MS, Comparative Biomedical Sciences

Degree Program Summary:

The MS degree program in Comparative Biomedical Sciences trains students in biomedical research and emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches in the scholarship of animal and human health. Graduates of this program will understand the basic scientific principles related to comparative biomedical sciences in one of the following areas of emphasis: physiology and pharmacology, pathology, infectious diseases, population health, or veterinary biosciences and diagnostic imaging.

This is a college-wide MS program administered through the Office of the Dean by the Associate Dean, Research and Graduate Affairs. The program is available to all qualified students holding professional degrees in the healing arts as well as to graduate students with a strong biological background. Programs of study are also available in the following emphasis areas: Avian Medicine, Food Animal Medicine, and Zoological Medicine. The Zoological Medicine area of emphasis is only available to applicants who are veterinarians and have been accepted into the residency training program at UGA.

The area of emphasis in Avian Medicine is designed to provide veterinarians with specialized training in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of poultry diseases. The degree is open to students who hold the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. The program is designed for veterinarians seeking a career in clinical poultry medicine in the poultry industry. Course work in microbiology, pathology, and poultry science are combined with practical field and laboratory experiences in clinical poultry medicine. At least 41 semester credit hours of course work and the satisfactory completion of a final oral examination are required. In addition to the requirements of the Graduate School of The University of Georgia, applicants are required to have a DVM or equivalent degree, a veterinary school grade point average of 3.0 or higher, a combined score (verbal and quantitative) of at least 1000 on the Graduate Record Examination, official transcripts of all college courses, and written references from at least three persons. Experience in the poultry industry is desirable. The area of emphasis in Food Animal Medicine is suitable for either new veterinary graduates or experienced veterinarians. The objectives of this program are to provide the candidates with skill sets critical to the food animal industry.

• A broad understanding of the production livestock industry
• Scientific approaches for investigation of production concerns and disease outbreaks
• Effective communication
• Data management and evaluation
• Economic decision making
• Design, analysis, and interpretation of clinical research studies
• Critical reasoning
• Students will have the option of focusing on beef or dairy cattle

Through a cooperative arrangement with a production operation, government agency, pharmaceutical company, or biologics company, degree candidates will plan, execute, and summarize at least one applied research study. Clinical experience will teach students to prioritize, evaluate, and resolve production issues. Development of leadership and programmatic planning skills is also expected.