BS in Animal Sciences

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Hawaii Manoa

Program Overview

The Animal Sciences, BS at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa combines basic science with applied animal agriculture, preparing students to understand animal biology and apply scientific principles to animal production, nutrition, genetics, welfare, and management. It is well suited to students interested in livestock, aquaculture, companion animals, animal-related industries, or pre-veterinary preparation, with opportunities to select supporting coursework from fields such as microbiology, physiology, genetics, bioengineering, and zoology.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students establish their scientific foundation through courses such as ANSC 200: Humans, Animals, and Agriculture, which introduces animal agriculture, animal science, laboratory work, and the ethics of human use of animals, alongside ANSC 201: Principles and Practices of Animal Science, covering animal biology, behavior, physiology, genetics, nutrition, reproduction, care, management, and welfare. Supporting study includes foundational biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics.

Year 2: Students develop a stronger understanding of how animals function and are managed through ANSC 244: Comparative Nutrition, which examines digestive systems, nutrients, metabolism, and nutritional relationships across animal species, and ANSC 301: Anatomy of Domestic Animals, covering the microscopic and gross anatomy of tissues and organ systems. ANSC 321: Applied Animal Nutrition adds laboratory-based study of feeds and nutritional requirements for cattle, dairy cattle, horses, poultry, and swine.

Year 3: The curriculum moves further into genetics, physiology, animal health, and production systems. Students can study ANSC 445: Genetics and Animal Breeding, applying genetic principles to livestock, poultry, companion, aquatic, and laboratory research animals, while production options such as ANSC 430: Poultry Production, ANSC 431: Beef Production, ANSC 432: Swine Production, ANSC 433: Tropical Dairying, or ANSC 450: Aquaculture Production connect scientific knowledge with real-world agricultural systems.

Year 4: Students deepen their specialization through advanced subjects such as ANSC 451: Physiology of Domestic Animals, which uses problem-based learning and case studies, or ANSC 453: Animal Diseases and Their Control, which examines animal disease, public-health implications, and control. Senior-level ANSC 492: Field Experience provides an opportunity to integrate academic knowledge and professional skills through placement with an approved cooperating supervisor or employer, while students can also select additional advanced animal-science courses according to their interests.

Focus areas: Tropical animal production systems, livestock, aquaculture, companion animals, animal nutrition, genetics, animal welfare, husbandry management, field and laboratory investigation, and pre-veterinary preparation.

Learning outcomes: Applied animal biology, genetics, growth and development, meat science and muscle biology, comparative nutrition, feeds and feeding, anatomy, physiology, endocrinology, reproduction, animal husbandry, scientific-paper analysis, scientific communication, and problem-solving.

Professional alignment (accreditation): The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa officially lists Animal Sciences as a BS program within the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources; no program-specific professional accreditation is stated on the university's official Animal Sciences materials reviewed.

Reputation (employability rankings): The university's official program materials do not state a program-specific QS, Guardian, or other external employability ranking for the Animal Sciences BS. The university instead documents career pathways including animal specialist, production manager, aquaculture technician, nutritionist, zoo technician, and agricultural extension agent.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Animal Sciences BS combines classroom learning with practical laboratory, animal-management, and field-based experiences focused on tropical animal production systems, livestock, aquaculture, companion animals, nutrition, genetics, and welfare. Students can develop applied skills through animal handling, production laboratories, field trips, reproductive techniques, aquaculture, and laboratory training designed specifically for Animal Sciences majors.

