- Catalog Home >
- College of Agriculture and Life Sciences >
- Dairy Science
This is an archived copy of the 2024-2025 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.iastate.edu.
Students majoring in Dairy Science will complete the degree requirements listed here. If desired, a student may also include the specialized option in pre-veterinary medicine. A minimum of 15 credits of animal science coursework must be earned at Iowa State University.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon graduation, students should be able to:
- Demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of dairy science, dairy management, and agribusiness.
- Exhibit effective communication skills.
- Integrate information to solve problems.
- Effectively employ skills as a self-learner.
- Participate as team leaders and team builders.
- Demonstrate awareness of contemporary issues that drive change in animal industries.
Total Degree Requirement: 128 cr.
Only 65 cr. from a two-year institution may apply which may include up to 16 technical cr.; 9 P-NP cr. of free electives; 2.00 minimum GPA.
International Perspectives
| Approved International Perspectives course | 3 | |
U.S. Cultures and Communities
| Approved U.S. Cultures and Communities course | 3 | |
Communications Proficiency
| English composition | 6 | |
| Speech fundamentals | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 9 | |
Communication/Library
| ENGL 1500 | Critical Thinking and Communication | 3 |
| ENGL 2500 | Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic Composition | 3 |
| LIB 1600 | Introduction to College Level Research | 1 |
| One course from the following: | 3 | |
| Presentation and Sales Strategies for Agricultural Audiences | ||
| Survey of Agriculture and Life Sciences Communication | ||
| Professional Communication | ||
| Fundamentals of Public Speaking | ||
| Total Credits | 10 | |
Humanities and Social Sciences
| Approved Humanities course | 3 | |
| Approved Social Science course | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 6 | |
Ethics
| Approved Ethics course | 3 | |
Mathematics and Business
| One course from the following: | 3 | |
| Principles of Microeconomics | ||
| Principles of Macroeconomics | ||
| Financial Accounting | ||
| One course from the following: | 3-4 | |
| Principles of Statistics | ||
| Introduction to Statistics | ||
| Introduction to Business Statistics I | ||
| One course from the following: | 3-4 | |
| College Algebra | ||
| Discrete Mathematics for Business and Social Sciences | ||
| Survey of Calculus | ||
| Calculus I | ||
| Total Credits | 9-11 | |
Biological Sciences
| BIOL 2110 | Principles of Biology I | 3 |
| BIOL 2110L | Principles of Biology Laboratory I | 1 |
| BIOL 2120 | Principles of Biology II | 3 |
| BIOL 2120L | Principles of Biology Laboratory II | 1 |
| BIOL 3130 | Principles of Genetics | 3 |
| or GEN 3200 | Genetics, Agriculture and Biotechnology | |
| MICRO 2010 & 2010L | Introduction to Microbiology and Introductory Microbiology Laboratory | 3-4 |
| or MICRO 3020 & 3020L | Biology of Microorganisms and Microbiology Laboratory | |
| Total Credits | 14-15 | |
Physical Sciences
| A minimum of 8 credits are required. These requirements are specific to option and are listed with each option below. | ||
Dairy Sciences Option
| ANS 1010 | Working with Animals | 2 |
| ANS 1100 | Orientation in Animal Science and ISU | 1 |
| ANS 1140 | Survey of the Animal Industry | 2 |
| ANS 2100 | Career Preparation in Animal Science | 1 |
| ANS 2110 | Issues Facing Animal Science | 1 |
| ANS 2140 | Domestic Animal Physiology | 3 |
| ANS 2140L | Domestic Animal Anatomy and Physiology Lab | 1 |
| ANS 2350 | Dairy Cattle Science | 3 |
| ANS 2700 & 2700L | Foods of Animal Origin and Foods of Animal Origin Laboratory | 3 |
| or FSHN 1010 | Food and the Consumer | |
| ANS 3190 | Animal Nutrition | 3 |
| ANS 3200 | Animal Feeds and Feeding | 3 |
| ANS 3310 | Domestic Animal Reproduction | 3 |
| ANS 3370 | Lactation | 3 |
| ANS 3520 | Genetic Improvement of Domestic Animals | 3 |
| ANS 4110 | Addressing Issues in Animal Science | 1 |
| ANS 4340 | Dairy Systems Management | 3 |
| ANS 4350 | Applied Dairy Farm Evaluation | 3 |
| CHEM 1630 & 1630L | College Chemistry and Laboratory in College Chemistry | 5 |
