a young man crouches in a field with two dogs

Animal Science

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

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

Undergraduate research

Discovering new genes

Cameron Xu ’26 is using biometry and statistics to help Cornell CALS animal science professor Vimal Selvaraj identify new genes. Together, they’re investigating how steroid hormones regulate the body’s processes, uncovering new knowledge that could advance cancer research and solve other human health challenges.

Explore synthetic biology at CALS
Play CALS Undergraduate Research Experience: Cameron Xu '26

News

a woman holds a vial of liquid in a lab

Field Note

Elizabeth Zhang: Living the dream
Elizabeth Zhang ’26 is a senior in Animal Science with a concentration in pre-veterinary medicine. Currently she is an undergraduate researcher in the lab of Heather Huson , associate professor of animal genetics. We sat down together to talk...
  • Animal Science
  • Animals
  • Genetics
Components of the SSEA tool input and output with a faded background of a corn field.

News

Unlocking on-farm research: SSEA tool makes on-farm research accessible
One of the best ways to connect science to practice is through on-farm research. On-farm research can help farmers make informed decisions about how to efficiently use their resources (like fertilizer and seed) to grow high-yielding, high...
  • Agriculture
  • Digital Agriculture
  • Dairy
A man standing in a crop field.

Field Note

Data takes the guesswork out of nutrient management: Grid soil sampling
Soil testing is a crucial part of efficient, effective crop production, allowing for farm decision-makers to consider different nutrient management strategies based on their soil test results. Cornell’s Nutrient Management Spear Program (NMSP)...
  • Statistics and Data Science
  • Agriculture
  • Field Crops

Sign up for our newsletter

Get The Feed, Cornell Animal Science Department's monthly newsletter. Full of the latest news, events, and comings and goings, The Feed is your portal to all things animal science.

Sign up now!
a woman in a lab coat looks at a beaker of liquid
Diana Reyes Gomez prepares samples of SeaGraze, a product developed by Symbrosia based on the seaweed Asparagopsis taxiformis, for a shelf stability trial. Photo provided.

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 (anscinfo[at]cornell[dot]edu)