a student holds a lamb in a barn

Concentrations

Concentrations

Animal Science student holding a chicken

All students must complete one of the following concentrations along with the core coursework. Concentrations will be declared second semester sophomore year. Any change in concentration must be approved using an online petition. Concentration courses cannot double-count for core coursework requirements. Note: If you are a Pre-vet, it does not mean that you have to take the Pre-vet concentration.

 

Integrative Physiology and Nutrition builds a foundation of animal physiology and nutrition along with exploring several advanced elective courses. This is a great concentration for students interested in a research career and/or seeking a competitive edge in future veterinary training.

At least 3 credits from Physiology: 

  • ANSC 3000 - Avian Physiology and Management (Fall, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 3300 - Fish Physiology (cross-listed in BIOAP) (Spring, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 3400 - Comparative Mammalian Reproduction (Spring, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 3410 - Biology of the Mammary Gland in Health and Disease (cross-listed in BIOAP) (Spring, 2 credits - offered in even-numbered years only)
  • ANSC 3450 - Reproductive Physiology and Management of Dairy Cattle (Spring, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 3700 - Immunology in Animal Health and Disease (Spring, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 3920 - Mechanisms of Growth and Development (Spring, 2 credits - offered in odd-numbered years only)
  • ANSC 4270 - Fundamentals of Endocrinology (Fall, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 4310 - Animal Genomics and Epigenomics (Fall, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 4500 - Model Organisms in Reproductive Sciences (Fall, 2 credits- offered in odd-numbered years only)

At least 3 credits from Nutrition:

  • ANSC 3550 - Dairy Cattle Nutrition (Spring, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 4110 - Integrated Cattle Nutrition (Fall, 4 credits)
  • ANSC 4200 - Nutrition of Cats and Dogs (Fall, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 4280 - Comparative Nutrition of the Horse and Pig (Spring, 3-4 credits)
  • ANSC 4410 - Metabolic Physiology (Spring, 3 credits)
  • CHEM 1560 - Introduction to General Chemistry (Fall, 4 credits)
  • CHEM 1570 - Introduction to Organic and Biological Chemistry (Spring, 3 credits)
  • EAS 1600 - Environmental Physics (Both, 3 credits)
  • AEM 1200 - Introduction to Business Management (Spring, 3 credits)
  • AEM 1500 - An Introduction to the Economics of Environmental and Natural Resources (Spring, 3 credits)
  • AEM 2210 - Financial Accounting (Both, 3 credits)
  • ECON 1110 - Introductory Microeconomics (Both, 3 credits)
  • ECON 1120 - Introductory Macroeconomics (Both, 3 credits)
  • HADM 2230 - Financial Accounting Principles (Both, 3 credits)
  • HADM 2250 - Finance (Both, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 3310 - Applied Dairy Cattle Genetics (Spring, 2 credits - offered in odd-numbered years only)
  • ANSC 4310 - Animal Genomics and Epigenomics (Fall, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 4990 - Undergraduate Research in Animal Science (Both, 1-3 credits)
  • BIOAP 3190 - Laboratory in Physiology (Fall, 4 credits)
  • BIOG 1500 - Investigative Biology Laboratory (Both, 2 credits)
  • BIOEE 3611 - Field Ecology (Fall, 3 credits)
  • BIOMG 4810 - Population Genetics (Fall, 4 credits)
  • BIOMI 2911 - Microbiology Laboratory (Both, 3 credits)
  • ENTOM 3030 - Applied Statistics: Biological Experiments in Practice (Spring, 4 credits)
  • NTRES 2100 - Introductory Field Biology (Fall, 4 credits)
  • NTRES 3100 - Applied Population Ecology (Fall, 3 credits)
  • NTRES 3150 - Introduction to Conservation Bioacoustics (Fall, 3 credits)
  • NTRES 3400 - Molecular Tools for Ecology, Conservation, and Natural Resource Management (Fall, 3 credits)

Pre-Veterinary Medicine serves the dual purpose of providing a foundation in animal physiology and fulfilling prerequisites for veterinary schools, and other health professions. Students in this course must maintain a minimum of a 2.8 GPA and receive a grade of C- or better for BIOMG 1350, CHEM 2070/2080, BIOAP 1100, and BIOG 1500. 

