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Admission Information for
Prospective Students

An information packet about the Department of Dairy Science is available upon request.  Additional information about the dairy science program can be obtained by contacting one of the following academic advisors in the Department of Dairy Science:

Advisor Telephone Email Address
Dr. M.A. Barnes 540/231-4772 barnesm@vt.edu
Dr. R.E. James 540/231-4770 jamesre@vt.edu
Dr. R.E. Pearson 540/231-6791 rep@vt.edu

Entrance Requirements

Entrance to Virginia Tech starts you on a lifetime of learning in your field of interest. The studies are challenging, but all students admitted are capable of successfully completing the program with adequate individual effort and abundant help and advising from faculty and fellow students.

High School Preparation

Before being admitted as a freshman to Virginia Tech, you must have graduated from an accredited high school or private preparatory school with a minimum of 18 units. Fourteen of the eighteen required units must be academic or college preparatory units. The following are considered minimum for any curriculum with at least a grade of C in all academic courses:
Units Subject
4 English
3 Math (including algebra II and geometry) Preference is given to students with math beyond algebra II.
2 Social Science (one must be history)
2 Laboratory Science (biology, chemistry or physics)
3 Other college preparatory courses (English, natural or social sciences, math, computer science, language or fine arts)
4 May be selected from any course offerings for which the high school grants credit toward meeting graduate requirements.
2 Single foreign language (highly recommended)

Foreign Language Requirement

All undergraduates must meet a language study requirement in one of the following ways:
  1. successfully completing two (2) units of a single foreign language during high school, or
  2. earning six (6) credit hours of a single college level foreign or classical language before graduation, such credits being in addition to the number normally required for graduation, or
  3. receiving credit by exam for a foreign or classical language.

Freshman Application

Consideration for admission is based on high school grades and class standing as well as SAT scores. Freshmen applicants are required to take the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and achievement tests in English and mathematics of the College Entrance Examination Board.

If you are planning to enter fall semester, you must apply before January 15th of your senior year in high school. Application forms are available from the Department of Dairy Science or:

The Admissions Office (0202)
104 Burruss Hall
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA 24061
(540)231-6267

Students are encourages to apply on the Internet at the following address: http://www.admiss.vt.edu

Each year the competition for admission increases, thus raising the admission standards. If you are interested in attending Virginia Tech in dairy science, we recommend that you work at getting good high school grades and that you and your parents visit with us. We can discuss your high school records and point out any deficiencies that may exist which, if corrected, could increase your chances of gaining admission to Virginia Tech.

The Dairy Science Department has no voice in deciding who is admitted. If you are not accepted for admission into the freshman class, do not give up. Instead, apply for admission to a community college, junior college, or another accredited four-year college in your area. The Virginia Tech Admissions Office is very willing to accept transfer students if they have performed well at another college or university and have completed two semesters of Biology, Chemistry, English and Math courses.

Transfer Application

Transfer students must apply at least 60 days before the beginning of the semester for which the student wishes to enroll. Therefore, students should submit applications by March 1st for fall admission and by October 1st for spring admission. Students in accredited colleges or universities who wish to transfer to Virginia Tech should request application forms from the Dairy Science Department or the University Admissions Office.

To be accepted at Virginia Tech, you must have a minimum previous college average of better than "C" quality (preferably at least a 3.0 grade point average) and be in good standing with all colleges and universities previously attended. Grades of "C-"or below from another college are not acceptable for transfer credit.

Students planning to major in dairy science at Virginia Tech can usually transfer 1 to 2 years of credit from any accredited junior college, college, or university. Transfer students from junior, community colleges or two-year technical programs, however, must complete one-half (60 credits) of their graduation requirements at Virginia Tech. Students should select their courses from the following list.

Required Courses at Virginia Tech

Course Name Semester Credit Hours Quarter Credit Hours
Biology 
General with lab
8 12
Chemistry 
General with lab
8 12
English 
Composition & Literature
6 9
Math 
Pre-Calculus & Calculus
6 9
Economics Principles 6 9
Humanities 
Literature, humanities, 
philosophy, religion, etc.
6 9
In addition to the specifically required courses, other courses not specified are acceptable as elective credit. Highly recommended are microbiology, computer science, communications (writing and/or speech), statistics, business or finance, and accounting.

Undergraduate Admission Web-Based Course Information
Undergraduate Courses DASC Homepage

Please send any comments or questions to dascweb@vt.edu.
Last updated: 07.23.03