Graduate Program

Welcome to the Department of Animal Sciences Graduate Program!

Animal Sciences at Purdue University offers abundant opportunities for students at both the Master’s and PhD levels to participate extensively in research, education, and extension in farming and food production. Our research impacts both the farmers who raise animals and the people who purchase meat, milk and egg products. In many respects, we bridge the gap between research and application. For example, a project might involve testing new diets or husbandry techniques and passing the information about what works on to farmers. Consumers benefit from safer, less costly, and higher-quality meat products produced using these methods, as well as access to educational materials addressing current concerns about animal production conditions, food safety, and animal welfare.

About Us (Our Students)

Students within the department benefit from the quality of the faculty advisors and the research environment of Purdue. They have access to both the laboratory bench and the field or feedlot. In addition, there are both on- and off-campus facilities for animal housing and research, as well as a USDA-ARS Livestock Behavior and Research Unit.

We also participate in interdisciplinary programs such as nutritive physiology (INP) and biological sciences (e).

Alumni go on to successful careers in industry, academia, government, and extension.

The department’s research topics fall into one of five broad areas:

Animal production and management
Food safety and quality
Molecular animal physiology and metabolism
Animal health and well-being
Gene regulation

Our Mission

We are dedicated to raising meat quality and improving animal welfare. Research areas range from testing reproductive technologies and diets to reducing contamination of meat products and improving animal well-being. We have identified four Grand Challenges within the field that we seek to address:

Increasing efficiency of production
Improving quality of meat, milk and egg products
Understanding, defining, and advancing animal-well being
Reducing environmental impact without diminishing production

Application Requirements

Learn about application requirements and other resources.

We look forward to receiving your application. If you have further questions, please contact Dr. Ryan Cabot, Graduate Programs Chair.