* This concentration is also relevant for Pre-Medical.
* Courses in this concentration are not intended to specify Vet school or Med school application requirements

BIOMG 1350 - Cell and Developmental Biology (Both, 3 credits)
BIOG 1500 - Investigative Biology Laboratory (Both, 2 credits)

At least 6 credits from Physiology:

  • ANSC 3300 - Fish Physiology (cross-listed in BIOAP) (Spring, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 3400 - Comparative Mammalian Reproduction (Spring, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 3410 - Biology of the Mammary Gland in Health and Disease (cross-listed in BIOAP) (Spring, 2 credits - offered in even-numbered years only)
  • ANSC 3450 - Reproductive Physiology and Management of Dairy Cattle (Spring, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 3540 - Dairy Cattle Herd Health (Fall, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 3700 - Immunology in Animal Health and Disease (Spring, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 3920 - Mechanisms of Growth and Development (Spring, 2 credits - offered in odd-numbered years only)
  • ANSC 4270 - Fundamentals of Endocrinology (Fall, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 4310 - Animal Genomics and Epigenomics (Fall, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 4500 - Model Organisms in Reproductive Sciences (Fall, 2 credits- offered in odd-numbered years only)

At least 3 credits from Nutrition:

  • ANSC 3550 - Dairy Cattle Nutrition (Spring, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 4110 - Integrated Cattle Nutrition (Fall, 4 credits)
  • ANSC 4200 - Nutrition of Cats and Dogs (Fall, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 4280 - Comparative Nutrition of the Horse and Pig (Spring, 3-4 credits)
  • ANSC 4410 - Metabolic Physiology (Spring, 3 credits)

CHEM 2070 - General Chemistry I (Both, 4 credits)
CHEM 2080 - General Chemistry II (Both, 4 credits)
CHEM 3570 - Organic Chemistry for the Life Sciences I (Both, 3 credits)

It is highly recommended students also take the following to meet requirements for some schools
CHEM 3580 - Organic Chemistry for the Life Sciences II (Both, 3 credits)
CHEM 2510 - Introduction to Experimental Organic Chemistry (Both, 2 credits)

Option 1: BIOMG 3310 - Principles of Biochemistry: Proteins and Metabolism (Fall, 3 credits)
BIOMG 3320 - Principles of Biochemistry: Molecular Biology (Spring, 2 credits)

Option 2: BIOMG 3300 - Principles of Biochemistry (Individualized instruction format) (Fall, Spring, 4 credits)

Option 3: NS 3200 - Introduction to Human Biochemistry (Fall, 4 credits)

Option 4: BIOMG 3350 - Proteins, Metabolism, and Molecular Biology (Spring, 4 credits)

  • BIOAP 3110 - Principles of Animal Physiology (cross-listed in BIOMS) (Fall, 3 credits)
  • BIOAP 3190 - Laboratory in Physiology (cross-listed in BIOMS) (Fall, 4 credits)
  • BIOAP 4130 - Histology: The Biology of the Tissues (cross-listed in BIOMS) (Spring, 4 credits)
  • BIOMI 2900 - General Microbiology Lectures (Both, 3 credits)
  • BIOMI 2911 - General Microbiology Laboratory (Both, 3 credits)
  • BIOMS 3160 - Cellular Physiology (Spring, 3 credits)
  • NS 3410 - Human Anatomy and Physiology (Spring, 4 credits)

Option 1: PHYS 1101 - General Physics I (Individualized instruction format) (Fall, 4 credits)
PHYS 1102 - General Physics II (Individualized instruction format) (Spring, 4 credits)

Option 2: PHYS 2207 - Fundamentals of Physics I (Calculus-based) (Fall, 4 credits)
PHYS 2208 - Fundamentals of Physics II (Calculus-based) (Spring, 4 credits)

Dairy Management focuses on the science, management, and business skills needed to be successful in the dairy industry and the larger agricultural business environment. Students must complete ANSC 2500 Dairy Cattle Principles for the Fundamentals of Animal Management Requirement. 

