China Launches First Pet Studies Degree as Industry Tops 300 Billion Yuan

A New Degree for an Industry Short of Specialists

China Agricultural University (CAU) in Beijing will welcome 50 students in September 2025 to a new four-year undergraduate major in companion animal science, the country's first university degree dedicated entirely to pets. The program arrives as China's market for pet goods and services has grown beyond 300 billion yuan, approximately US$42 billion, in 2024.

Urban households now own more than 120 million cats and dogs. Around 500,000 registered businesses serve the pet economy, selling food and supplies or providing services such as grooming, insurance and behavior training. The scale of that activity has created demand for workers with knowledge that goes beyond a general interest in animals.

CAU's new major will focus primarily on dogs, cats and horses. Students will study how companion animals inherit traits, digest food, reproduce, behave and stay healthy. They will graduate with a Bachelor of Agricultural Science degree, preparing them for work across an industry that increasingly needs specialized research and practical skills.

The announcement also marks a change in the focus of agricultural education. Traditional animal science programs have concentrated on livestock, including pigs, cattle and sheep. CAU is applying that scientific foundation to animals kept for companionship, with a curriculum designed around the needs of the growing pet economy.

The first intake will be small compared with the industry's needs. Its 50 students will enter a sector where shortages affect healthcare, grooming, training and research, and where businesses have expanded faster than the supply of trained professionals.

Why Pet Spending Is Growing

China's pet industry has expanded rapidly over the past decade. Young, affluent consumers are a major force behind that growth, treating pets as essential companions and spending on their nutrition, health and happiness.

Pet ownership is also connected to changing choices about family life. Many young Chinese are choosing pets over traditional family structures. A comment circulating on social media captures that sentiment:

You don't need to have kids, but pets are a must.

Demand now reaches well beyond food bowls and veterinary appointments. Owners are seeking accommodation that welcomes pets, travel options, grooming and healthcare. China's state rail operator has expanded access for pets on high-speed trains, reflecting how pet ownership is changing everyday services.

These spending choices give the new degree a practical purpose. A business developing pet food needs people who understand nutrition. A training service needs knowledge of animal behavior. Healthcare providers need workers with appropriate scientific and clinical skills. CAU's program brings several of those areas into one course of study.

What Students Will Study

CAU's companion animal science curriculum combines theoretical study with practical experience. Its subjects cover the biological needs of animals as well as the products and services built around their care.

Students will study the following areas:

• Breed variety, companion animal breeding and genetics.
• Nutrition, metabolism and diet formulation.
• Feed processing technology and formulation.
• Reproductive physiology and management.
• Animal welfare, behavior and training.
• Pet healthcare, disease prevention and veterinary basics.

Genetics concerns how traits pass from parents to offspring. Nutritional metabolism describes how an animal uses food, while diet formulation involves deciding which ingredients and nutrients a feed should contain. Together, these subjects connect scientific knowledge with decisions made in breeding operations, food production and daily animal care.

Animal welfare and behavior add another part of that preparation. Students will learn about the needs and actions of companion animals alongside their physical health, giving the program a broader scope than feeding or breeding alone.

One Year in Beijing, Three in Yantai

The new major will divide students' education between two locations. They will spend their first year at CAU's main campus in Beijing, followed by three years at a research institute in Yantai, Shandong province.

The four-year structure is intended to provide academic knowledge and practical skills tailored to the modern pet industry. Graduates will receive a Bachelor of Agricultural Science degree, reflecting the program's roots in animal science even as its attention turns toward companion animals.

For the first 50 students, the move from Beijing to Yantai will be a central part of their university experience. Their studies will bring together subjects that pet businesses often need at the same time, including breeding, nutrition, welfare and disease prevention.

A Workforce Struggling to Match Demand

China has more than 30,000 pet hospitals but only about 40,000 certified veterinarians. Using 30,000 hospitals as a baseline gives roughly 1.3 veterinarians per hospital, illustrating how thinly that workforce is spread across a large network of facilities.

The shortage extends beyond veterinary medicine. Grooming businesses, training providers, healthcare services and research operations also need skilled staff. The industry's roughly 500,000 registered businesses cover a wide range of activities, from food and supplies to insurance and behavior training.

Yan Jinsheng, vice chairman of the China Pet Industry Association, identified the lack of trained workers as a major constraint on the sector:

The shortage of skilled professionals is one of the biggest constraints on the industry's healthy development.

CAU's degree is intended to help fill that gap by producing graduates with specialized knowledge and practical abilities. A first class of 50 cannot meet the needs of such a large industry on its own, but it establishes a dedicated route into work that has become increasingly varied and technical.

The challenge is also about the kind of training workers receive. Businesses need people who can apply science to concrete tasks, whether that means developing a diet, managing breeding or understanding an animal's behavior.

Where Graduates Could Work

Graduates are expected to be prepared for careers across the pet economy, including research, production, care and public administration. The program's breadth reflects an industry whose employment needs extend beyond shops and clinics.

Potential career areas include:

• Pet food research and development.
• Breeding operations and genetic consulting.
• Veterinary clinics and animal hospitals.
• Pet behavior training and animal welfare organizations.
• Academic research and teaching.
• Government regulatory bodies and industry associations.

