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Animal Science

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Program Overview

The Animal Science program provides you the opportunity to develop skills and knowledge required to enter a career in animal science or transfer to a four-year college to continue your education.

You will learn the complete life cycle of beef and swine from pasture to plate, and gain hands-on skills and knowledge in:

  • Anatomy and physiology
  • Animal behavior
  • Record keeping
  • Proper animal care
  • Feeding and nutrition
  • Reproduction and reproductive technology
  • Production and farm management
  • Meat science/butchering

Learn from instructors who bring real-world experience from their education, everyday farming, and professional lives. Instructor certifications include:

  • Beef Quality Assurance (BQA)
  • Pork Quality Assurance® Plus (PQA Plus)
  • Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP)
  • ServSafe

Hands-On Learning Opportunities

  • Hawkeye’s 225-acre Farm Lab: Work with beef and swine to learn their complete life cycle and as well as production and farm management.

  • Meat Lab: Learn how to cut, process, and grade meat; use meat processing equipment including saw, grinder, stuffer, deli slicers, tumbler, and small smokehouse; and USDA sanitation rules and practices.

  • Certification: Students will be certified in BQA, PQA Plus ®, Fear Free ®

  • Fistulated Steer: Learn about the digestive system, and track, test, and analyze the digestibility and nutrition of food.

  • Field Trips: Visit meat processing plants and various size farming operations to learn how your skills and knowledge can be applied in a variety of work environments.

  • Conferences: Expand your knowledge and leadership skills at the Postsecondary Agricultural Student (PAS) Conference and the Iowa Pork Congress.

  • Employment Experience: Gain 320 hours of real-world work experience ensuring you have the skills you need to succeed in your future career.

Transfer Information

An articulation agreement allows you to transfer your Animal Science coursework to the Animal Science/Pre-Veterinary Medicine program at Iowa State University. Hawkeye also has transfer relationships with Northwest Missouri State University, South Dakota State University, and University of Wisconsin—Platteville.

If you plan to transfer, work closely with a program advisor to ensure courses transfer and you meet program requirements.

At A Glance
Awards
  • Associate of Applied Science
  • Certificate
Length of Study 9 months – 2 years
Program Start Fall, Spring, Summer
Tuition Grant Available

This program qualifies for the Kibbie Grant.

Students must apply for and be awarded the Kibbie Grant.

Faculty Spotlight

Dresden Wulf

Dresden developed a passion for animal agriculture at a young age growing up on a diversified livestock farm in Central Iowa. While at Iowa State University she was a member of the 2004 Collegiate Meats Judging team which sparked her interest in meat science and the food industry. Her passion and commitment to the beef industry has endured through the years, as she continues to maintain a predominantly Angus based commercial cow herd. In recent years she has personally become involved in a commercial farrow to finish swine operation. She feels her outside of the classroom involvement in the livestock industry keeps her in-tune with current trends and brings real world experiences to the classroom.

See Dresden's bio.

Graduate Spotlight
Maddie Harford

Maddie Harford has known she wanted to work with animals since her days in 4-H. Growing up on a farm near Strawberry Point, she knew her ultimate goal was the veterinary program at Iowa State, but she wasn’t ready for the leap from small-town high school to big university. She decided to begin at Hawkeye in Animal Science.

"Coming from a small high school, It really helped in my transition from my high school life to my college life," she said. "I'd recommend going to a community college first because it helps with the transition and it's easier to be one on one with your instructors in class than a huge university class."

Graduate Spotlight
Samantha Stokes

Samantha Stokes can trace her love of animals to the summers she spent at her grandmother's horse rescue. It made selecting a career path easy.

"I knew Hawkeye would be a great place to start because I knew they had a really good Animal Science program," she said. "I knew it would be affordable and I could go anywhere from here."

In addition to the hands-on learning experiences in class, Samantha was able to apply her growing skillset in the real world as a dog groomer at PetSmart.

"Because of Hawkeye, I've been able to get a degree without any debt," she said. "I have been able to pursue a passion that I've always wanted."

Program Pathways

Meat Science Certificate

The Meat Science certificate program provides students with hands-on training for a career in the meat science industry utilizing up-to-date industry equipment in Hawkeye's meat lab.

