- Brookings Main Campus
Why Dairy? – Investigate and Innovate
The SDSU dairy and food science program is equipped with excellent laboratories; a state-of-the-art dairy processing plant with capabilities for processing fluid milk, cheese, butter, ice cream, concentrated and dried products, cultured dairy foods and other dairy and food products. Metabolism and surgical facilities in the Animal Science Complex, along with specialized laboratory equipment in the Genomics Lab and other departments on campus, including, veterinary and biomedical sciences, and health and nutritional sciences programs are also available. Graduate students accepted in the program will have opportunities to utilize these facilities to develop basic and/or applied research programs in dairy product processing, microbiology, chemistry, food safety, dairy cattle nutrition, metabolism, genomics, breeding, microbiology of the rumen, immunology and management, while interacting with well qualified faculty. The SDSU dairy science program, in collaboration with the food science and nutrition program at the University of Minnesota and the food science and human nutrition program at Iowa State University, constitute the Midwest Dairy Foods Research Center. This collaborative center provides graduate students in the manufacturing area a unique opportunity to be involved with current issues and research needs.
Is it for you?
This program will be a good fit if you:
- Have an undergraduate degree in dairy science, animal science, food science and engineering or related fields.
- Have an interest in the dairy industry.
- Like intellectual challenges.
- Have leadership skills.
- Enjoy scientific inquiry and problem solving.
Career Opportunities
- Ruminant nutritionist
- Livestock geneticist
- Dairy product processing specialist
- Quality control/assurance director – food and dairy
- Microbiologist – food safety analyst
- Dairy farm or plant management