Animal Science

Overview

careers

  • Animal Care Technician

  • Breeding Manager

  • Livestock Consultant

  • Feed Sales Representative

  • Farm/Ranch Management

  • Vet Assistant

  • Feed Lot Manager

  • Insurance

  • Sales/Marketing

Job Placement Rateⓘ
0 %

Producers whose livelihoods depend upon the production of animals that are safe and healthy for consumption are a vital part of today’s modern food culture.  Students who study Animal Science will learn the most efficient ways to breed and manage herds to ensure the sustainability of the animals and the environment.

Mitchell Tech’s highly qualified instructors, including a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, will teach a variety of classes including management, breeding, genetics, nutrition, disease, growth and feed production.  Students will also become proficient in related areas like accounting, ag law, insurance, finance and other areas that will help them succeed.

Another feature of this program is an animal lab available to students.  This working beef production facility allows students access to cattle from birth to sale and helps students learn not only the hands-on labor needed to maintain a beef herd, but also the marketing process for making a profit.

Graduates will find work in many areas of agriculture including farms, ranches, feedlots, genetics and breeding, sales, marketing and livestock handling.

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Curriculum

Award: AAS Degree

Semesters
0
First Semester
AGT101 > Animal Science I3 credits
AGT102 > Weeds & Herbicides3 credits
AGT104 > Ag Chemicals2 credits
AGT120 > Soil Science I3 credits
AGT211 > Farm Accounting3 credits
TRAN100 > Industrial Transportation CDL1 credit
CIS105 > Introduction to Computers3 credits
SSS100 > Student Success1 credit
Total Semester Hours19 credits
Second Semester
AGT110 > Crop Science I3 credits
AGT112 > Fertilizers3 credits
AGT160 > Commodity Marketing I3 credits
AGT190 > Internship I6 credits
AGT214 > Ag Law3 credits
CPR100 > First Aid, CPR AED0.5 credits
Total Semester Hours18.5 credits
Third Semester
AGT240 > Livestock Reproduction3 credits
AGT242 > Livestock Diseases3 credits
AGT245 > Animal Nutrition2 credits
AGT295 > Beef Management1 credit
> Communications Elective3 credits
> Math Elective3 credits
> General Education Elective3 credits
Total Semester Hours18 credits
Fourth Semester
AGT130 > Livestock Selection2 credits
AGT215 > Ag Finances3 credits
AGT241 > Feed Utilization2 credits
AGT263 > Fundamentals of Insurance2 credits
AGT290 > Internship II6 credits
AGT296 > Calving Management1 credit
> General Education Elective3 credits
Total Semester Hours19 credits

Requirements

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Any student who enrolls in Commercial Driver training must obtain a South Dakota driver’s license in order to complete the CDL training course.  A Class A CDL is a graduation requirement for this program. 

Mitchell Tech recommends that applicants to the Animal Science program obtain a physical examination for their safety and protection.  

Please Note:

  • Students enrolled must possess a Class A CDL license before the end of the 10th day of their first semester of enrollment or be registered for TRAN 100 during their first semester.
  • Students must pass the Commercial Applicator’s License exam in order to graduate

COMPUTER REQUIREMENTS

This program requires a laptop computer so that you can effectively integrate computing skills with your technical education. Many resources that instructors assign are online or require specialty software. To address these needs, Mitchell Tech requires that students entering this program purchase their laptops from Mitchell Tech. The cost for a Mitchell Tech laptop averages about $1,000 for this program. Please be aware that our machines come fully loaded with the software required for this program. 

Whether it’s Microsoft Office, or a specialty software for a technical program, your needs will be met by your Mitchell Tech laptop.  And our laptops are serviced for free by our Technology office. You will not be able to bring a laptop from home into a Mitchell Tech laptop program as we cannot provide support services for every make and model of laptop. Please consider this carefully before making any laptop purchase and check with the Admissions office for more details.

Outcomes

At the completion of the program, graduates will be able to:
  • Demonstrate agribusiness principles in livestock operations
  • Explore equipment and facilities
  • Demonstrate professionalism in human relations
  • Apply problem solving skills in agriculture scenarios
  • Attain a certificate in Beef Quality Assurance or Swine Quality Assurance
  • Demonstrate basic knowledge of livestock husbandry
  • Plan a successful livestock reproduction program
  • Identify common diseases, treatment, and prevention in livestock
  • Apply nutrition and feed utilization in a livestock operation
Annual Program Review

Check out the 2023-24 Annual Program Review for information on how faculty ensure the quality and effectiveness of the program.

