Department of Animal, Veterinary and Food Sciences

Animal, veterinary and food sciences

As a student in the Department of Animal, Veterinary and Food Sciences (AVFS), you’ll develop skills and gain real-world experience to help sustainably produce and care for the world’s livestock and animal populations or make food healthier and safer for consumers.

You’ll learn about nutrition, genetics, reproduction and welfare of all animals with one of four animal and veterinary science options that allow you to tailor your education to your specific interests and career goals. On-campus facilities like Vandal Brand Meats and the beef, dairy and sheep centers will allow you to gain hands-on experience working with animals.

In the food science degree, you’ll learn the science behind producing, processing, preserving and distributing food and beverages. This is a cooperative program with Washington State University, giving you access to facilities and faculty experts at two research universities.

You'll gain experience working with horses, dairy cows, beef cows and sheep at facilities on campus and around the state and have access to a brand-new meat science laboratory with industry standard equipment.

Minors in animal science and food science are available to complement a wide range of majors.

Academics

Explore the animal and veterinary science options to see which is right for you. In the dairy option you will learn about all aspects of milk production, from the physiology of lactation to the management of a modern dairy. Learn business fundamentals as well as animal science topics needed for a career in the livestock industry in the business option. In the production option you will learn about reproduction and nutrition while gaining hands-on experience with Vandal Brand Meats and the Steer-A-Year Feedlot. The pre-veterinary option fulfills the undergraduate academic requirements for admission into a doctor of veterinary medicine program.

Study food-spoiling bacteria, collect taste-sensory data and learn how to process and package meat, dairy, cereal and produce products with the food science degree. Many of your courses will be held on the WSU campus, just 8 miles from Moscow, enhancing your learning experience with dual-university resources and perspectives.

AVFS also offers master’s programs in animal science and food science, and doctorate programs in animal physiology and food science. In these programs you will work with professors who actively conduct research on a variety of topics and customize your program based on research interests.

A partnership with Washington State University allows for 11 Idaho residents per year to be admitted to the WSU College of Veterinary Medicine, without paying out-of-state tuition. For admittance to the WIMU Veterinary Degree Program, all prospective students, regardless of state of residency, apply to the WIMU Regional Program through the online Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS) by choosing Washington State University.

Explore AVFS degrees

• Animal and veterinary science: business option, B.S.
• Animal and veterinary science: dairy option, B.S.
• Animal and veterinary science: pre-veterinary option, B.S.
• Animal and veterinary science: production option, B.S.
• Food science: food science option, B.S.
• Animal science, M.S.
• Food science, M.S.
• Animal physiology, Ph.D.
• Food science, Ph.D.

Get involved

AVFS offers Block and Bridle, Dairy Club, Pre-Vet Club, Student Idaho Cattle Association, Collegiate Young Farmers and Ranchers, Polo Club, Rodeo Club, Food Science Club and the AVFS Graduate Student Association. In addition, the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences offers more than 30 clubs, making it easy to find your passion and get involved. Learn about clubs and organizations.

Discover

Learn what current AVFS students are up to, from internships to undergraduate research projects.

Key AVFS research and Extension programs

AVFS faculty conduct beef cattle production research and provide education programs in health, production, range cow, integrated resource and sustainable management, as well as cow-calf nutrition and feedlot nutrition. The Nancy M. Cummings Research, Extension and Education Center is U of I’s primary cow-calf and forage research station.

Our meat science faculty are conducting applied research in meat quality with a focus on beef cattle, dairy cattle, sheep and swine. Vandal Brand Meats serves as a learning laboratory for U of I students interested in gaining hands-on experience in meat science.

The dairy production research program serves Idaho’s No. 1 agricultural commodity. AVFS faculty conduct research and provide Extension programs in the areas of nutrition, lactation and reproductive physiology, herd health, milk quality, safety, breeding and genetics.

Strong cooperative programs exist with allied industry and cooperator herds across the state. The Idaho Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment will focus on research, outreach and education to advance the sustainability of dairy, livestock and crop production, and food processing in Idaho. The U of I Dairy Center located in Moscow gives students firsthand experience in cattle breeding, feeding and nutrition, handling, vaccinations, calving, milk marketing and other areas.

The sheep and goat production program serves the diverse needs of producers in Idaho through research and Extension programs. AVFS conducts research and provides educational programs in the areas of range, flock, nutrition and health management. Additional topics include reproductive physiology, sustainable management and production practices. AVFS maintains relationships with the United States Sheep Experiment Station in Dubois and the USDA Animal Disease Research Unit in Pullman, Washington.

The Livestock Genetics and Phenotypic Trait Research laboratory utilizes the best molecular tools towards a better understanding of the genetically mediated regulation of economically important traits in livestock species including beef cattle, dairy cattle and sheep. The traits examined include efficiency, immune function, disease resistance, beef quality, muscle growth, fertility, fecundity, longevity and recombination in male and female gametogenesis.

Meet our people

Specialty areas include lactation biology, cattle reproduction, meat processing, meat quality, E. coli, grazing management systems, genetics, food processing, livestock genomics, wildfire smoke impact on cattle, ruminant nutrition, fish health and disease, food microbiology, food safety and more.