Intercollegiate Judging Teams

The Department of Animal Science has a rich heritage of successful judging teams. Many former team members who have gone on to obtain leadership roles in the industry as alumni strongly support the judging team experience. Participation on a judging team enhances a student’s ability to think, reason and make decisions, and to communicate with others. These skills are in great demand regardless of the career choice.

Students enrolled in dairy, horse, livestock, meats or welfare judging have the opportunity to travel and visit farms across the US. They can meet and talk to the owners and managers of some of the most successful operations in the world. These contacts help students better understand current management and marketing strategies as well as assist students in making and securing career choices.

Judging is more than visiting farms and taking a class. It is competing against schools all across the U.S. in contests held in conjunction with the major industry events. Some of these are: World Dairy Exposition, Madison, WI; North American Livestock Exposition, Louisville, KY; Quarter Horse Congress, Columbus, OH; and Arabian Nationals, Albuquerque, NM.

Read the Spartan Judging Review newsletter for recent team activities.

Students may earn a maximum of 8 credits from ANS 200A Sec 001, ANS 200A Sec 002, ANS 200E, ANS 200F, ANS 300A Sec 001, ANS 300A Sec 002, ANS 300B, ANS 300C, ANS 300D, ANS 300E, ANS 300F. Many of these courses have a re-enrollment provision so that a student might be able to compete on one or two intercollegiate judging teams.

Animal Welfare Judging Team

Coach - Dr. Jacquelyn Jacobs

Facebook: Updates through MSU Animal Welfare Club

ANS 200E Introductory Animal Welfare Assessment (pre- or corequisite)

Fall Semester - 1 credit

ANS 300E Animal Welfare Judging

Fall Semester - 2 credits

The Animal Welfare Judging team is open to all undergraduate students, and is recommended to those who wish to learn to critically assess animal quality of life and improve their public speaking skills. Animal welfare is evaluated using an ethical framework supported by scientific research, and the team focuses their studies each year on four diverse species (livestock/poultry, companion and exotic) determined by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Undergraduate Welfare Judging Team members tour animal care facilities, listen to experts in the field, and practice presenting evidence-based reasons. Team members will compete alongside the graduate and veterinary teams at the AVMA’s annual Animal Welfare Assessment Contest (1 weekend commitment per year, each November). Animal welfare judging alumni have gone on to lead diverse, successful careers in the veterinary and animal care industry fields. The Animal Welfare Judging Team is supported by the Animal Welfare Club, the Department of Animal Science, and the College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Alumni Association.