Offered at: San Luis Obispo Campus
The Animal Science Department offers degree programs in both Animal and Dairy Science. Students learn principles of animal biology, husbandry, behavior, nutrition, and reproduction with molecular biology and other life sciences in a variety of species. These principles apply to farm animals, wildlife, laboratory animals, and companion animals. The curriculum is flexible, allowing each student to plan an individual curriculum aligned with their interests and career goals. This is a comprehensive hands-on program offering learn-by-doing opportunities to gain experience with a variety of animal species.
The program aims to train students to be problem-solvers, effective communicators, and leaders as they advance in their professional careers. Our graduates will understand their professional and ethical responsibilities as animal scientists. By embracing diversity, equity, and inclusivity our students will be able to adapt to changing societal attitudes and perceptions as they relate to human-animal interactions.
The Animal Science Department is supported by a variety of animal and production facilities for hands-on learning. There are opportunities for students to participate in faculty research using these facilities, as well as over 6,000 acres of grazing lands, conservation areas and habitats for native plants and animals.
In addition, the department offers a wide assortment of co-curricular activities including student clubs, competitive animal judging teams and intercollegiate dressage and equestrian teams. Students participate in organizing and conducting service meetings, seminars and field days sponsored by the department.
Program Learning Objectives
- Implement problem-solving skills while working on issues related to the animal sciences.
- Collaborate and practice leadership skills while working on teams in various animal science disciplines to achieve common goals.
- Integrate and apply technical and conceptual knowledge in the principles of animal nutrition, reproduction, genetics and genomics, physiology, anatomy, behavior, health, welfare and ethics, working lands management and monitoring, and food processing and safety.
- Relate ethical, social, and professional responsibilities as animal scientists to address challenges while embracing diversity, equity, inclusivity, and sustainability.
- Communicate topics related to the animal sciences in an articulate and professional manner.
Degree Requirements and Curriculum
In addition to the program requirements listed on this page, students must also satisfy requirements outlined in more detail in the Minimum Requirements for Graduation section of this catalog, including:
- 40 units of upper-division courses
- 2.0 GPA
- Graduation Writing Requirement (GWR)
- U.S. Cultural Pluralism (USCP)
Note: No Major, Support, or Concentration courses may be selected as credit/no credit. Only one General Education course may be selected as credit/no credit. In addition, no more than 12 units of cooperative or internship courses can count towards your degree requirements.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| MAJOR COURSES | ||
| ASCI 1100 | Introduction to the Animal Sciences | 1 |
| ASCI 1101 | Principles of Animal Physiology | 3 |
| ASCI 1102 | Animal Management Systems | 3 |
| ASCI 1103 | Animal Science Laboratory | 1 |
| ASCI 2210 & ASCI 2211 | Meat Science and Meat Science Laboratory | 3 |
| ASCI 2220 | Animal Nutrition and Feeding | 3 |
| ASCI 2229 | Anatomy and Physiology of Farm Animals | 3 |
| ASCI 3302 | Animal Genetics | 3 |
| ASCI 3304 | Animal Genomics | 2 |
| ASCI 3340 | Animal Welfare and Ethics | 3 |
| ASCI 3351 | Mechanisms of Hormone Action and Reproductive Physiology | 3 |
| ASCI 3363 | Professional Development in the Animal Sciences | 1 |
| Senior Project | ||
| Select from the following: | 2 | |
| Senior Project - Research Experience in Animal Science | ||
| Senior Project - Advanced Internship Experience in Animal Science | ||
| Senior Project - Current Issues in Animal Science | ||
| Enterprise Experience Electives | ||
| Select from the following: | 3 | |
| Beef Cattle Enterprise | ||
| Broiler Production Enterprise | ||
| Bull Test Enterprise | ||
| Dairy Calving Enterprise | ||
| Dairy Fit and Show Enterprise | ||
| Dairy Herd Evaluation Enterprise | ||
| Dairy Products Evaluation Enterprise 1 | ||
| Equine Care Enterprise | ||
| Foaling Enterprise | ||
| Lambing Enterprise 1 | ||
| Performance Horse Development Enterprise | ||
| Reptile Husbandry Enterprise | ||
| Sausage Production Enterprise 1 | ||
| Swine Enterprise | ||
| Targeted Grazing Enterprise 1 | ||
| Veterinary Clinic Operations Enterprise | ||
| Livestock Show Enterprise 1 | ||
| Artificial Insemination of Beef Cattle Advanced Enterprise | ||
| Bull Test Management Advanced Enterprise | ||
| Bull Test Sale Implementation Advanced Enterprise | ||
| Equine Mustang Management Advanced Enterprise 1 | ||
| Ranch Management I Advanced Enterprise 1 | ||
| Ranch Management II Advanced Enterprise 1 | ||
| Horse and Mule Packing Advanced Enterprise 1 | ||
| Livestock Event Planning Advanced Enterprise 1 | ||