Faculty

Animal Science Instructor

Cost

Program Tuition & Fees*
$ 4000

Other Required Costs

Laptop/Software$1,150
CDL$1,050
Books / Tools (estimated)$719

Scholarships

$500

1 AVAIL.

Blacktop Farms Scholarship

Steve and Lori Repenning/ Blacktop Farms

Must be a 2nd year student
Must be enrolled fulltime in Agronomy, Ag Business, Animal Science, Precision Technology or Diesel program
Must maintain a 2.0 GPA or higher
Must complete the online MTC scholarship application
Must be a 2nd year student Must be enrolled fulltime in Agronomy, Ag Business, Animal Science, Precision Technology or Diesel program Must maintain a 2.0 GPA or higher Must complete the online MTC scholarship application

$2000

5 AVAIL.

Spaans Legacy Scholarship

Spaans Family

Must be an Incoming Student
Must be enrolled full time in Animal Science, Ag Business or Agronomy
Must maintain a 2.5 GPA or higher
Must complete the online MTC scholarship application
Must be an Incoming Student Must be enrolled full time in Animal Science, Ag Business or Agronomy Must maintain a 2.5 GPA or higher Must complete the online MTC scholarship application

$500

1 AVAIL.

IJ Carey Memorial in Livestock Evaluation

Roxene G Kasten

IJ Carey supported our Animal Science programs at Mitchell Tech. This scholarship was established by his family to be awarded to a student who is current student and apart of the livestock judging team.
Current Student
Second Year Student
Animal Science
On Campus
Must be a second year full-time student who is a member of the livestock judging team Must be enrolled full time Applicant must complete the MTC Online application to be eligible to receive this scholarship.

$1500

1 AVAIL.

South Dakota Crop Improvement Association Scholarship

The scholarship will be awarded to a first year student enrolled in the Precision Technology, Ag Business, Animal Science or Agronomy programs and applied to the recipient’s account the following Fall semester.
Agricultural Business
Agronomy
Animal Science
Precision Ag Technology
Applicant must be currently enrolled as a first year full-time student in the Precision, Ag Business, Animal Science and Agronomy programs at MTC. Applicant must complete the MTC online application during the open application period as instructed to be eligible for this scholarship 2.0 GPA

$1000

1 AVAIL.

South Dakota Assoc. of Cooperatives Scholarship

The scholarship was established in 2013.
Accounting
Agricultural Business
Agronomy
Animal Science
Business Management
Diesel Power – Ag Power Technology
Electrical Construction & Maintenance
Electrical Utilities & Substation Technology
Power Line Construction & Maintenance
Wi-Fi & Broadband Technologies
Wind Turbine Technology
Applicant must be an accepted full-time student enrolled at MTC in one of the programs mentioned Applicant must complete the MTC scholarship application during the open application period as instructed to be eligible for this scholarship First priority will be given to students with ties to a SDAC member cooperative Essay responses will be a large part of the recipient decision

$1000

1 AVAIL.

Roger Carlson “Tough Old Bird” Endowed Scholarship

Family & Friends of Roger Carlson

The endowment was established in 2013 by the family and friends of longtime Mithell Tech Ag instructor Roger Carlson. Carlson began his career at Mitchell Tech in August, 1990, and was a valued member of the Ag Technology department until May, 2011, when health problems forced his retirement. Carlson passed away on August 27, 2012 from complications related to leukemia. The endowment began providing scholarships in the 2013-14 school year to a qualifying student in the Ag Technology, Architecture Design and Building Construction or Farm Power Technology programs. The scholarship will be awarded in January each year and applied to the recipient’s account the following Fall semester.
Agricultural Business
Agronomy
Animal Science
Architectural Design and Building Construction
Diesel Power – Ag Power Technology
Applicant must be an first year full-time student enrolled at MTC in the Ag Business, Animal Science, Agronomy, Architecture Design and Building Construction, or Diesel Power Technology program Applicant must maintain a GPA of 2.5 or higher Applicant must complete the MTC scholarship application during the open application period as instructed to be eligible for this scholarship

Contact Admissions

For information about any of our programs, application, or any of our other student services please contact us:

Admissions Office
Mitchell Technical College
1800 E. Spruce St.
Mitchell, SD 57301

800.684.1969
605.995.3025
fax: 605.995.3067
[email protected]

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