Undergraduate Program

Program Options
We offer a deliberately structured program with three academic options to give students maximum flexibility while ensuring they are prepared for whatever career they choose to pursue:
Dairy Business Management Option
Gain knowledge and training in dairy farm business management to optimize dairy cattle performance and well-being, utilize electronic data, manage farm finances and land resources and implement environmental planning.
Combine your interest in dairy science with another companion major that allows you to diversity and gain additional knowledge in such areas as agribusiness, agricultural education, communications, and livestock management.
Prepare for advanced training for careers in animal research or veterinary medicine to improve animal and human nutrition, genetics, and biosecurity.
Entrance Requirements | 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 |
Subjects |
---|---|
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:
- successfully completing two (2) units of a single foreign language during high school, or
- 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
- 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) or ACT.
If you are planning to enter fall semester, you must apply by the admissions deadline. Students must apply at the following address:
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
Virginia Tech
925 Prices Fork Road
Blacksburg, VA 24061
Students are encouraged to apply online at the following address: http://www.vt.edu/admissions/undergraduate.html.
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
Students should submit applications by the admissions deadline (Transfer Applicants tab) for fall admission. For application and more information, visit https://vt.edu/admissions/undergraduate.html.
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.
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Undergraduate Program Coordinator
