Dairy Science, B.S.

Undergraduates in Dairy Science prepare for a variety of career opportunities that require a strong background in applied animal biology. Careers include: agribusiness, dairy farm management, technical service and consulting, research, and teaching. Students also enroll in the major to prepare for veterinary school, medical school, or graduate school. Coursework in the major includes animal genetics, lactation, reproduction, nutrition and management. The department may be consulted for additional details and for specific career information.

The Dairy Science major can be earned under the bachelor of science degree program. The Dairy Science major may be combined with other majors such as Agricultural and Applied Economics, Biological Systems Engineering, Genetics and Genomics, Life Sciences Communication, and Agronomy. Multiple out-of-classroom learning opportunities are included in the curriculum and internships on farms or with agribusiness are required to provide the practical training needed for success in any 21st-century careers. Many students gain valuable experience through part-time employment in research labs or in the student-operated dairy cattle instruction and research center.

Discoveries from the research laboratories reach the classroom long before they appear in textbooks.Students benefit from integration of the instructional and research programs of the department. The co-curricular Badger Dairy Club involves students in dairy industry events that provide leadership and networking opportunities in a vibrant industry.

1. Gain knowledge of current and emerging research­ based information in animal biology and management sciences to support dairy production.
2. Gain intellectual, practical and attitudinal skills needed to identify and solve problems and challenges facing dairy producers and allied industries.
3. Gain in life-­long learning skills to enable graduates to adapt to changing technological, economic and social circumstances throughout their professional career.

All undergraduate students at UW–Madison must complete the university-wide General Education Requirements, which are designed to convey the essential core of an undergraduate education. This core establishes a foundation for living a productive life, being a citizen of the world, appreciating aesthetic values, and engaging in lifelong learning in a continually changing world. These requirements provide for breadth across the humanities and arts, social studies, and natural sciences; competence in communication, critical thinking, and analytical skills necessary for success in college and beyond; and investigation of the issues raised by living in a culturally diverse society. This core is intended to provide students with intellectual and practical skills, basic knowledge of human cultures and the physical world, strategies for understanding these topics, and tools intended to contribute to their sense of personal and social responsibility. General Education complements the work students do in their majors and degrees. Together, these requirements help students learn what they need to know not just for making a living, but also for making a life.

Completing the General Education Requirements is an important part of achieving these competencies, and to do so, students choose from many courses in communication, ethnic studies, quantitative reasoning, and breadth of study across disciplines in the natural sciences, humanities, literature, and arts, and social and behavioral sciences.

Completing the General Education Requirements is an important part of achieving these competencies, and to do so, students choose from many courses in communication, ethnic studies, quantitative reasoning, and breadth of study across disciplines in the natural sciences, humanities, literature, and arts, and social and behavioral sciences.

Each school and college may choose to allow General Education courses to count toward other degree and/or major requirements. Students should always check with their advisors to discuss any additional degree requirements and determine if students are required to take specific General Education courses or to complete the requirements in a particular order. Students should review their Degree Audit (DARS) report to see how they are progressing toward fulfilling the General Education requirements. Please refer to.

All students receive individualized advising from their academic advisor. Students are assigned an academic advisor upon declaration of the major and are expected to meet with their advisor each semester before registering for courses in the upcoming semester.  Academic advisors and mentors will assist students in developing an individualized, four-year curricular plan. Research experience and internships are encouraged. Interested students should contact J. Liv Sandberg   (608-263-4303) with questions.

Undergraduates in Dairy Science prepare for a variety of career opportunities that require a strong background in applied animal biology. Careers include: agribusiness, dairy farm management, technical service and consulting, research, and teaching. Students also enroll in the department to prepare for veterinary school, medical school, or graduate school. Coursework in the major includes animal genetics, lactation, reproduction, nutrition and management. The department may be consulted for additional details and for specific career information.