| or CHEM 1770 & 1770L | General Chemistry I and Laboratory in General Chemistry I | |
| CHEM 3310 | Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
| or BBMB 2210 | Structure and Reactions in Biochemical Processes | |
| Four credits (minimum) from the following: | 4 | |
| Forage Crop Management | ||
| Laboratory Methods in Animal Reproduction: Livestock, Companion, and Laboratory Animals | ||
or ANS 3320E | Laboratory Methods in Animal Reproduction: Equine | |
or ANS 3330 | Embryo Transfer and Related Technologies | |
| Domestic Animal Behavior and Well-Being | ||
| Growth and Development of Domestic Animals | ||
| Fresh Meat Science and Applied Muscle Biology | ||
| Equine Systems Management | ||
| Advanced Animal Nutrition | ||
| Companion Animal Systems Management | ||
| Swine Systems Management | ||
| Beef Cattle Systems Management | ||
| Sheep Systems Management | ||
| Science and Technology of Value Added Meat Products | ||
| Cooperatives | ||
| Food Quality Management and Control | ||
| Food Laws and Regulations | ||
| Food Analysis | ||
| Medical Microbiology | ||
| Introductory Parasitology | ||
| Insects and Our Health | ||
| Microbial Genetics and Genomics | ||
| Microbiological Safety of Foods of Animal Origins | ||
| Food Microbiology | ||
| Food Microbiology | ||
| Immunology | ||
| VDPAM 4870 | Livestock Disease Prevention | 3 |
| Total Credits | 54 | |
| Additional free electives for the Dairy Sciences option | 26-29 | |
Pre-Veterinary Medicine Option
| ANS 1010 | Working with Animals | 2 |
| ANS 1100 | Orientation in Animal Science and ISU | 1 |
| ANS 1140 | Survey of the Animal Industry | 2 |
| ANS 2100 | Career Preparation in Animal Science | 1 |
| ANS 2110 | Issues Facing Animal Science | 1 |
| ANS 2140 | Domestic Animal Physiology | 3 |
| ANS 2140L | Domestic Animal Anatomy and Physiology Lab | 1 |
| ANS 2350 | Dairy Cattle Science | 3 |
| ANS 2700 & 2700L | Foods of Animal Origin and Foods of Animal Origin Laboratory | 3 |
| or FSHN 1010 | Food and the Consumer | |
| ANS 3190 | Animal Nutrition | 3 |
| ANS 3200 | Animal Feeds and Feeding | 3 |
| ANS 3310 | Domestic Animal Reproduction | 3 |
| ANS 3370 | Lactation | 3 |
| ANS 3520 | Genetic Improvement of Domestic Animals | 3 |
| ANS 4110 | Addressing Issues in Animal Science | 1 |
| ANS 4340 | Dairy Systems Management | 3 |
| ANS 4350 | Applied Dairy Farm Evaluation | 3 |
| CHEM 1770 | General Chemistry I | 4 |
| CHEM 1770L | Laboratory in General Chemistry I | 1 |
| CHEM 1780 | General Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHEM 3310 | Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHEM 3310L | Laboratory in Organic Chemistry I | 1 |
| BBMB 3010 | Survey of Biochemistry | 3 |
| or BBMB 3160 | Principles of Biochemistry | |
| or BBMB 4040 | Biochemistry I | |
| or BBMB 4200 | Mammalian Biochemistry | |
| PHYS 1310 & 1310L | General Physics I and General Physics I Laboratory | 5 |
| Four credits (minimum) from the following: | 4 | |
| Forage Crop Management | ||
| ANS 3320A | Laboratory Methods in Animal Reproduction: Livestock, Companion, and Laboratory Animals | 1 |
| or ANS 3320E | Laboratory Methods in Animal Reproduction: Equine | |
| Domestic Animal Behavior and Well-Being | ||
| Growth and Development of Domestic Animals | ||
| Fresh Meat Science and Applied Muscle Biology | ||
| Equine Systems Management | ||
| Advanced Animal Nutrition | ||
| Companion Animal Systems Management | ||
| Swine Systems Management | ||
| Beef Cattle Systems Management | ||
| Sheep Systems Management | ||
| Science and Technology of Value Added Meat Products | ||
| Cooperatives | ||
| Food Laws and Regulations | ||
| Food Analysis | ||
| Medical Microbiology | ||
| Introductory Parasitology | ||
| Insects and Our Health | ||
| Microbial Genetics and Genomics | ||
| Microbiological Safety of Foods of Animal Origins | ||
| Food Microbiology Laboratory | ||
| Total Credits | 64 | |
| Additional free electives for the Pre-Veterinary Medicine Option | 11-14 | |
* The Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine academic requirements are met by completion of this option (http://vetmed.iastate.edu/academics/prospective-students/admissions/academic-requirements).
