Program Overview
Animal Science is a comprehensive discipline and an essential branch of life sciences. It primarily studies fundamental theories and knowledge in animal production and management, animal genetic breeding, animal reproduction, animal nutrition, and feed, among other professional aspects of animal science. Students receive basic training in investigation, analysis, evaluation, and design related to animal science, developing essential animal breeding, reproduction, production, and management capabilities.
Training Objectives
This program cultivates innovative talents equipped with foundational theories, knowledge, and skills in animal science. Graduates will be capable of engaging in technology and design, development and promotion, operation and management, and teaching and research in fields and departments related to animal science. It particularly emphasizes the training of dual-skilled, composite entrepreneurial talents specializing in the production and trade of specialty livestock, poultry, and other economic animals, meeting the talent demands for standardized development in the breeding and utilization of these species.
Distinctive Advantages
Feature 1: With over 60 years of development, the program became a Key Specialty in Heilongjiang Province's Outstanding Agricultural and Forestry Talent Training Program in 2013 and was approved as a provincial first-class undergraduate specialty construction site in 2020.
Feature 2: Rooted in national wildlife conservation strategies, it focuses on ex-situ conservation and economic animals’ breeding/utilization needs.
Feature 3: Offering diverse elective course modules, it provides students with broad perspectives, extensive career prospects, and multi-tiered employment opportunities.
Feature 4: Outstanding fresh graduates are recommended for exemption from entrance exams to pursue master’s degrees at “985” or “211” institutions; international collaborative talent cultivation is conducted through multiple pathways.
Core curriculum
Core Foundational Courses: Introduction to the Profession, Zoology, Animal Anatomy, Histology, Embryology, Vertebrate Taxonomy, Animal Physiology, Principles of Animal Genetics, Animal Nutrition, etc.
Core Specialized Courses: Animal Feed Science, Animal Genetic Improvement, Animal Reproductive Biology, Animal Production Science, Animal Environmental Hygiene, Animal Product and Feed Marketing, General Theory of Wildlife Breeding, Utilization, and Regulation, etc.
Major Practical Teaching Components: Zoology and Vertebrate Taxonomy Internship, Animal Breeding and Reproduction Internship, Animal Production and Medical Comprehensive Internship, Animal Feed, Product, and Marketing Comprehensive Internship, etc.
Graduate Destinations
Further Education |
◆In the past three years, the further education rate has remained above 65% (including recommended exemptions); ◆Over 95% of students pursuing further education are admitted to “985” or “211” universities, including China Agricultural University, Huazhong Agricultural University, Northwest A&F University, and Northeast Forestry University. |
Employment |
◆In the past three years, employed graduates have primarily worked in Liaoning, Shanghai, Beijing, and other regions, accounting for 64% of the total employed graduates. ◆Major employers include Harbin Da Bei Nong Animal Husbandry Technology Co., Ltd., Jilin Zhongxin Zhengda Food Co., Ltd. |
Expert Representative
Zhang Wei is a professor, PhD supervisor, and recipient of the State Council Special Government Allowance. He is also recognized as a National Outstanding Scientific Worker and awarded the Heilongjiang Provincial Teaching Excellence Award. Furthermore, he serves as the Director of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration Wildlife Testing Center and is the Chief Science Communication Expert for National Wildlife Conservation. Additionally, he is a member of the National Laboratory Animal Expert Committee.
Expert Perspective on the Program
Our university launched the Animal Science program in 2004 to meet market demands for interdisciplinary applied talents. Its key distinction from similar programs at other agricultural universities lies in its focus on specialized livestock and poultry, as well as economic animals, rather than traditional livestock and poultry. With strong faculty expertise and comprehensive teaching resources in economic animal science, prospective students interested in this field are encouraged to apply.
Student Perspective on the Program
Four years of study deepened my passion for animal science, a discipline full of challenges and growth potential. Beyond core courses like nutrition and reproductive science, unique offerings such as fur science and wildlife forensic identification broadened my professional horizons. Diverse internships enabled me to integrate knowledge into practice, enhance understanding through real-world applications, and significantly improve my expertise under theoretical guidance.
Alumni Highlights
Zhang Jinhai, a 2008 graduate of the College of Wildlife and Natural Protected Areas’ Animal Science program, currently serves as the Deputy Director of the Forest Resources Management Division at the Forestry and Grassland Bureau of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
Yang Shilong, a 2010 graduate of the Animal Science program at the College of Wildlife and Natural Protected Areas, is a recipient of the National Excellent Young Scientists Fund. The National Forestry and Grassland Administration has recognized him as a Young Top-notch Talent and awarded him the First Prize in Natural Science from Yunnan Province. He has published nearly 20 research papers in prestigious international journals, such as Nature Communications and PNAS, establishing himself as a prominent figure in China's neurobiology field.
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