Animal Science Courses

Animal sciences courses help students to gain knowledge of livestock preservation, their proper nutrition (feeding), breeding, and conservation. This discipline integrates theories and concepts from different fields of science, such as biology, chemistry, agriculture and veterinary medicine. Majority of the animal science courses in Australia encompass topics related to animals in biomedical research, domestic animal biology, their genetics, immunology in animal health and diseases, etc.  The candidates that will be choosing these courses will be allowed to combine and analyse knowledge from biochemistry, anatomy, and genetics in addition to the concepts of the economy, management, or marketing.   Interestingly, the students will acquire skills in designing, organising and managing animal farms in order to help in the animal production processes. This study involves all species of domestic animals and animal scientists will also attain computer skills so that they can analyse data and make use of all essential statistical techniques.

Animal Science Courses Available Here

There are three categories of courses available in animal sciences field in Australia. These are:

• Bachelor Courses
• Master Courses
• Short Courses

Depending upon the choice of your course, you will be able to grab a job in the animal science industry. However, the most common job roles that you will get to perform after getting qualified in any of the animal science courses are:

• Animal Scientist
• Farm Manager
• Veterinary Nurse

The job that you will get in animal science will depend on your field of study. For instance, if you become a veterinary nurse, then you will be working with all species of domestic animals and how to help them with their feeding, and preventing diseases. The best thing is that animal science degrees are offered at both the undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate levels. In fact, there are many animal sciences programs that incorporate work experience into the curriculum, and help students to gain hands-on experience in their respective field of study. As mostly these courses are based on the biological sciences and include many laboratory-based classes, so your job will be more related to analysis and management of animals behavior and livestock maintenance.

This is a fast-growing industry, so there is no dearth of job options. Anyone who has qualified in any of the animal science programs will be able to get a job as the following:

• Animal Hospital Assistant
• Veterinary Assistant
• Veterinary technician
• Animal lab technician
• Animal Scientist
• Farm Manager
• Veterinary Nurse

Graduates may find job opportunities in a wide range of areas including animal breeding, food and fibre production, animal behaviour and welfare, biotechnology, etc. They can engage in jobs like the animal scientist, livestock manager, pet breeder, dog trainer and more.

Career Information for a Degree in Animal Science

The courses in animal science generally cover livestock production, genetics, nutrition, and microbiology. Therefore, the chances of better opportunity and growth in the career are quite high for animal science graduates. Strikingly, if you get a job as a farm manager or a veterinary medicine expert, then you can have a handsome salary. However, apart from the qualification, the practical training for vets and animal scientists is quite significant, as the more you have such experiences the better are the chances of growth in the career. Any Veterinarians that has a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree and animal scientists who have Master’s degree in animal nutrition or reproduction can even get a salary of around $80000.00 - $100000.00 per annum.

As aforementioned, there are three levels of animal science courses in Australia. Under these levels, there are multiple courses options that you can select and make a career in it. These are:

Short Courses

These are the courses that are a certificate of diploma level courses. These are also known as undergraduate level courses. Most of these are online animal science courses that give you an entry level qualification in the industry. Students who have completed their senior secondary studies can opt for it. The most popular one is discussed here and that is:

Zoology, Certificate

In Australia, if you want to become a Zookeeper, you may choose this course. Accredited and recognised by the International Association of Private Career Colleges (IAPCC), this course is designed to make students learn the “theory” behind the industry. The students are taught by industry professionals and they gain relevant skills and knowledge required for maintenance and care of captive animals

Graduate Level Courses

These are bachelor level courses that are meant for students to acquire knowledge in a particular field. The most sorted after courses in this are:

Bachelor of Natural Science

This course is designed in such a way that it enables the candidates to develop a deep understanding of major issues related to animal science, such as vertebrate biodiversity, wildlife science, animal behaviour, animal production, animal reproduction, animal health and welfare, animal nutrition and human-animal interactions. The students will also get an insight of the industry work procedures with first-hand professional experience in project management and problem-solving.

Bachelor of Animal Ecology

In this course, the students develop their analytical and research skills, so that they can have a better understanding of animal management and conservation. This course is designed to enhance the knowledge of the participants of the course animal conservation, behavior, and biodiversity.

Bachelor of Science, Zoology

This is a course that provides students all the relevant skills related to all aspects of the biology of animals, such as the analysis of animal physiology, ecology, behaviour, and evolution in addition to the understanding of animal structure, function, and anatomy.

Master of Animal Science

This is course promotes a critical reflection on the professional practice in the animal industries. In this course, the graduates are prepared to acquire advanced analytical and problem-solving skills. This course is focused on research in the animal science discipline area.

Master of Biotechnology - Genetics, and Breeding

This is an animal science course in Australia that offers an in-depth understanding of state-of-the-art biotechnology with the appropriate training in an enterprise, commercialisation, and intellectual property (IP) protection. This course is in combination with specialisations in Genetics and Breeding or Genetics and Genomics, Biochemistry, and Molecular Biology, and Environmental Biotechnology.

Master of Tropical Veterinary Science

This course covers the field of animal health, welfare, as well as the animal production with the aim of improving health and productivity of livestock. This course is designed to make students understand the better utilisation of animal resources, including wildlife.  At the end of this course, the students shall be able to veterinary assistants

With a degree from a reputed institute in animal science, you can have many career options offering you wide range of job duties and salaries. However, animal science courses in Australia are offered on different levels, and for the students who want to use this opportunity to work with animals in order to make their career must first understand that this these are quite challenging courses. You need to have an interest in animal science and not just the love and compassion for animals. You will have to study subjects like biology, biochemistry when you opt for animal science courses. Therefore, it is important for the candidates to have a liking for all these subjects. Furthermore, you need to have patience as working with livestock is not easy and it takes time to understand their behavior.