The first coursework specifically on dairying offered at the Iowa Agricultural College was in 1880 and included instruction on the breeding and care of dairy cows, milk composition and production, and manufacturing of cheese and butter. In 1890, the Iowa Agricultural College Board of Trustees approved the building of the College creamery and the beginnings of a dairy program. The Department of Dairying was established in 1898 and included: a four-year course, a one-year course, a winter course, and a summer course. Graduate work was first offered in 1911. The name of the department changed to the Department of Dairy Industry in 1928, then to the Department of Dairy and Food Industry in 1957. In 1961, it became the Department of Dairy and Food Industries and in 1969, the name and curriculum were changed to the Department of Food Technology. In 1990, the department merged with the Department of Food and Nutrition to form the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition.

The curriculum in dairy industry and food technology was designed to prepare students to apply their knowledge of science and engineering to develop, manufacture, market, and protect food products. In the early years of the curriculum, the main focus of study was on dairy products, but studies eventually encompassed a wide array of food products.