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

Jason A. Hunt speaks at 2026 Northeast Dairy Management Conference

News

2026 Northeast Dairy Management Conference
Nearly 350 dairy producers and industry professionals from across the Northeast gathered in East Syracuse, NY last week for two days of collaboration, learning and forward-looking discussions. Hosted by Cornell CALS PRO-DAIRY and the Northeast...
  • Cornell Cooperative Extension
  • PRO-DAIRY
  • Animal Science
Popp Scholarship Award winners

News

Cornell CALS undergraduates awarded Richard Popp scholarships
Cornell CALS undergraduates Danielle Herrick, Lainey Koval, Lucas Walley and Sophia Woodis received the Richard Popp Scholarship award.
  • PRO-DAIRY
  • Animal Science
  • Dairy
three woman stand together eating orange slices

Field Note

California Study Trip gives insight into modern agriculture's complexity
by Harley Wolfanger '28 Where does our food really come from? That question followed our group throughout our agricultural expedition to California this past January. I decided to embark on this trip because I wanted to understand how the...
  • Dairy Fellows Program
  • Animal Science
  • Agriculture

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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)