Veterinary Preventive Medicine – Master’s
Veterinary Preventive Medicine
Advance your career in veterinary preventive medicine. Step into leadership roles with expertise spanning animal welfare and diagnostic medicine to disease epidemiology, production medicine, and risk assessment. Gain specialized skills that will help you take the next step.
You know where you’re headed next. Join the program designed to take you there.
You’re ready to make your next move—whether that’s advancing to a leadership role, specializing further, or transitioning into a new area of animal health. Iowa State’s master of science in veterinary preventive medicine provides the skills and experience needed for careers in public health, food safety, emerging infectious diseases, livestock health, and more. Through flexible online courses and tailored research opportunities, you’ll learn to apply disciplines like ecology, nutrition, genetics, and infectious disease control to complex population health challenges. With hands-on, collaborative learning from faculty deeply involved in animal health, your experience will be immediately applicable to the workforce. Choose between a 30-credit thesis program or a 36-credit non-thesis program.
Let Iowa State help you get to what’s next.
Cyclones know where they’re going. And they’ve got the skills to get there.
- This is a research-focused graduate program aiming to train future leaders and create/disseminate knowledge in the area of veterinary preventive medicine.
- Program graduates will be prepared to critically assess needs and develop scientifically validated methods to prevent and respond to productivity, health and welfare issues in animal populations.
Sample program for non-thesis student. Some required courses alternate availability by semester.
First Year 1:
- Principles of Epidemiology and Population Health – 3 credits
- Elective – 3 credits
- Epidemiological Methods in Population Research – 3 credits
- Statistical Methods for Research Workers – 4 credits
- Research credits – variable
Second Year:
- Swine Diagnostic Medicine – 4 credits
- Applied Statistical Methods in Population Studies – 3 credits
- Elective – 3 credits
- Special Topics – 3 credits
- Research credits – variable
Third Year:
- Animal Welfare Science and Research – 3 credits
- Elective – 3 credits
- Creative Component – 4 credits
- Research credits – variable
- Learn from the #1 Veterinary Diagnostic Lab (VDL) in the U.S., known for pioneering disease detection and diagnostic tools, giving you hands-on experience with industry-leading methods.
- Gain industry-leading knowledge from the Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine (VDPAM) department, backed by a $28 million budget and over 50 expert faculty, preparing you for leadership in sustainable food animal agriculture.
- Leverage Iowa State’s renowned resources like the “Diseases of Swine” book, the Swine Medicine Education Center (SMEC), the Field Epidemiology Team, and the Center for Food Security and Public Health, all designed to give you a competitive edge in your career.
- Access cutting-edge research opportunities through $19.5 million in funded grants, helping you stay at the forefront of veterinary medicine.
- The VDPAM graduate programs are interdisciplinary with focus on the study of animal welfare, health and productivity in populations. The diverse disciplines in the program are unified by a common approach based on the application of statistical methods to problem solving in populations.
- Through research and coursework, students will learn to apply a variety of disciplines, principles, and techniques to complex population health problems involving environmental, ecological, nutritional, genetic, infectious and/or noninfectious components.
Career Path
A veterinary preventive medicine degree will be especially valuable for those ready to take their next step into the biological or pharmaceutical industries, public veterinary practice, military veterinary service, international agencies, regulatory bodies, academia, or any role responsible for advancing animal health.
Admission Requirements
Graduate College Requirements
- 4 year Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent)
- Academic Records/Transcripts
- Minimum 3.0 GPA (Program may alter requirement.)
- Proof of English Proficiency
Program Specific Requirements
- Identify a graduate faculty member willing to provide mentorship and sponsor research project(s)
- Statement of Purpose
- Three letters of recommendation
- Resume
- Concurrent applicant instructions
International Requirements
- Financial Statement: Application
At a Glance
- Total Credits: 30 (thesis option) or 36 (non-thesis option)
- Time to Complete: 2.6 years (median time)
- Format: 100% Online
Enroll: January, May or August - Cost Per Credit*: $639
*Tuition and fee rates subject to change
Contact Information
Chloe Petersen
Student Services Specialist
College of Veterinary Medicine
515-294-3837
cmpete@iastate.edu
Program Faculty Contact Name
Daniel Linhares
Professor and Director of Graduate Education
College of Veterinary Medicine
515-294-9358
linhares@iastate.edu
Take the next step
Anything is possible at Iowa State University with innovative academic programs, hands-on research opportunities, and globally recognized scholars to support you every step of the way.