CHEM 104 | 5 | BIOLOGY/ZOOLOGY 101 | 3 |
| STAT 301 | 3 | BIOLOGY/ZOOLOGY 102 | 2 |
| General Education | 3 | BIOCHEM 301 | 3 |
| Major Depth and Breadth - Animal Science | 3 | General Education | 3 |
| Major Depth and Breadth - Animal Science | 3 | ||
| Elective | 2 | ||
| 14 | 16 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Major Depth and Breadth - Food and Animal Agriculture | 3 | Major Depth and Breadth - Food and Animal Agriculture | 3 |
| Major Depth and Breadth - Business, Economics, and Managment | 3 | Major Depth and Breadth - Business, Economics, and Management | 3 |
| CALS International Studies | 3 | Major Depth and Breadth - Animal Science | 3-4 |
| General Education | 3 | Electives | 6 |
| Elective or Internship | 1-3 | ||
| 13-15 | 15-16 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Capstone | 2-3 | Major Depth and Breadth - Business, Economics, and Management | 3 |
| Major Depth and Breadth - Food and Animal Agriculture | 3 | Major Depth and Breadth - Food and Animal Agriculture | 3 |
| Major Depth and Breadth - Business, Economics, and Management | 3 | Electives | 10 |
| Major Depth and Breadth - Animal Science | 3 | ||
| Electives | 3 | ||
| 14-15 | 16 | ||
| Total Credits 116-120 | |||
Advising and Careers
Advising
Each Dairy and Food Animal Management major receives one-on-one guidance from their academic advisor. Academic advisors will help students build an individualized curriculum four-year plan, explore and identify experiences to meet career goals and deepen their educational program.
Career Opportunities
As students find their career interests, faculty working in those fields serve as career mentors to help students make progress toward their goals.
Undergraduates in Dairy and Food Animal Management prepare for a variety of career opportunities. Animal agriculture career opportunities include animal nutrition and consulting, animal breeding & genetics, herd management, information technology, product development, quality control, food testing and Agriculture business.
Dairy and Food Animal Management graduates are in high demand by employers and receive job offers with competitive salaries.
People
Professors
Weigel, Kent (Chair) Khatib, Hasan (Associate Chair) Adcock, Sarah Arriola Apelo, Sebastian Cabrera, Victor Claus, Jim Crenshaw, Thomas Dorea, Joao Ferraretto, Luiz Fricke, Paul Gragg, Sara Guo, Wei Hernandez, Laura Kirkpatrick, Brian Laporta, Jimena Leone, Vanessa Mantovani, Hilario Nicholson, Chuck Ortega, Sofia Parrish, John Peñagaricano, Francisco Reed, Jess Richards, Mark Ricke, Steve Rosa, Guilherme Rostoll - Cangiano, Lautaro Shanmuganayagam, Dhanansayan (Dhanu) Sindelar, Jeffrey Van Os, Jennifer Wattiaux, Michel White, Heather Wiltbank, Milo
Instructors/Lecturers
Kean, Ron
O’Rourke, Bernadette
Ronk, Eric
Undergraduate Advisor
Sandberg, Liv
See also: https://andysci.wisc.edu/about-us/faculty-and-staff/
Wisconsin Experience
Internships
In the Dairy and Food Animal Management program, 100 percent of students complete an internship or field experience. Students will work with their faculty mentor to explore internship opportunities and establish goals.
UW-Madison’s proximity to farms, agribusinesses, and events such as Dairy Expo provide undergraduates with unique internships and valuable hands-on learning. Students can be directly involved with meat processing and sales at Bucky’s Varsity Meats, providing real life experiences.
Internship opportunities from industry collaborators are dispersed to students via department communications.
Research experience
Many students complete a research project under mentorship from a faculty member. Animal and Dairy science faculty are internationally recognized specialists in nutrition, genetics, lactation, reproduction, animal welfare, herd management, and more. Students can take on research projects with faculty members for either course credit or pay, depending on the opportunity.
Student organizations
The Badger Dairy Club is a large, motivated student organization on campus with members from various majors who share a passion for the dairy industry. Highlights of the club’s activities include work at the World Dairy Expo and club trips.
The Saddle & Sirloin Club hosts various livestock shows, such as the Lamb Show.
The Poultry Club and Badger Meat Science Club are active department clubs offering students unique opportunities to be involved with events and networking opportunities within their respective industries.
Students in these organizations volunteer and participate in events such as Wisconsin 4-H competitions, FFA Judging Contests, and club trips. These clubs also offer student opportunities to be in leadership positions and develop soft skills.
There are other opportunities for students to get involved in agriculture-related organizations on campus such as Collegiate FFA, Association of Women in Agriculture, Babcock House, and Alpha Gamma Rho.
Competitive teams
Students can join competitive teams that take part in Intercollegiate Dairy Judging, the North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge, and the Intercollegiate Riding Teams.
Global engagement
Dairy and Food Animal Management students are encouraged to study abroad. Students can find more information on the International Academic Programs website and the CALS study abroad advising page.
In addition to study abroad programs, the department offers globally focused courses that look at animal agriculture, sustainable development, improvement in developing countries, and the world role of U.S. animal agriculture, and food production related to human and environmental health, land use, and social justice.
Community engagement and volunteering
Students volunteer at a number of activities directed by Badger Dairy Club, Saddle & Sirloin, Poultry Club, and the Meat Science Club. Students have the unique opportunity to be directly involved in the working behind the scenes before, during, and after the shows and events.
On campus, the Morgridge Center for Public Service provides resources to help students connect with volunteer opportunities based on their interests and goals.
Resources and Scholarships
The department offers more than 40 scholarships and awards more than $170,000 annually.
Students across the College of Agricultural & Life Sciences receive more than $1.25 million in scholarships annually. Learn more about college scholarships here.
UW-Madison has specialized facilities offering students hands-on dairy science experiences, including:
- The Dairy Cattle Center is home to more than 80 dairy cows on campus in a tie-stall barn.
- The Poultry Research Lab is located right on campus, housing chickens and other poultry; offering students part time jobs and involvement with poultry research being conducted by faculty.
- Bucky’s Varsity Meats is a student driven retail store selling a variety of meats and meat products. Students can find part-time work and experience in a wide range of meat marketing jobs.
- The Livestock Laboratory houses a variety of livestock being used for classes or research in which students’ opportunities to gain hands-on handling skills for part-time jobs.
- A network of off-campus Agricultural Research Stations serve as living laboratories for livestock research to enhance research taking place on campus.
- The Babcock Dairy Plant is a fully operational dairy plant with a retail store selling dairy products. Students can find part-time work and experience in a wide range of dairy processing jobs.