UW-Madison
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON
Key Dairy Activities:
1. World Dairy Expo
2. Badger Invitational Sale
3. Trip to Canadian Royal Winter Fair
Student Statistics:
Dairy Science major: Yes
Dairy Option: No
# Dairy Science Students: 98
# Animal Science/Dairy: 0
# Students intending to pursue a dairy career: 5 to 8% of CALS students
Percent going to vet school: 10%
Percent in ag research: 50%
Percent of dairy grads entering the industry: 90%
Percent going back to home farm: 20%
Average salary: $39,500
Dairy Herd Information:
# cows: Two herds, 500 cows
Breed(s): Holstein and Jersey
Student labor: Yes
Used for research: Yes
Course Work:
Internship required for graduation: Yes
Assistance finding jobs or agriculture internships: Yes
Opportunities to work on dairy farms while attending school: Yes
Courses: See online catalog for available coursework.
Travel Opportunities:
The dairy science major has four courses that allow students to see and study different dairy management systems through herd visits: Dairy Herd Management, Dairy Farm Management Practicum, Dairy Cattle Evaluation and the Mexico Study Tour & Seminar. Students can participate in Regional and National Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge team competition which entails practice and competition on farms. The dairy cattle judging team practices at the state’s top registered herds. The Badger Dairy Club also makes dairy farm stops while on its club trips. Scholarship recipients travel to the Western Dairy Management Conference and various professional dairy science meetings. The Mexico Study Tour & Seminar provides students with first-hand experience of a variety of livestock production systems in Mexico, including tropical systems (dual purpose), family farm systems and industrial systems. In addition to visits of cooperatives and processing plants, the trip includes cultural and historical site visits in Quadalajara, Guanajuato, Quérétaro and Mexico City. The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences has an international internship program for those interested in agriculture, business, or engineering. Study Abroad programs are available through CALS to various countries.
Additional Information:
Our nationally ranked dairy science program would provide you a small school experience within a world-class university. Solving problems in the dairy industry requires basic knowledge about biotechnology, business, genetics, nutrition, health, waste recycling and environmental protection. Students of Dairy Science can obtain this knowledge at the UW-Madison.
The Dairy Science faculty includes nationally recognized specialists in nutrition, genetics, lactation, reproduction and dairy herd management. These faculty members also are involved with extension and ongoing research projects, keeping them up-to-date on new breakthroughs and industry issues. New knowledge from research laboratories reaches the classroom long before it is printed in scientific journals.
With one faculty member for every 14 students, the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences is like a small college. The Department of Dairy Science has one faculty member for every 9 students.
Working with dairy industry leaders provides practical experience and allows students to explore potential career opportunities. Students receive credit for their internships that are applied toward their degree in Dairy Science. These internships are usually paid and taken during the summer.
One of several benchmarks we use to see how our core course work, practical active learning labs and internship opportunities prepare our students relative to those at other schools is the competition called the North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge. In 2010 our students won First Place Platinum (the top level of recognition) at the competition for the sixth time in the last seven years – more Platinum finishes during that time span than any other school. This contest involves students analyzing a commercial farm and presenting their observations and management recommendations to a panel of five industry professionals - 30 teams from the United States and Canada competed.