These program-specific opportunities include:

Animal science laboratory training: ANSC 387 – Laboratory Skills in Animal Science develops practical skills in nutrition, genetics, reproductive physiology, meat science, clinical pathology, parasitology, and animal handling.
Field trips and animal management: ANSC 201 – Principles and Practices of Animal Science includes field trips while covering animal physiology, genetics, nutrition, reproduction, behavior, care, management, productivity, performance, and welfare.
Horses and horsemanship: ANSC 353 – Horses and Horsemanship combines classroom instruction with a three-hour laboratory focused on practical management of light horses.
Reproduction and artificial insemination: ANSC 462L provides laboratory and field experience in reproductive anatomy and physiology, estrus synchronization, breeding soundness, and artificial insemination, including a one-week off-island field trip.
Aquaculture production: ANSC 465L – Aquaculture Production Laboratory is an intensive hands-on experience involving the culture of marine shrimp, freshwater prawns, molluscs, fish, and their food, including continuous live-animal care.
Tropical livestock production: Upper-level courses provide practical study of beef, swine, poultry, and tropical dairy production, including feeding, breeding, management, housing, milking, quality control, biosecurity, and marketing under tropical conditions.
Instructional and research facilities: CTAHR maintains modern laboratories and statewide field laboratories, giving students opportunities to learn current research methods and apply knowledge in agricultural settings.
Magoon Instructional and Research Facility: The Magoon facility in Mānoa provides hands-on field experience close to teaching classrooms and molecular biology laboratories, with small-animal facilities suitable for instructional animal anatomy and research.
Student organizations: The Animal Sciences Club provides an additional setting for students to develop professional and transferable skills through activities outside the classroom.
Animal research support: UH Mānoa's Laboratory Animal Service provides instruction to students and researchers on the humane care and use of vertebrate animals involved in research, training, and testing.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Animal Sciences, BS at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa prepares students for careers involving animal production, aquaculture, animal nutrition, husbandry, and agricultural extension, while also providing a pathway toward veterinary and graduate education. Students develop practical knowledge in animal biology, genetics, nutrition, welfare, husbandry, and applied agricultural systems, supporting careers across livestock, aquaculture, companion-animal, and agricultural sectors.

Career roles: Animal Specialist, Livestock Production Manager, Aquaculture Technician, Agricultural Extension Agent.

Career services: The Mānoa Career Center provides career counseling, the FOCUS 2 Career & Education Planning Tool, career-exploration resources, and a jobs database that is updated weekly. CTAHR students also have access to academic advising for career and academic planning.
Employment outcomes: An official UH Mānoa Animal Science assessment reported that 33% of students completing internships ended their internships with an offer of employment, while 95% of internship supervisors indicated they would employ the student in the future if an opportunity developed. The assessment covered 59 students over five years.
Salary figures: Not stated specifically for Animal Sciences graduates on the official University of Hawaiʻi program and career pages reviewed.
University–industry partnerships: UH Mānoa has developed partnerships supporting Hawaiʻi's aquaculture sector, including collaboration among UH, the Hawaiʻi Strategic Development Corporation, UH Ventures, and the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaiʻi Authority (NELHA). The initiative was designed to connect university research with commercial aquaculture companies, startups, and industry development.
Agricultural industry connections: CTAHR's Extension activities connect students and university expertise with agricultural organizations and producers. The Hawaiʻi Island Agriculture Partnership, for example, brings together agriculture-industry leaders ranging from family farms to large agricultural operations.
Long-term accreditation value: UH Mānoa is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), with a full 10-year reaffirmation covering 2022–2032. The university notes that accreditation supports institutional recognition and is relevant to areas such as federal financial aid, transfer of credits, and eligibility for graduate and professional schools.
Graduation outcomes: The Animal Sciences program's assessment shows that internship supervisors evaluated students highly across work performance, professional relationships, professional role, and overall preparation, with an overall mean evaluation score of 92% across the reported five-year period.

Further Academic Progression: After the BS, students can continue into the MS in Animal Sciences at UH Mānoa, which provides advanced study and research in the field. The BS also supports the university's pre-veterinary pathway, while students interested in research involving animal nutrition, metabolism, physiology, livestock, or aquatic animals can pursue the Animal Sciences track of the PhD in Nutritional Sciences, for which a BS or MS in animal science is an accepted academic background.