Animal and Veterinary Sciences (B.S.)

ABOUT

Do you love animals? Do you enjoy science? Then you’ll certainly find the animal and veterinary sciences major will blend your passions and academic interests. Students in our program learn to apply the core science foundations to issues in animal health, nutrition, food production and management. You’ll select from one of three concentration areas that include animal agribusiness, equine business, or pre-veterinary and science. Although this major has served Clemson students as the most successful means for entrance to veterinary medicine programs, there are many other opportunities to work with or study animals outside of professional school.

FAST FACTS

  • You'll work with livestock and poultry, gaining useful skills to prepare you for veterinary school, research or industry.
  • Clemson has six livestock farms: beef, dairy, equine, poultry, swine and sheep.
  • Our female freshmen have the opportunity to join our living-learning community, Women in Animal and Veterinary Sciences (WAVS).
  • Women make up almost 94 percent of our undergraduate student body.
  • A revolutionary fowl cholera vaccine invented by Clemson researchers has saved the international turkey industry more than $300 million.

WHAT YOU'LL STUDY

Through your coursework, you’ll be exposed to the science behind the animal. In addition to classes in your chosen major concentration, you’ll also take general courses in chemistry, biology, mathematics, English, social sciences and humanities. Advanced courses cover the practices and principles of feeding, breeding, management, and care of livestock and poultry.

Animal Agribusiness Concentration
Prepare for a career in the animal industries such as production, sales and marketing, business management, advertising and extension. Your courses will give you a global perspective of the animal agriculture industries, and a minor in business administration will support and expand your knowledge of this growing business arena. In addition, you’ll be able to choose classes that focus on one species or a variety.

Equine Business Concentration
Our equine business concentration covers the breadth of the equine species and industry. You must not only understand the use of horses as a recreational animal, but also recognize the complexities of exercise physiology, nutrition and management. In choosing this concentration, you must minor in business administration.

Pre-veterinary and Science Concentration
The pre-veterinary and science concentration allows you to fulfill the prerequisite coursework required for entrance into most veterinary schools as well as graduate, medical and dental programs.

Popular Minors

  • Adult/Extension Education
  • Agricultural Business Management
  • Biological Sciences
  • Business Administration
  • Chemistry
  • Microbiology
  • Wildlife and Fisheries Biology

EXPERIENCES BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

Along with an obvious passion for creatures big and small, it is important that you be able to work on and with animals and learn through a variety of avenues.

Apply your classroom knowledge to solving problems. Research teams have been working to increase embryonic survival in cattle as well as investigating the pros and cons of raising poultry in cage-free production.
Clemson is home to six research and teaching livestock facilities where you'll get to work and study extensively starting your first semester. Our department also owns the Brick Barn (home to a flock of Southdown sheep) and a rodeo arena.
This major provides unrivaled support to students working toward admission into D.V.M. programs. Our advisers guide you through required coursework, outside experiences and the complexities of preparing to be a viable candidate.
A living-learning community is available to all freshman females in this major. It's a great way to collaborate for study groups and find support and friendship with upperclassmen mentors.
Students have diverse opportunities to study away from campus. Courses, research and veterinary missions can send students to Guatemala, Europe or India.

AFTER GRADUATION

Your college decision isn't really about the next four years. We get it. It's about what doors are opened by your degree and whether those opportunities are what you had envisioned for yourself. Here's a snapshot of what life after graduation looks like for some of our most recent students.

RECENT EMPLOYERS

  • Animal Food Regulatory Program Standards Coordinator

    South Carolina Department of Agriculture

  • Horse Show Secretary

    HITS Inc.

  • Sales Associate

    Amick Farms

  • 4-H Agent

    Clemson University Cooperative Extension

  • Field Sales Development Representative

    Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health

  • Area Service Technician

    Smithfield

  • Microbiologist

    Pharma Associates Inc.

RECENT POSTGRADUATE STUDIES

  • D.V.M.

    Ohio State University

  • D.V.M.

    University of Illinois

  • D.V.M.

    Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine

  • D.V.M.

    University of Pennsylvania

  • D.V.M.

    University of Florida

  • D.V.M.

    Mississippi State University

  • D.V.M.

    University of Missouri

  • D.V.M.

    Auburn University

  • M.Ed. Agricultural Education

    North Carolina State University

COMMON CAREER AREAS

    • Farm Production and Management
    • Livestock Production
    • Livestock Feed
    • Meat and Dairy Foods
    • Agribusiness
    • Sales (Livestock, Feed, Pharmaceuticals, Ag Chemical, Supplies and Equipment)
    • Management
    • Marketing
    • Public Relations
    • Customer Service
    • Education
    • Teaching
    • Informal Education
    • Extension
    • Veterinary Medicine
    • Small and Large Animal
    • Food Safety and Inspection
    • Specialty
    • Research
    • Science and Technology
    • Research
    • Product and Process Development
    • Genetics and Animal Breeding
    • Animal Nutrition, Health and Disease Control
    • Animal Behavior, Training, Caretaking
    • Quality Control
    • Livestock Feed Inspection
    • Harvest Operation Inspection
    • Meat and Dairy Inspection

FIND OUT MORE

Have more questions or want more information? Fill out the form below, which goes directly to the following department contact. If you’d also like to receive general University information from Clemson’s admissions office, please follow the link to the right and sign up to join our mailing list.

McCauley Frierson

Student Recruitment Coordinator
864-656-1534
mccaulf@clemson.edu

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