A Bachelors of Science (B.S) in animal sciences is one of the many undergraduate programs within the UK College of Agriculture, Food & Environment. It has three study path options for students with differing goals; animal industry, food industry, and pre-professional. Below are some overall helpful information about the degree program!

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1. What jobs hire people with a bachelors in animal sciences?

People with animal science degrees have a variety of options after graduation.  You can work for the USDA, or other government agencies as a meat and food inspector. You can work in the food production line. You can work with artificial insemination, you can work in sales for food or animal companies. You can work in genetics, breeding, and nutrition. You can work at zoos, wildlife institutions, research labs or even pharmaceutical companies like Elanco and Zoetis. The agriculture industry is huge, and there is no shortage or options for people in this major.

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2. How difficult is the degree?

The animal science program at UK is a heavy STEM major. It requires extensive chemistry and biology, as well as physics and low-level math and statistics courses. It is definitely not an easy major, but it is a rewarding one. Many ASC courses have hands on laboratories, and the class sizes aren’t too intimidating. However, there are a lot of classes outside the major that are infamous for their rigor, as well as courses within the major. The best thing to do is take advantage of all the resources around you.

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3. What kind of minors fit well with this?

There are a few popular minors that students often pair with an ASC degree. Some ASC students have a biology minor, which didn’t require a lot of extra coursework. Many others have opted for minors such as equine sciences, food sciences, and even business. It really depends on what you want to add to your resume, and what interests you. The major also has some specialty options that students can opt into, such as a specialty in dairy, livestock, or equine.

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4. What are other post-graduate options?

Outside of going straight into the job market after graduation, people with an animal science degree have a lot of other options. One of the most popular options is probably vet school. The majority of pre-vet students are ASC majors, so this is a hugely popular route. The second most popular route is going to graduate school for a masters or a PhD. This can allow you to work in more research based jobs. Some UK animal science majors were pre-med and ended up working as doctors!

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5. How to make the most out of this degree?

There are so many “extra” options as an animal science major. One example is the production classes. There are six options(poultry, beef, swine, dairy, sheep and equine) and you are required to take 3. This gives you the opportunity to explore what interests you. Something else to take advantage of is research opportunities in the department. Look up some of the labs and research going on, and try to see if you can get involved. There are also many clubs that are popular as an ASC student, such as the Livestock Judging Team, Farmhouse Fraternity, Agriculture Ambassadors, Environmental Science Club, the Agribusiness Club and more!

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6. What are the best and worst required classes for an ASC major?’

There are always complaints about these required courses: CHE 230/CHE 232 (Organic chemistry), ASC 378 (Animal nutrition), PHY 211/213 (Physics), and BCH301G (Biochemistry).  The most “fun” courses have been said to be: ASC 420G (Dairy science), ASC 102 (Applications of animal science), and ASC 404G (Sheep science). However, it’s important not focus too much on what other people have said about courses, because you might feel very differently about them.

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The Animal Science major program at UK gives students the opportunity to work in an incredibly diverse field, as well as prepares pre-professional students and students pursuing graduate degrees. It’s a lot of work but it’s very rewarding in the end.


Sydney Hineline

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