Dairy Science Major

The Dairy Science program at UW-River Falls is one of the three largest undergraduate Dairy Science programs in the U.S., with approximately 125 students enrolled.

Students are at the heart of what we do best...teach. The Dairy Science curriculum focuses on genetics, health, nutrition, production and animal welfare. Our faculty are here to provide support and guide students toward a career that best suits their interests and abilities. 

Our program is housed within the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Science. Students receive a well-rounded education and learn just how closely disciplines such as Ag Business, Ag Engineering, and Crop Science work together within the dairy industry.

Our Dairy Learning Center is a state-of-the-art teaching laboratory and farm located minutes from campus. This facility allows our faculty to engage students in a hand-on learning environment, helping our graduates easily transition into the working world.

Program Options

The Dairy Science major offers three program options, which guide students in choosing appropriate course work for their career path:    

• Management Option: The management option emphasizes the development of business skills needed in today's dairy industry and allows flexibility for students to pursue additional avenues of interest.
• Science Option: For those interested in graduate work or veterinary medicine, the science option includes the necessary hours of chemistry, mathematics, physical and biological sciences.
• Minor Option: As an alternative to the Management or Science option, students can pair the Dairy Science major with an academic minor (i.e. minor in Ag Business or Modern Languages) to develop a more in-depth
  understanding of a second area of interest.

Why Dairy Science at UWRF?

Students are drawn to the Dairy Science program for several reasons:  

• Employability: Employers consistently look to hire our graduates.   
• A shared love for the dairy industry and immediate sense of belonging.     
• Involvement in the Dairy Club and dairy cattle judging.     
• Connections with the dairy industry allow students to secure internships, engage in mentorship programs, and learn about cutting-edge research.
  

Faculty

The Animal and Food Science Department offers a major in Dairy Science as well as an Animal Science major (emphasis in equine, meat animal or veterinary technology). Our faculty and staff consists of 13 full-time members, allowing more experts to teach within their discipline. In addition, our faculty possess a broad base of experience with all farm animal species. Two of the current faculty members have won the campus-wide "Distinguished Teacher of the Year" award.

Facilities

CAFES maintains two laboratory teaching farms. Both the Mann Valley Farm and the Campus Farm are heavily utilized for course work by the Animal Science faculty. These farms include dairy, beef, swine, sheep, poultry and equine enterprises. In addition, the Department operates an on-campus dairy manufacturing plant and a fully-equipped meat processing facility.