Whether your passion is dairy or livestock the innovative training of our Animal Science program will provide you with the knowledge and skills for a successful career. Classes focus on animal nutrition, herd health, reproduction, genetics, milk or meat quality, record keeping, and industry related technology.
What you will learn:

  • Animal Nutrition
  • Healthy and Efficient Livestock Environment
  • Milk and Meat Quality
  • Reproduction Techniques and Artificial Insemination
  • Farm Records and Analysis
  • Soils and Forage Crop Production
  • Overview

  • Is This Program for You?

    Students entering the Agribusiness, Science & Technology - Animal Science program should:

    • Have a strong attention to detail.
    • Be willing to try new and innovative ideas.
    • Have a good understanding of agriculture.
    • Enjoy science and mathematics.

    Program Basics

    • Associate degree - requiring a minimum of two years to complete
    • Classes are offered daytime, face to face, and on campus
    • Fall or Spring Start
    • Financial aid available
    • Credit for prior learning may be available
    • High school articulation courses accepted

    Related Degrees

  • Curriculum & Costs

  • Cost of Attendance (COA) 26-27

    Cost of Attendance (COA) is a total of all the usual expenses of being a student. The COA sets the maximum amount of financial aid a student can receive.

    Category Amount
    Tuition and Fees $5,240
    Living Expenses (Housing and Food) $10,910
    Books and Supplies $1,463
    Personal Expenses $3,084
    Transportation 3,899
    Charger Tech 360 Fee $700
    Loan Fees $85
    Yearly Total (Living Away from Home) $25,381
    1 Semester Total (Living Away from Home) $12,691

    Based on Wisconsin Residents.

    Approximate school costs are for a full-time (12 credit) student over a semester span of 17 weeks.

    Fees are legislated by the Wisconsin Technical College System Board.

    These costs are estimates and are subject to change without notice.

  • Admissions & Requirements

  • Admission Requirements


    Academic Preparedness Requirements

      Before you can be fully accepted into your program, you need to complete the requirements below. These are the same requirements you may see in your SWTC Student Portal.

    • Submit Official High School, College, Military Transcripts, and Test Scores (Not Required)
      Have documents sent directly to:
      • Email: admissions@swtc.edu
      • Mail: Southwest Wisconsin Technical College, Attn: Admissions, 1800 Bronson Blvd, Fennimore, WI 53809
    • Meet with Your Advisor for an Admissions Meeting
      Schedule an admission meeting with your program advisor to complete your student success plan, including a career assessment and academic map and support plan.

      To schedule your meeting, go to the Appointments page. Find your advisor in the list, then select Make an Appointment under their contact information.

      Appointments are available on campus or virtually.

      • If you want to check which of these requirements you still need to complete, log in to your SWTC Student Portal, go to My Profile → Document Center, and make sure All Programs is selected.

  • Outcomes

  • Program Outcomes

    At the completion of this program, students are expected to be able to:

    • Develop an agriculture business plan
    • Apply relevant technology used in the livestock industry
    • Develop science-based livestock care standards
    • Analyze opportunities in livestock-based agriculture
    • Demonstrate professionalism skills within the agricultural career areas

    Related Degrees

  • Career Opportunities

  • Graduates obtain positions in a wide variety of specialty areas, and there is a vast amount of potential for those who have mid-management or upper-management career aspirations. The demand in this field is expected to remain high for several years in such jobs as:

    • Herds Person for Livestock operations
    • Reproductive Specialist
    • A.I. Technician
    • Feed Sales
    • Milk Quality and Meat Quality Specialist
    • Livestock Care Specialist

    Southwest Tech's Career Services Center offers services to assist students looking for job placement.

    Find a Job
  • Transfers
  • Prior Learning

  • Credit for Prior Learning

    Experience Pays! You've Been There... You've Done That... Let's See If You Can Get Credit For It!

    Credit for prior learning gives you opportunities to earn credit for college-level knowledge that you have already acquired. This may be the result of work or volunteer experiences, certifications, apprenticeships, military training, extensive self-instruction, or professional development. Credit for Prior Learning affords you the opportunity to accelerate the completion of your educational goals.

    For more information on Credit for Prior Learning see our Credit for Prior Learning page.

    Animal Science Courses that may have Credit for Prior Learning options:

    Course # Course Title
    Challenge Exam
    (Demonstration)
    Challenge Exam
    (Standard)
    CLEP
    Credential
    Portfolio
    10-006-147Meat QualityYes
    If Portfolio is approved, Challenge Exam will be administered.
    10-006-150Farm Animal ReproductionYes
    AI Certification
    10-006-153Dairy Production ManagementYes
    10-006-180Animal ScienceYes
    10-006-197Agribusiness Experiential LearningYes
    10-103-106Beginning Microsoft ExcelYes
    Any Microsoft MOS certification (even an old certification) will also be considered for CPL
    10-801-136English Composition IYes
    CLEP Test - College Composition
    10-801-198SpeechYes
    10-809-196Intro to SociologyYes