ANSC 3450 - Reproductive Physiology and Management of Dairy Cattle (Spring, 3 credits)
ANSC 3510 - Dairy Herd Management (Spring, 4 credits)
ANSC 3540 - Dairy Cattle Herd Health (Fall, 3 credits)
ANSC 3550 - Dairy Cattle Nutrition (Spring, 3 credits)
ANSC 4510 - Dairy Herd Business Management (Fall, 4 credits)
ANSC 4560 - Dairy Business and Enterprise Management (Spring, 2 credits)
AEM 3020 - Farm Business Management (Fall, 4 credits)

CHEM 1560 - Introduction to General Chemistry (Fall, 4 credits)

  • AEM 1200 - Introduction to Business Management (Spring, 3 credits)
  • AEM 2241 - Finance (Both, 3 credits)
  • ECON 1110 - Introductory Microeconomics (Both, 3 credits)
  • ECON 1120 - Introductory Macroeconomics (Both, 3 credits)
  • HADM 2230 - Financial Accounting Principles (Both, 3 credits)
  • HADM 2250 - Finance (Both, 3 credits)
  • AEM 1500 - An Introduction to the Economics of Environmental and Natural Resources (Spring, 3 credits)
  • AEM 2050 - Introduction to Agricultural Finance (Spring, 3 credits)
  • AEM 2011 - Spreadsheet Modeling for Non-Dyson Majors (Spring, 3 credits)
  • AEM 2210 - Financial Accounting (Fall, Spring, 3 credits)
  • AEM 2310 - Business and Economics of Food (Spring, 3 credits)
  • AEM 3040 - Dairy Markets and Policy (Spring, 3 credits)
  • AEM 3260 - Cooperative Business Management (Spring, 4 credits)
  • AEM 3270 - Supply Chain Strategy and Supermarket Simulation (Fall, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 2550 - Dairy Study Trip to Italy (Winter, 2.5 credits - offered in odd-numbered years only)
  • ANSC 3560 - International Dairy Study Trip (Winter, 2.5 credits - offered in odd-numbered years only)
  • ANSC 4120 - Whole-Farm Nutrient Management (Spring, 4 credits)
  • GDEV 4140 - Global Cropping Systems and Sustainable Development (Spring, 3 credits)
  • HADM 2740 - Business Computing (Spring, 3 credits)
  • HADM 4150 - Practical Leadership: Foundations for a Career (Spring, 1 credit weekend course)
  • ILRHR 2600 - Human Resource Management (Fall, 3 credits)
  • LEAD 3100 - Foundations in Leadership: Skills for Personal and Professional Effectiveness (Both, 3 credits)
  • NBA 3000 - The Business of Entrepreneurship (Both, 3 credits)
  • NBA 5820 - Leaders in Family Enterprise Practice and Theory (Spring, 1.5 credits)
  • PLSCI 2110 - Field Crop Systems (Fall, 3 credits)
  • PLSCI 3150 - Weed Biology and Management (Fall, 4 credits)
  • PLSCI 3210 - Soil and Crop Management for Sustainability (Fall, 3 credits)

Applied Animal Biology and Interdisciplinary Studies provides a breadth of nutrition, physiology and management while allowing the opportunity to explore electives. The 9 credits for Animal Management are in addition to your 3 credits of Fundamentals of Animal Management from Core Coursework. 

