Academic Programs Catalog

College of Veterinary Medicine

Graduate Study

The College of Veterinary Medicine offers graduate programs in each of six departments: Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Physiology, and Small Animal Clinical Sciences. These departments participate in the training of the master's degree programs. Doctor of Philosophy degree programs are offered in all departments except Small Animal Clinical Sciences. In addition, there are two college-based graduate programs: Comparative Medicine and Integrative Biology (CMIB) (Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy) and Food Safety (Master of Science). Trainees in the CMIB program work on a diverse diseases and biological processes with foci ranging from the molecular, cellular, and organismal and population level. CMIB alumni are employed in academia, industry and government positions. In addition, the college is home to the online Food Safety Professional Master of Science program, highly valued by the food industry.

Post-D.V.M. training in various recognized clinical specialties are available including those in Anatomic Pathology, Clinical Pathology, Ophthalmology, Small Animal Internal Medicine, Small Animal Soft Tissue Surgery, Small Animal Orthopedic Surgery, Large Animal Surgery, and Large Animal Internal Medicine.

Several colleges and departments offer Ph.D. programs with admission through The BioMolecular Science Gateway. These include graduate programs in: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cell and Molecular Biology, Genetics, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Pharmacology and Toxicology, and Physiology. The BioMolecular Science Gateway is administered through the College of Natural Science. For additional information, refer to the statement on the doctoral programs in the College of Natural Science section of this catalog.

The College of Veterinary Medicine, the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the College of Engineering, and the College of Natural Science administer the graduate specialization in environmental toxicology.  The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources is the primary administrative unit.  For additional information, refer to the Graduate Specialization in Environmental Toxicology statement in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources section of this catalog.

Several colleges and departments within Michigan State University cooperate in offering interdepartmental Doctor of Philosophy degree programs with majors in cell and molecular biology, genetics, and neuroscience, which are administered by the College of Natural Science. For additional information, refer to the statement on the doctoral programs in the College of Natural Science section of this catalog.

Students who are enrolled in master’s and doctoral degree programs in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the College of Natural Science, and the College of Veterinary Medicine may elect the Graduate Specialization in Fish and Wildlife Disease Ecology and Conservation Medicine. For additional information, refer to the statement on Graduate Specialization in Fish and Wildlife Disease Ecology and Conservation Medicine in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources section of this catalog.