Clubs & Organizations | Internships | Field Trips | Undergrad Research | Campus Farm | Study Abroad | TAs & GSS Leaders | Ag Day
Clubs and Organizations
Internships
Students gain real-world experience and build their resumes through internships and externships that complement their classroom learning. Our students have interned at places like the National Zoo, Days End Farm Horse Rescue, National Institutes of Health, Charles River Laboratories, Inc, and major small and large animal veterinary hospitals. These valuable hands-on skill help make our graduates career-ready and help to expand their professional network. Talk to our advisor or check out our internship page for more information.
Field Trips
See animal science in action! Field trips in our courses and clubs bring you face-to-face with professionals and animals across Maryland and beyond. Students might tour a thoroughbred breeding farm, observe operations at a poultry plant on the Eastern Shore, or visit an aquaculture facility. These experiences connect coursework to real-world applications and often spark new interests or career ideas. Don’t forget your boots!
Undergraduate Research
Discover hands-on research opportunities in our department where you can work alongside faculty on cutting-edge projects, gain valuable experience, and make meaningful contributions to your field.
Get involved in discovery! Undergraduate research in Animal and Avian Sciences offers you the chance to work alongside faculty on cutting-edge projects in areas like animal nutrition, reproduction, physiology, and behavior. Whether you're assisting in the lab or collecting data in the field, research deepens your understanding and prepares you for graduate school or professional careers. Recent students have studied gut health in broilers, equine metabolic syndrome, and undergraduates even traveled to present at national conferences!
Work on the Campus Farm
Love being outside and working with animals? Join the team at the Campus Farm! Student employees help care for horses, sheep, goats, cattle, and poultry right here on campus. They are involved in feeding, cleaning, assisting with health checks, and supporting labs. It’s a great way to gain hands-on animal experience, build skills, and become part of a close-knit farm crew. No prior experience needed. We’ll train you! Reach out to our campus farm manager to inquire about openings.
Study Abroad
Study abroad is a wonderful opportunity…
Yes, you can do it as an Animal Sciences student!
Overview
As an Animal Science student, you have ample opportunities to supplement your education with study abroad programs! Here are some places you should look for different program listings and resources to plan your trip:
Things to Know
Some vet schools require all of your vet school requirements be taken at a US institution. If this applies to you, plan your courses so that you have a semester where you can take general education or elective courses abroad.
If you are planning on studying abroad within your last 30 credits of your degree, you will need to file an Exception to Policy with the College.
As internships, practicums, and experiential learning opportunities are supervised by UMD faculty, you cannot earn elective credits for studying abroad.
There are winter and summer programs if you don’t want to study abroad during a regular semester!
Undergraduate TAs and GSS Leaders
Students who have an interest in teaching and leadership have the opportunity to serve as undergraduate teaching assistants (UTAs) and guided study session (GSS) leaders for several of our courses.
Students who serve as UTAs and GSS leaders have the opportunity to learn these topics in greater depth while providing instructional support and guidance to the students in class. To support their growth and learning in these roles, UTAs and GSS leaders can enroll in ANSC 379 - Animal Science Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Seminar (2 credits). Alternatively, students can enroll in ANSC 399 - Special Problems in Animal Science (1 credit) with their course instructor to earn credit for their work or EDUC 388T - Special Topics in Education: Guided Experiences in College Teaching (3 credits) and EDUC 498 - Special Problems in Education (1 credit).
Show an Animal on Ag Day
Every year, the UMD Block and Bridle club hosts an “Ag Day” Livestock Show as part of the University’s Maryland Day, open to students from any major or skill level. Students can choose to show lambs, swine, dairy, and/or beef heifers from the campus farm.
Participating students will be coached in the weeks leading up to the show, and learn good showmanship skills for their desired species. They will come away with a better understanding of the care, behavior, and conformation of their animal, and can become coaches in the following years!
Information about participating in the livestock show will be sent out in the early Spring.