  • ANSC 3550 - Dairy Cattle Nutrition (Spring, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 4110 - Integrated Cattle Nutrition (Fall, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 4200 - Nutrition of Cats and Dogs (Fall, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 4280 - Comparative Nutrition of the Horse and Pig (Spring, 3-4 credits)
  • ANSC 4410 - Metabolic Physiology (Spring, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 3300 - Fish Physiology (cross listed BIOAP) (Spring, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 3400 - Comparative Mammalian Reproduction (Spring, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 3410 - Biology of the Mammary Gland in Health and Disease (cross listed BIOAP) (Spring, 2 credits - offered in even-numbered years only)
  • ANSC 3700 - Immunology in Animal Health and Disease (Spring, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 3920 - Mechanisms of Animal Growth and Development (Spring, 2 credits - offered in odd-numbered years only)
  • ANSC 4270 - Fundamentals of Endocrinology (cross-listed BIOAP) (Fall, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 4310 - Animal Genomics and Epigenomics (Fall, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 4500 - Model Organisms in Reproductive Sciences (Fall, 2 credits - offered in odd-numbered years only)
  • ANSC 1130 - Introduction to Captive Raptor Husbandry (Fall, 1 credit)
  • ANSC 2300 - Introduction to Domestic Mammalian Behavior (Fall, 2 credits)
  • ANSC 2500 - Dairy Cattle Principles (Fall, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 2650 - Equine Biology and Management (Fall, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 3000 - Avian Physiology and Management (Fall, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 3310 - Applied Dairy Cattle Genetics (Spring, 2 credits - offered in odd-numbered years only)
  • ANSC 3450 - Reproductive Physiology and Management of Dairy Cattle (Spring, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 3500 - Meat (Fall, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 3510 - Dairy Herd Management (Spring, 4 credits)
  • ANSC 3540 - Dairy Cattle Herd Health (Fall, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 3600 - Beef Cattle (Spring, 3 credits - offered in even-numbered years only)
  • ANSC 3800 - Sheep (Fall, 3 credits)
  • CHEM 1560 - Introduction to General Chemistry (Fall, 4 credits)
  • CHEM 1570 - Introduction to Organic and Biological Chemistry (Spring, 3 credits)
  • EAS 1600 - Environmental Physics (Both, 3 credits)
  • AEM 1200 - Introduction to Business Management (Spring, 3 credits)
  • AEM 1500 - An Introduction to the Economics of Environmental and Natural Resources (Spring, 3 credits)
  • AEM 2210 - Financial Accounting (Both, 3 credits)
  • ECON 1110 - Introductory Microeconomics (Both, 3 credits)
  • ECON 1120 - Introductory Macroeconomics (Both, 3 credits)
  • HADM 2230 - Financial Accounting Principles (Both, 3 credits)
  • HADM 2250 - Finance (Both, 3 credits)

Students must complete an internship or experience in the field of Animal Management during their time at Cornell. This will be approved by the academic advisor. 

Explore the realm of species diversity and sustainability while still building a strong foundation in animal physiology. 

  • BIOEE 1780 - Introductory Biology: Evolutionary Biology & Diversity (Both, 4 credits)
  • BIOEE 1610 - Introductory Biology: Ecology and the Environment (Both, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 2300 - Introduction to Domestic Mammalian Behavior (Fall, 2 credits)
  • ANSC 3000 - Avian Physiology and Management (Fall, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 3300 - Fish Physiology (cross listed BIOAP) (Spring, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 3400 - Comparative Mammalian Reproduction (Spring, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 3410 - Biology of the Mammary Gland in Health and Disease (cross listed BIOAP) (Spring, 2 credits - offered in even-numbered years only)
  • ANSC 3700 - Immunology in Animal Health and Disease (Spring, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 3920 - Mechanisms of Animal Growth and Development (Spring, 2 credits - offered in odd-numbered years only)
  • ANSC 4200 - Nutrition of Cats and Dogs (Fall, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 4270 - Fundamentals of Endocrinology (cross-listed BIOAP) (Fall, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 4280 - Comparative Nutrition of the Horse and Pig (Spring, 3-4 credits)
  • ANSC 4500 - Model Organisms in Reproductive Sciences (Fall, 2 credits - offered in odd-numbered years only)
  • ANSC 1130 - Introduction to Captive Raptor Husbandry (Fall, 1 credit)
  • BIOEE 2740 - The Vertebrates: Comparative Anatomy, Function, Paleontology, & Evolution (Spring, 4 credits)
  • BIOEE 3730 - Biodiversity and Biology of Marine Invertebrates (Fall, 3 credits)
  • BIOEE 4530 - Speciation: Genetics, Ecology, and Behavior (Spring, 4 credits)
  • BIOEE 4700 - Herpetology, Lectures (Fall, 2 credits - offered in odd-numbered years only)
  • BIOEE 4701 - Herpetology, Laboratory (Fall, 2 credits - offered in odd-numbered years only)
  • BIOEE 4750 - Ornithology, Lectures (Spring, 3 credits - offered in even-numbered years only)
  • BIOEE 4751 - Ornithology, Laboratory (Spring, 1 credits - offered in even-numbered years only)
  • ANSC 4880 - Global Food, Energy, and Water Nexus (Fall, 3 credits)
  • BIOEE 3610 - Advanced Ecology (Fall, 3 credits)
  • BIOEE 4660 - Physiology Ecology, Lectures (Spring, 3 credits)
  • BIOEE 4780 - Ecosystem Biology and Global Change (Spring, 4 credits)
  • BIOMI 3500 - Marine Microbes and Disease in a Changing Ocean (Spring, 3 credits)
  • EAS 2680 - Climate and Global Warming (Spring, 3 credits)
  • NTRES 2010 - Environmental Conservation (Spring, 3 credits)
  • NTRES 3220 - Global Biodiversity (Fall, 3 credits)
  • NTRES 4600 - Planning for Environmental Conservation & Sustainability (Fall, 3 credits)
  • CHEM 1560 - Introduction to General Chemistry (Fall, 4 credits)
  • CHEM 1570 - Introduction to Organic and Biological Chemistry (Spring, 3 credits)
  • EAS 1600 - Environmental Physics (Both, 3 credits)
  • AEM 1200 - Introduction to Business Management (Spring, 3 credits)
  • AEM 1500 - An Introduction to the Economics of Environmental and Natural Resources (Spring, 3 credits)
  • AEM 2210 - Financial Accounting (Both, 3 credits)
  • AEM 2220 - Foundational Perspectives and the Contemporary Issues in Entrepreneurship (Both, 3 credits)
  • ECON 1110 - Introductory Microeconomics (Both, 3 credits)
  • ECON 1120 - Introductory Macroeconomics (Both, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 3310 - Applied Dairy Cattle Genetics (Spring, 2 credits - offered in odd-numbered years only)
  • ANSC 4310 - Animal Genomics and Epigenomics (Fall, 3 credits)
  • ANSC 4990 - Undergraduate Research in Animal Science (Both, 1-3 credits)
  • BIOEE 3611 - Field Ecology (Fall, 3 credits)
  • BIOG 1500 - Investigative Biology Laboratory (Both, 2 credits)
  • BIOMG 4810 - Population Genetics (Fall, 4 credits)
  • ENTOM 3030 - Applied Statistics: Biological Experiments in Practice (Spring, 4 credits)
  • NTRES 2100 - Introductory Field Biology (Fall, 4 credits)
  • NTRES 2400 - Field Methods in Avian Ecology (Fall, 3 credits)
  • NTRES 3100 - Applied Population Ecology (Fall, 3 credits)
  • NTRES 3150 - Introduction to Conservation Bioacoustics (Fall, 3 credits)
  • NTRES 3400 - Molecular Tools for Ecology, Conservation, and Natural Resource Management (Fall, 3 credits)
  • NTRES 4100 - Advanced Conservation Biology: Concepts and Techniques (Fall, 4 credits)
  • NTRES 4120 - Wildlife Population Analysis: Techniques and Models (Spring, 4 credits - offered in even-numbered years only)

