Animal Physiology

Sharpen your expertise in the laboratory. Design and carry out scientific experiments, interpret and validate data, and present and publish your findings.

Select a specialization in animal growth, nutrition or reproduction.

Before entering the four-year program, you'll choose a major professor to serve on your graduate committee and to guide your independent research.

Independent research projects include the following:

• Dissertation: Write a proposal for a study that will seek to provide an answer to a significant question. Carry out scientific data collection and carefully document your results. Achieve independence in your research. Publish two or more articles of your experiments and findings in an academic periodical.
• Defense: Present your findings in a lecture to your professors and peers. Demonstrate your expertise in a question and answer session.

You'll have opportunities to work with professors who actively conduct research that contributes to knowledge of animal science nationally and internationally. Our professors analyze important topics such as cloning, breeding, pregnancy, lactation, and the health of animals and the environment.

Prepare for Success

Candidates for this program should have:

• A master’s degree in animal or health science.
• An interest in research methodologies and data collection.
• A desire to think critically about topics in animal science with an eye toward strengthening the field.
  

Your First Year

Your first year, you should expect to:

• Take specialized courses in animal science.
• Conduct research in a lab for your primary professor.
• Choose at least three other professors (two can be from outside the department) who will serve on your graduate committee.
• Work with your committee to plan the specifics of your course work and research goals.
• Select a research topic.

What You Can Do

With this degree, you may become a:

• Professor: Manage your own lab research while teaching the next generation of animal scientists.
• Research scientist: Oversee the research of a lab. Design and conduct experiments. Collect and analyze data. Provide guidance to research assistants.
• Industry consultant: Provide in-field technical assistance in animal breeding, health, or nutrition for a pharmaceutical firm, feed and equipment manufacturer, artificial breeding association, meat processor or food distributor.
  
  

Opportunities

Work for universities, governmental agencies, and private research firms. Contribute to findings on topics such as breeding and reproduction, health maintenance and disease control, animal nutrition, computer modeling, animal housing, waste management, and environmental quality.

With this degree, salaries generally start at $70,000.

Current Research

Dissertation topics have included:

• Tracking subcellular hormone levels to identify the earliest signs of pregnancy in horses.
• Evaluating methods of cloning.
• Comparing diets in beef and dairy cattle that create less harmful waste.

Activities

Present aspects of your dissertation findings at national meetings for societies dedicated to the study of animal science, dairy science, nutrition, reproduction and fertility, and cell biology. Meet leaders in the field, graduate students from other universities and potential employers.

Other activities include:

• Graduate and Professional Student Association: Gain leadership experience and represent your department in student government.
• Annual Student Research Expo: Compete for cash prizes awarded for graduate research presentations.
• College of Graduate Studies Awards: Share in the annual recognition of graduate students engaged in outstanding teaching, research, leadership and mentoring.
  
  

Hands-On Experience

Gain hands-on experiences like these:

Research assistantship: Help professors with grant-funded research. For example, track the health status of newborn dairy calves by monitoring blood and fecal samples. Participate in lactation research in an agricultural biotechnology lab. Collect data on the respiratory diseases of bighorn sheep. Positions are paid.

Teaching assistantship: Work directly with students to demonstrate lab techniques. Help the professor with instruction and evaluating student performance. Positions are paid.

International collaboration: Share findings with scientists in other countries such as Finland, China and Russia. Travel and pool data.

Volunteer: Give back and gain new experiences. Assist hospital medical staff. Treat sick pets at a veterinary clinic. Work in a clinic in a less developed country.