Department of Animal Sciences

For more information, contact the graduate student advisor:
lindsey [dot] hollinger [at] oregonstate [dot] edu or by calling (541) 737-5327.

Download the most recent Graduate Handbook in pdf or Word formats.

Complete list of Animal Sciences graduate classes (not all classes are offered every term)

What graduate degrees does the Department of Animal Science offer?
Students focus their work on one of two disciplines, either Animal Science or Poultry Science. 

In the Animal Science emphasis area, students may pursue a Master of Science (M.S.) or Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in one of the following specialties:

• Animal genetics
• Reproductive physiology
• Embryo physiology
• Nutrition
• Growth and development
• Molecular biology
• Endocrinology
• Biochemistry
• Livestock management (M.S. only)
• Dairy production (M.S. only)

In the Poultry Science emphasis area, students may pursue a Ph.D. in one of the following specialties:

• Poultry genetics
• Poultry management (M.S. only)
• Nutrition
• Reproductive physiology

Alternatively, students interested in a multidisciplinary Master’s degree may choose the Master of Agriculture (M.Ag.) program.  This program is a non-thesis degree in which the student specializes in three areas of course work and is considered to be a terminal degree (does not lead to a Ph.D. program).

What are the expected learning outcomes for a graduate degree in the Department of Animal Sciences?

Outcomes for graduate students in Animal Sciences include:

• advancing knowledge and improving the fundamental understanding of animal reproductive biology
• advancing the science of nutritional metabolism of animals
• developing new processes and technologies for profitable and environmentally-friendly dairy cattle production and management
• discovering and disseminating principles of animal behavior through the study of both range livestock and companion animals

 Outcomes for graduate students in Rangeland Ecology and Management include:

• acquiring a fundamental understanding in range ecology, physiology of range plants, range nutrition, range improvements, watershed management, restoration ecology, applied animal behavior, and riparian ecology and management
• integrating and applying this knowledge to benefit domestic and international settings

What facilities are available for graduate and research programs at OSU?
Our programs are supported by modern laboratories, field stations, and centralized farm services.  The department has extensive livestock and poultry facilities within two miles of campus, including a high-producing 150-cow dairy herd, two beef barns with a capacity for 125-head, a small confinement swine unit, horse research barns, and poultry flocks.  Our sheep center, with a flock of more than 300 ewes, is five miles from campus.  We also have two beef ranches (cow-calf), located about twenty minutes from campus.  A modern physiology lab has surgical facilities for cattle, sheep, and swine.  A meat processing laboratory is also available on campus.  Additionally, graduate students have access to off-campus facilities of the Agricultural Experiment Station in the rangelands of eastern Oregon.  Our department is also supported by the Center for Gene Research and Biotechnology, Laboratory Animal Resources, the OSU Radiation Center, an inter-state library, and University Computing Services.  The English Language Institute provides international students with the language, academic, and cultural skills necessary for study at an American university.

What sets OSU apart from other schools?  Where is OSU?
Oregon State University is an excellent educational choice if you are interested in a career in animal sciences.  Founded in 1868, Oregon State is the state’s Land Grant university and is one of only two universities in the U.S. to have Sea Grant, Space Grant and Sun Grant designations. Oregon State is also the only university in Oregon to have earned the Carnegie Foundation’s top designation, awarded to institutions with “very high research activity.”  OSU is located in Corvallis, a vibrant college town of 53,000 in the heart of western Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Corvallis consistently ranks among the best and safest cities to live in the U.S., as well as among the most environmentally responsible.

What do I need in order to start my graduate degree in the Department of Animal Sciences at OSU?
All applicants need:

• A 4-year baccalaureate degree or equivalent
• Combined GPA of 3.0 on last 90 quarter credit hours (60 semester hours)
• OSU Graduate School Application (online) that includes the Statement of Objectives
• Three letters of recommendation
• An official transcript from all previous academic work (not including high school).  Note: OSU students are not required to provide transcripts to OSU.
• Pass the GRE with minimum 40th-percentile scores or higher

International students are also required to have or provide:

• TOEFL or IELTS scores (unless from Australia, Belize, Canada, New Zealand, Scotland, West Indes, the United Kingdom, or some African countries on a case-by-case basis)
• Certification of Finances Form

Until all of the necessary documents are provided to the graduate school (or the department in the case of letters of recommendation), the application will be considered incomplete.  Incomplete applications will not be processed, and the applicants will not be admitted.

Graduate Research Assistantships (GRAs) are awarded on a competitive basis. Fellowships in dairy, poultry science, and animal sciences are available. Tuition is waived for GRAs. Contact the department for more information.

Please see the People pages on our website for potential graduate mentors or advisors.