Students must complete an internship or experience in the field of Animal Ecology and Conservation during their time at Cornell. This will be approved by the academic advisor. 

  • BIOG 3500 - Introduction to Applied Science Communication (Fall, 3 credits)
  • COMM 2010 - Oral Communication (Both, 3 credits)
  • COMM 3020 - Science Writing for the Media (Fall, 3 credits)
  • COMM 3210 - Communication and the Environment (Both, 3 credits)
  • EDUC 3350 - Youth Organizations and Leadership Development (Fall, 3 credits)
  • EDUC 3510 - Engaged Learning through Extension, Outreach, and Instruction (Spring, 3 credits)
  • ENTOM 3350 - Naturalist Outreach Practicum (Fall, 4 credits)
  • ILRLR 3300 - Advocacy and Debate (Both, 4 credits)
  • PLSCI 3940 - Skills for Public Engagement (Spring, 3 credits)

Hear from our students

Applied Animal Biology & Interdisciplinary Studies

I truly love how welcoming Animal Science is. My concentration means so much to me because it allows me to explore so much about animal science as a whole.

  • Elisa Kim '24

Integrative Physiology & Nutrition

I see Integrative Physiology & Nutrition concentration as the best pathway for me to prepare for veterinary school while also exploring my interest in animal nutrition and metabolism.

  • Sydney Sill '23

Pre-Veterinary Medicine

The more involved I am in the world of animal science, the more I realize how intertwined people are with animals. I would love to be part of the process of helping people and animals alike.

  • Fiona Higgins '24

Dairy Management

The Dairy Management concentration and community provided rigorous hands-on learning, networking opportunities, and the ability to learn with the best professors in the industry.

  • Emily Starceski '23
Elisa Kim holding lamb
Sydney Sill drawing blood from sheep
Fiona Higgins holding baby goat
Emily Starceski showing a cow