Dairy Science, B.S. - General
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ANS 1100 | 1 | ANS 1140 | 2 |
| ANS 1010 | 2 | CHEM 1770 or 1630 | 4 |
| BIOL 2110 | 3 | CHEM 1770L or 1630L | 1 |
| BIOL 2110L | 1 | Humanities - elective list | 3 |
| ENGL 1500 | 3 | SPCM 2120, AGEDS 3110, AGEDS 3270, or COMST 2140 | 3 |
| LIB 1600 | 1 | STAT 1010, 1040, or 2260 | 3-4 |
| MATH 1400, 1500, 1600, or 1650 | 3-4 | ||
| Social Science - elective list | 3 | ||
| 17-18 | 16-17 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ANS 2110 | 1 | ANS 2100 | 1 |
| ANS 2350 | 3 | ANS 2700 & 2700L or FSHN 1010 | 3 |
| BIOL 2120 | 3 | ANS 2140 | 3 |
| BIOL 2120L | 1 | ANS 2140L | 1 |
| BBMB 2210 | 3 | ENGL 2500 | 3 |
| ECON 1010 | 3 | MICRO 2010 or 3020 | 2-3 |
| Free elective | 3 | MICRO 2010L or 3020L | 1 |
| Free elective | 3 | ||
| 17 | 17-18 | ||
| Junior | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ANS 3190 | 3 | ANS 3200 | 3 |
| ANS 3310 | 3 | ANS 3520 | 3 |
| GEN 3200 or BIOL 3130 | 3 | ANS 3370 | 3 |
| U.S. Cultures and Communities - elective list | 3 | Free elective | 3 |
| Free elective | 3 | Ethics - elective list | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Senior | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ANS 4110 | 1 | ANS 4350 | 3 |
| ANS 4340 | 3 | International perspective - elective list | 3 |
| ANS elective | 3 | ANS elective | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | Free elective | 3 |
| Free elective | 3 | Free Elective | 4 |
| Free elective | 3 | ||
| 16 | 16 | ||
Important Note: This is only one of many equally-sound schedule sequences.
Free electives and specified group electives are often chosen to complement the student's career focus. The student's academic advisor assists with developing scheduling schemes that prepare students individually for careers in the animal industry. They are explained fully in ANS 1100 and through appointments with the student's advisor in Dairy Science. Typical career areas include Advanced Degree in Dairy Science, Business and Finance, Agriculture Promotion and Information, Dairy Food Industry, Agricultural Sales and Marketing, International Agriculture, Animal Production and General Agribusiness and Pre-Veterinary Medicine.
Dairy Science, B.S. - Pre-Veterinary Medicine option
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ANS 1100 | 1 | ANS 1140 | 2 |
| ANS 1010 | 2 | CHEM 1770 | 4 |
| BIOL 2110 | 3 | CHEM 1770L | 1 |
| BIOL 2110L | 1 | Humanities - elective list | 3 |
| ENGL 1500 | 3 | SPCM 2120, AGEDS 3110, AGEDS 3270, or COMST 2140 | 3 |
| LIB 1600 | 1 | STAT 1010, 1040, or 2260 | 3-4 |
| MATH 1400, 1500, 1600, or 1650 | 3-4 | ||
| Social Science - elective list | 3 | ||
| 17-18 | 16-17 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ANS 2110 | 1 | ANS 2100 | 1 |
| ANS 2350 | 3 | ANS 2700 & 2700L or FSHN 1010 | 3 |
| BIOL 2120 | 3 | ANS 2140 | 3 |
| BIOL 2120L | 1 | ANS 2140L | 1 |
| CHEM 1780 | 3 | CHEM 3310 | 3 |
| ECON 1010 | 3 | CHEM 3310L | 1 |
| Ethics - elective list | 3 | ENGL 2500 | 3 |
| Free elective | 3 | ||
| 17 | 18 | ||
| Junior | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ANS 3190 | 3 | ANS 3200 | 3 |
| ANS 3310 | 3 | ANS 3520 | 3 |
| GEN 3200 or BIOL 3130 | 3 | ANS 3370 | 3 |
| CHEM 3320 | 3 | BBMB 3010, 3160, 4040, or 4200 | 3 |
| MICRO 2010 or 3020 | 2-3 | U.S. Cultures and Communities - elective list | 3 |
| MICRO 2010L or 3020L | 1 | ||
| 15-16 | 15 | ||
| Senior | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ANS 4110 | 1 | ANS 4350 | 3 |
| ANS 4340 | 3 | International Perspective - elective list | 3 |
| ANS elective | 3 | ANS elective | 3 |
| PHYS 1310 | 4 | Free elective | 3 |
| PHYS 1310L | 1 | Free elective | 4 |
| Free elective | 4 | ||
| 16 | 16 | ||
- *
Credits currently required for application to Veterinary Medicine program at ISU (55 credits)
General Chemistry with lab (7)
Organic Chemistry with lab (4)
Biochemistry (3)
General Physics with lab (4)
General Biology with lab (8)
Genetics/Animal Breeding (3)
Mammalian Anatomy and/or Physiology (3)
English Composition (6)
Oral Communication (3)
Humanities and/or Social Science (8)
Other Electives (8)