| Livestock Event Implementation Advanced Enterprise 1 | ||
| Livestock Judging Advanced Enterprise | ||
| Marine Mammal Health Advanced Enterprise | ||
| Performance Horse Production Advanced Enterprise | ||
| Equine Sale Event Planning Advanced Enterprise | ||
| Equine Sale Event Implementation Advanced Enterprise | ||
| Veterinary Community Service Advanced Enterprise | ||
| Animal Management Electives | ||
| Select from the following: | 6 | |
| Beef and Dairy Cattle Management | ||
| Swine and Poultry Management | ||
| Small Ruminant and Rangeland Management | ||
| Companion Animal Management | ||
| Biochemistry/Chemistry | ||
| Select from the following: (Upper-Division 2/5) 2 | 3-4 | |
| Physiological Chemistry of Animals | ||
| Biochemistry: Fundamentals and Applications | ||
| Biochemistry | ||
| Nutrition | ||
| Select from the following: | 3 | |
| Equine Nutrition | ||
| Nonruminant Nutrition | ||
| Ruminant Nutrition | ||
| Animal Metabolism and Nutritional Modeling | ||
| Physiology | ||
| Select from the following: | 3-4 | |
| Applied Biotechnology in Animal Science | ||
| Domestic Livestock Endocrinology | ||
| Animal Embryology and Assisted Reproduction | ||
| Systemic Animal Physiology | ||
| Immunology and Diseases of Animals | ||
| Equine Reproduction | ||
| Lactation Physiology | ||
| Dairy Cattle Reproductive Management and Artificial Insemination | ||
| Approved Electives | ||
| Select any 3000-5000 level ASCI or DSCI courses 3, 4 | 12 | |
| SUPPORT COURSES | ||
| BIO 1151 | Life: Molecules and Cells (5B & 5C) 2 | 4 |
| CHEM 1120 | Fundamentals of Chemical Structure and Properties (5A) 2 | 4 |
| CHEM 2240 | Organic Chemistry: Fundamentals and Applications | 4-5 |
| or CHEM 2242 | Organic Chemistry I | |
| MATH 1006 | College Algebra (2) 2 | 3 |
| STAT 1110 | Applied Statistical Concepts and Methods | 3 |
| GENERAL EDUCATION (GE) | ||
| (See GE program requirements below) | 30 | |
| FREE ELECTIVES | ||
| Free Electives 5, 6 | 8-11 | |
| Total Units | 120 | |
- 1
Repeatable courses can only be used once for Major degree credit.
- 2
- Required in Major or Support; also satisfies General Education (GE) requirement.
- 3
If a course is taken to meet a Major or Support requirement, it cannot be double-counted as an Approved Elective.
- 4
A combined maximum of 3 units may count from ASCI 3339, ASCI 4001, ASCI 4002, ASCI 4003, ASCI 4004, ASCI 4005, ASCI 4006, ASCI 4007, ASCI 4008, ASCI 4009, ASCI 4010, ASCI 4011, ASCI 4012, ASCI 4013, ASCI 4014, and ASCI 4015 towards the Approved Electives requirement.
- 5
- If a General Education (GE) course is used to satisfy a Major or Support requirement, additional units of Free Electives may be needed to complete the total units required for the degree.
- 6
Students should consult faculty advisor before electing Credit/No Credit grading for any course. Courses elected for Credit/No Credit grading may not be recognized by post-graduate academic programs. If a 5000-level course is used to satisfy free elective requirements it cannot be used towards a post-graduate academic program.
General Education (GE) Requirements
- 43 units required, 13 of which are specified in Major and/or Support.
- If any of the remaining 30 Units is used to satisfy a Major or Support requirement, additional units of Free Electives may be needed to complete the total units required for the degree.
- See the complete GE course listing.
- A grade of C- or better is required in one course in each of the following GE Areas: 1A (English Composition), 1B (Critical Thinking), 1C (Oral Communication), and 2 (Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning).
| Lower-Division General Education | ||
| Area 1 | English Communication and Critical Thinking | |
| 1A | Written Communication | 3 |
| 1B | Critical Thinking | 3 |
| 1C | Oral Communication | 3 |
| Area 2 | Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning | |
| 2 | Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning (3 units in Support) 1 | 0 |
| Area 3 | Arts and Humanities | |
| 3A | Arts | 3 |
| 3B | Humanities: Literature, Philosophy, Languages other than English | 3 |
| Area 4 | Social and Behavioral Sciences (Area 4 courses must come from at least two different course prefixes.) | |
| 4A | American Institutions (Title 5, Section 40404 Requirement) | 3 |
| 4B | Social and Behavioral Sciences | 3 |
| Area 5 | Physical and Life Sciences | |
| 5A | Physical Sciences (3 units in Support) 1 | 0 |
| 5B | Life Sciences (3 units in Support) 1 | 0 |
| 5C | Laboratory (may be embedded in a 5A or 5B course) (1 units in Support) 1 | 0 |
| Area 6 | Ethnic Studies | |
| 6 | Ethnic Studies | 3 |
| Upper-Division General Education | ||
| Upper-Division 2/5 | Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning or Physical and Life Sciences (3 units in Major or Support) 1 | 0 |
| Upper-Division 3 | Arts and Humanities | 3 |
| Upper-Division 4 | Social and Behavioral Sciences (Area 4 courses must come from at least two different course prefixes.) | 3 |
| Total Units | 30 | |
- 1
- Required in Major or Support; also satisfies General Education (GE) requirement.