Two people work in the dairy parlor

Animal Science

Advancing understanding of animal biology and addressing the animal industries' most pressing problems.

Welcome to the Department of Animal Science

The Department of Animal Science offers undergraduate and graduate programs on the biology and management of food, laboratory and companion animal species. Our research programs advance our understanding of animal biology and address local and global issues facing animal industries today. Our goals are to discover and develop new techniques and information to benefit animals, agriculture and human health. Our internationally recognized faculty have diverse interests in animal management, breeding, genetics, physiology, nutrition, growth biology and microbiology.

Major in animal science

Animal science majors learn from internationally recognized professors in all aspects of domestic animal biology: breeding, genetics, nutrition, physiology, growth, behavior and management.

Animal science major

Learn more about what an animal science major can do for you.

Undergraduate studies

International opportunities

Check out the international opportunities available with the animal science major.

Learn more about undergraduate opportunities

Graduate studies

Approximately 40 graduate students from a variety of disciplines belong to the Department of Animal Science, most of them in the field of animal science.

Graduate field of animal science

Upcoming Animal Science Events

cows in a dairy barn with a man standing in the distance

Webinar

2021 Virtual Feed Dealers Seminars
The Feed Dealer Seminars are specifically targeted for nutritionists, veterinarians, crop and management consultants, extension educators, and dairy producers with specific interest in nutrition-oriented topics. Presentations blend the latest...
  • PRO-DAIRY
  • Animal Science
  • Dairy
cows in a dairy barn with a man standing in the distance

Webinar

2021 Virtual Feed Dealers Seminars
The Feed Dealer Seminars are specifically targeted for nutritionists, veterinarians, crop and management consultants, extension educators, and dairy producers with specific interest in nutrition-oriented topics. Presentations blend the latest...
  • PRO-DAIRY
  • Animal Science
  • Dairy
A truck dumps Cornell dining hall food waste at the university’s composting facility

Webinar

Exploring Co-Digestion on Dairy Farms
Possibilities for Anaerobic Digestion of Dairy Manure and Food Waste Hosted by Cornell CALS PRO-DAIRY, Cornell Cooperative Extension, NYS DEC, NYS Pollution Prevention Institute (P2I), and Ag-Grid Energy, LLC, this virtual seminar will focus on...
  • PRO-DAIRY
  • Animal Science
  • Dairy
Dale Bauman in the field with cows and feed bags.

Lecture

Dale E. Bauman Lecture
“Nutrition and immunity against infectious diseases— through the lens of vitamin A” A. Catharine Ross, Ph.D. Professor of Nutrition and Physiology Dorothy Foehr Huck Chair Head, Department of Nutritional Sciences The Pennsylvania State...
  • Dairy
  • Animal Science
  • Agriculture & Food Systems
Graduate students in the field of animal science eating dinner.

Seminar

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Graduate Field of Animal Science Research Updates
348 Frank Morrison Hall 507 Tower Road Ithaca, NY 14853 Schedule: 9/23: Andres Ortega "Examining the Role of Non-Essential AA for Milk Yield and Energetic Efficiency: Abomasal Infusion of Essential and Non-Essential Amino Acids using Energy as...
  • Animals
  • science communication
  • Animal Science

News

Holstein feed management

News

Online dairy programs advance accessibility and international engagement
PRO-DAIRY recently expanded its offerings, launching a series of online courses for students across the country and around the world. Rob Lynch, DVM, dairy herd health and management specialist, and Kathy Barrett, senior extension associate in the Department of Animal Science, direct this well-received program and speak to its success.
  • Cornell Cooperative Extension
  • PRO-DAIRY
  • Animal Science
Eugene Won's Aquaculture lab

Field Note

Eugene Won: Improving sustainability of farmed fish
Eugene Won is a senior research associate in the Department of Animal Science who studies fish physiology and develops sustainable aquaculture feeds.
  • Animal Science
  • Food
  • Fish
Agustin Olivo presenting at the annual meeting

Spotlight

Agustin Olivo Wins 2nd Place in ASA Environmental Quality Competition

  • Animal Science
  • Soil and Crop Sciences Section

Animal Science Kudos & Awards

Three Animal Science graduate students received awards during the 2021 Cornell Nutrition Conference. Brianna Tate and Jorge Barrientos-Blanco received the Leonard A. Maynard Graduate Award. Andres Ortega received the Danny G. Fox Graduate Fellowship.

Learn more about the awards and winners
2021 student winners of Maynard and Fox Graduate Awards with advisors

Graduate Students take 1st and 3rd Place in ARPAS Research Contest

The Northeast Chapter of #ARPAS held a Graduate Student Research Contest in conjunction with the 2020 PennState Virtual Dairy Cattle Nutrition Workshop in November. To find out more and view the presentations.

 

The ARPAS announcement

Students at ASA - SSSA- CSSA Annual Meeting Receive Awards

Jason Cho, MS student in Animal Science and Ben Lehman received awards for their presentations at the annual meeting held November 9 - 13th 2020.

Learn more about their presentations

Students Awarded During 82nd Annual Cornell Nutrition Conference

Three Animal Science graduate students received awards during the 2020 Cornell Nutrition Conference. Held virtually this year due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the Cornell Nutrition Conference provides industry leading research and information across the spectrum of animal nutrition to feed industry professionals and nutritional consultants.

Learn more about the awards

2020 Cargill Global Scholar

Brianna Green - Animal Science Class of 2023

Global Scholars are those who demonstrate exemplary academic achievement and leadership potential and study in a field relevant to Cargill’s world of food, agriculture and risk management. Including Green, nine Cornell University students in total have been selected as Cargill Global Scholars finalists since the program’s inception. 

Learn more about Cargill Global Scholars

Ewa Bachminska

Graduate student Ewa Bachminska received a grant from Cornell Institute for European Studies to research conservation education in Poland in the summer 2019. It will help her include more wildlife conservation in the classes that she teaches at Cornell.

 

View more kudos & awards

Contact us for more information

Thank you for your interest in Animal Science at Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. 
Reach out through the information below, or find a more direct point of contact for your inquiries.

149 Morrison Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853-4801
Phone: (607) 255-2862
Fax: (607) 255-9829
E-mail: anscinfo [at] cornell.edu