Animal Science - AS
If being outdoors and working with animals sounds appealing, animal science might be the right field for you. From maintaining the quality of the food we eat to maintaining the health of our pets, animal science covers a wide spectrum of focus areas and professional roles. The growing emphasis on improving diets and ensuring the meat and dairy products we consume are safe is creating high demand and opportunity in livestock production and management. An animal science degree can also lead to a future in animal research or in veterinary medicine, caring for furry companions and other domestic animals.
In an associate program in animal science, you will receive instruction about nutrition, physiology, and reproduction that could lead to a career as a food scientist, breeding technician, or livestock production manager. This degree is transferable to universities offering a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science.
Otero College, in cooperation with Colorado State University - Fort Collins, has developed a two-year Associate of Science degree track with an emphasis in Agriculture in three different areas: Agriculture Business, Animal Science, and Soil and Crop Science. Upon successful completion, the degree, and all classes associated with the degree, will transfer seamlessly into the CSU-Fort Collins College of Agricultural Science where a student can earn a bachelor’s degree with an additional 60 hours of credit.
Students should work closely with their advisor and contact their transfer institution choices for more specific transfer information.
The first year of an animal science program will include math and English courses to meet general education requirements. The completion of introductory math and English courses in your first year is proven to greatly increase the likelihood of cross the graduation stage, boosting your momentum along the academic pathway you select. Other general education courses on your pathway will cover topics in Arts and Humanities, History, Social and Behavioral Sciences, and Natural and Physical Sciences.
Program-specific courses may begin as soon as your first semester. These courses will become more advanced as you move along your degree pathway. Through this sequence of courses, your knowledge of animal science, anatomy, and physiology will grow and deepen. Coursework will include Feeds & Feeding, Live Animal & Carcass Evaluation, and Livestock Practicum. After completing a 60-credit associate degree, your degree pathway can continue with guaranteed transfer to a college that offers bachelor’s degrees.
| Required Courses that Fulfill General Education Requirements (35 Credit Hours) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Credit Hours | Course Number and Title | |
| (Written) Communication | 6 | ENG 121/1021 English Composition Iand ENG 122/1022 English Composition II OR ENG 122/1022 English Composition II and a GT Pathways approved CO3 course |
| Mathematics | 4 | MAT 121/1340 College AlgebraOR MAT 125/1400 Survey of CalculusOR higher calculus |
| Arts & Humanities | 6 | Two GT Pathways Arts & Humanities courses (GT-AH1, GT- AH2, GT-AH3, GT-AH4) |
| History | 3 | One GT Pathways History course (GT-HI1) |
| Social & Behavioral Sciences | 3 | AGE 102/1102 Agriculture Economics |
| 3 | AGR 260/2106 World Interdependence: Population and Food | |
| Natural & Physical Sciences | 10 | BIO 111/1111 General College Biology I with lab and CHE 101/1011 Introduction to Chemistry I with lab OR CHE 107/1007 Fundamentals of Chemistry OR CHE 111/1111 General College Chemistry I with lab |
| Additional Required Courses (25 credits) |
|---|
*Please note: if these credits are not required for the major at a receiving 4-year institution, they will be applied to the bachelor’s degree as elective credit toward graduation. Please check with the receiving institution to determine in which way these courses will be applied.
*See your advisor for alternative restricted electives. The above courses are included in the articulation agreement with Colorado State University - Fort Collins. Ag Science articulation agreements also exist for New Mexico State University, Oklahoma Panhandle State and West Texas A&M. Please see your advisor for the correct course of study and articulation agreement specific to your transfer university.
Otero College has multiple transfer articulation agreements for agriculture degrees between Otero and public 4 year universities. These agreements allow you to graduate from a community college with a 60-credit Associate of Arts (A.A.) or Associate of Science (A.S.) degree with designation; enroll with junior status at a university; and complete your bachelor’s degree. If you attend full-time and follow the structured schedule, you can complete your bachelor’s degree in 4 years.
The following public four-year institutions will accept your completed Animal Science AS degree from Otero College.
Colorado State University-Ft. Collins
[Advising Sheet]
West Texas A&M University
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Oklahoma Panhandle State University
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New Mexico State University
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