Teaching Focus

The Ohio State University Department of Animal Sciences has a goal to grow the undergraduate program into one of the top five in the US with regard to enrollment, teaching, and advising. To do this, it strives to provide excellent undergraduate educational opportunities in the classroom and beyond, with opportunities for participation in research and international experiences. The department also strives to effectively recruit and train graduate students as leaders of the next generation of faculty and research scientists for public, governmental, and private institutions in the animal sciences.

Undergraduate students in the department will have the opportunity to learn about physiology, nutrition, genetics, animal health, behavior, management, and well-being of animals through our courses. The department  serves one of the largest undergraduate student populations in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES), which is one of the smallest colleges on our campus. This is a great benefit for our students as it enables them to get to know not only their peers but also their professors.  The department is committed to providing undergraduate students a top-notch, thorough, and functional animal science education by targeting not only students but stakeholders and agri-industry needs as well as to ensure student post-graduation success.

A unique opportunity for students in the department is with topics associated with human-animal interaction, including companion animals, a subject that is growing in popularity across the nation. Realizing the importance of all types of animals in people’s lives and livelihoods, the department is building a suite of classes and study abroad opportunities to learn more about and to appreciate how and why animals and human interact. You can read more about these opportunities in the Human-Animal Interaction Core Curriculum.

Graduate students have the opportunity to work with faculty in three research emphases: Tissue Biology, Nutrition, and Microbial Ecology & Biomass to Energy.  We are leading cutting-edge research in these areas, making a difference in the world around us. In addition, the department has one of the largest animal science graduate programs in the country with excellent funding for qualified candidates.