Pet genetic testing and professional behavior training are emerging specialties expected to create further opportunities. Genetic testing applies knowledge of inherited traits, while behavior training draws on an understanding of how animals act and respond.

The curriculum links these career areas through shared scientific foundations. Nutrition and feed processing support food development. Genetics and reproductive physiology support breeding work. Welfare, behavior and healthcare subjects address different parts of caring for companion animals.

For students, the degree therefore offers several possible directions within one industry. For employers, it is intended to create a pool of applicants whose education is more closely matched to the work they need done.

Universities Respond to Changing Jobs

The Ministry of Education has called for universities to move toward disciplines shaped by economic priorities and labor market needs. Its 2025 graduate employment notice urged institutions to anticipate industry trends and introduce relevant programs quickly.

CAU's new major fits that approach. Agricultural education has traditionally concentrated on established fields such as livestock production. Rapid growth in the pet economy, combined with a shortage of skilled workers, has created a reason to develop a separate course focused on companion animals.

Other programs tied to changing industries have appeared in coffee science, artificial intelligence and carbon neutrality engineering. These examples reflect a nationwide effort to bring university education closer to the jobs and skills the economy requires.

The shift is from offering courses mainly because they are established academic subjects toward creating programs in response to demand. In CAU's case, the goal is to connect animal science teaching with the specific needs of pet owners, businesses and service providers.

Online Enthusiasm Meets a Serious Career Choice

The announcement has prompted lively discussion online. Some Chinese social media users joked that they would return to university to enroll in the pet major, while others pointed to strong demand for professionals in the industry.

On Xiaohongshu, also known as Rednote, users asked whether graduate students from other fields could join. Their questions reflected interest beyond the group preparing to enter undergraduate education.

One social media user expressed that enthusiasm in personal terms:

With my dog by my side, I could study all the way to a PhD!

The reaction combines affection for pets with growing recognition that the industry can offer a serious and respected career. CAU's curriculum turns that interest toward subjects requiring sustained study, including genetics, metabolism and reproductive physiology.

Public enthusiasm is arriving alongside changing attitudes toward animals. As more households embrace pet ownership, animal welfare, emotional well-being and responsible care are becoming more prominent parts of the discussion around the sector.

How Pet Care Reached This Point

China's first private veterinary practice for small animals opened in Guangzhou in 1989. Since then, clinics and hospitals have expanded rapidly, especially in major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. The country now has more than 30,000 pet hospitals, alongside countless smaller clinics serving millions of animals.

Veterinary education has changed as the industry has grown. A national licensure examination introduced in 2009 helped standardize the profession and establish a basic level of competency. The diversity of educational programs and the speed of industry growth have continued to make it difficult to meet demand for highly trained professionals, particularly those specializing in companion animals.

The main dates trace the move from private pet care to a dedicated university major:

• 1989: China's first private veterinary practice for small animals opened in Guangzhou.
• 2009: A national veterinary licensure examination was introduced.
• 2024: China's market for pet goods and services exceeded 300 billion yuan, approximately US$42 billion.
• 2025: The Ministry of Education's graduate employment notice urged universities to anticipate industry needs and introduce relevant programs.
• September 2025: CAU's first class of 50 companion animal science students is scheduled to begin.

The degree is the latest development in that progression. It adds a dedicated educational route as companion animal care becomes a larger part of both household spending and professional employment.

Can Training Keep Pace With Expansion?

The pet industry has become a new area of growth for animal husbandry and a significant contributor to domestic consumption. More households owning pets means rising demand for quality products and services, along with workers able to provide them.

Demand for skilled professionals is expected to continue exceeding supply for the foreseeable future. The new program's task is therefore larger than attracting students: it must provide rigorous academic teaching and practical experience that meet industry standards.

Universities, industry associations and government agencies will need to work together on standardized curricula, accreditation systems and continuing education. Accreditation provides a way to assess whether training meets agreed standards, while continuing education allows people already working in the sector to keep learning.

International partnerships, including those between Chinese and American veterinary schools, may also help raise educational standards and support innovation. CAU's new major could set a precedent for other universities and industries developing more specialized programs in response to market needs.

As of June 26, 2025, the first intake had yet to begin, so graduate employment outcomes were not yet known. The next scheduled step is the arrival of 50 students in September, beginning a four-year course intended to connect China's expanding pet economy with the scientific skills it needs.

Key Points

• China Agricultural University will begin China's first university degree dedicated to pets with 50 students in September 2025.
• The four-year companion animal science major focuses primarily on dogs, cats and horses.
• Students will spend one year in Beijing and three in Yantai, graduating with a Bachelor of Agricultural Science degree.
• China's pet goods and services market exceeded 300 billion yuan in 2024, with more than 120 million cats and dogs in urban households.
• About 500,000 registered pet businesses face shortages across healthcare, grooming, training and research.
• The curriculum covers breeding, nutrition, feed processing, reproduction, welfare, behavior and disease prevention.
• The program is part of a broader effort to align university education with industry demand and employment needs.