Dairy science is the animal care, business, and services associated with a dairy farm or dairy agribusiness. The dairy science program at Iowa State focuses on dairy cattle and dairy food products.

A wide variety of employment opportunities exists due to the flexibility of program selection within the curriculum. While many graduates of dairy science own or manage profitable dairy operations, the majority of students seek employment in such challenging career areas as agribusiness, biotechnology, dairy product manufacturing, education, finance, management, marketing, research, sales, or veterinary medicine.

Some students prepare for postgraduate studies for positions in research and teaching. This preparation can provide a strong foundation leading to several emerging fields of biotechnology.