Students in the Department of Animal Science at Iowa State University are coming from increasingly diverse backgrounds, with little to no experience working with or handling various livestock species. In order to best accommodate these students, additional courses are being developed, one of which is Animal Science 190X: Animal Handling, Safety, and Well-Being. Through the course, students handle all major livestock species; sheep, swine, poultry, horses, beef cattle and dairy cattle, and are required to demonstrate handling knowledge and skills learned as part of a final assessment. This creates an opportunity for students lacking a livestock background to feel more confident and safer as they interact with livestock species both throughout their collegiate careers and as they enter into the animal agriculture industry.