Program Details

Award Certificate
Credits 24
Program Start Fall, Spring, Summer
Number of Terms 2
Time to Complete 9 months
Admissions Application Select Academic Program:
Animal Science – AAS
See Program Admission

suggested sequence of study and cost

Program Courses

Term 1
  • Domestic Animal Physiology
  • Livestock Evaluation
  • Microbiology
Term 2
  • Employment Experience
  • Foods of Animal Origin
  • Swine Science
    Beef Cattle Science

Next step: Continue to the Animal Science Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree or graduate and enter the workforce.

Animal Science Associate of Applied Science (AAS) Degree

Program Details

Award Associate of Applied Science (AAS)
Credits 69
Program Start Fall, Spring, Summer
Number of Terms 4
Time to Complete 2 years
Admissions Application Select Academic Program:
Animal Science – AAS
See Program Admission

suggested sequence of study and cost

Program Courses

Term 1
  • Ag Computers
  • Principles of Agronomy
  • Survey of the Animal Industry
Term 2
  • Animal Nutrition
  • Applied Math
  • Fundamentals of Soil Science
  • Swine Science
    Equine Science
    Beef Cattle Science
Term 3
  • Domestic Animal Physiology
  • Financial Accounting
    Introduction to Accounting
  • Issues Facing Animal Science
Term 4
  • Employment Experience
  • Foods of Animal Origin
  • Swine Science
    Equine Science
    Beef Cattle Science
Animal Science Electives
  • Agricultural Economics
  • Agricultural Selling
  • Agriculture Leadership
  • Beef Cattle Science
  • Cash Grains
  • Companion Animal
  • Equine Science
  • Farm Business Management
  • Food Safety and Analysis
  • Fundamentals of GIS
  • Integrated Pest Management
  • Introduction to Agriculture Markets
  • Livestock Evaluation
  • Pesticide Application Certification
  • Precision Farming Systems
  • Study Abroad
  • Swine Science
  • Veterinary Assisting
  • Veterinary Medical Terminology
  • Veterinary Pharmacology
  • Veterinary Reception and Administration Skills

Students pursuing the Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree can also earn the Meat Science certificate or the Veterinary Assisting diploma by completing Meat Science certificate coursework or Veterinary Assisting diploma coursework as they complete the AAS degree.

See the Suggested Sequence of Study for the full list of courses, cost, and additional course details.

You have completed the Animal Science Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree program.

Careers

Positions

Graduates find employment working in:

  • Livestock production
  • Livestock sales and marketing
  • Livestock processing
  • Animal genetics
  • Small and large farm operations

Example Careers and Average Wages
Entry Average Experienced
Agricultural Inspectors $38,490 $50,230 $60,690
Agricultural Technicians $28,800 $38,350 $53,130
Animal Breeders $37,120 $48,520 $51,490
Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers $56,600 $97,120 $104,380
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse $24,140 $37,390 $41,700
Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals $27,060 $34,020 $42,100
Food Science Technicians $38,000 $47,270 $57,940

Source: 2023 Iowa Wage Report, Iowa Workforce Development — Statewide Wage Information

Employers

The following is a partial list of employers who have hired graduates from this program:
Business Location
ADM Alliance Nutrition Quincy, IL
Heartland Co-op West Des Moines, IA
JBS USA Marshalltown, IA
Tyson Foods, Inc. Waterloo, IA
USDA Food Safety Inspection Service
Westwood Embryo Services Waverly, IA

Program Contacts
Admissions
Email Admissions 319-296-4000 Hawkeye Center 114
Academic/College Success Advisor
Last Names A – L
 Kaitlyn Harris Email Kaitlyn Harris 319-296-4014 ext.1066 Bremer Hall 136A
Academic/College Success Advisor
Last Names M – Z
 John Peterson Email John Peterson 319-296-4014 ext.1448 Bremer Hall 136B
Faculty Advisor
Last Names A – M
 Ole Cleveland Email Ole Cleveland 319-296-2329 ext.1414 Bremer Hall 111C
Faculty Advisor
Last Names N – Z
 Dresden Wulf Email Dresden Wulf 319-296-2329 ext.1084 Bremer Hall 111D

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