Qualified Candidates:
- Veterinarians (Graduates of an AVMA-accredited college of veterinary medicine)
- Veterinary Technologists (Graduates of a 2- or 4-year AVMA-accredited veterinary technician/technologist program with a baccalaureate degree in veterinary technology or another biological science)
Graduate Degree Intent
Job openings for Master degree veterinary technologists and veterinarians are primarily in academia, research, and veterinary medical industries. NOTE: The MS in Biomedical Sciences degree is NOT intended as a means to prepare for admission to a DVM program.
Online Graduate (Master’s) Degree Program Description
The University of Missouri, College of Veterinary Medicine offers 100% online graduate training leading to the Master of Biomedical Science degree with an Emphasis in Veterinary Sciences. The college does not offer the PhD degree online, but this online Master’s degree program can be precursor to a PhD program at MU or elsewhere. For more information go to: MU Online MS in Biomedical Sciences with an Emphasis in Veterinary Sciences.
There are thesis and non-thesis options:
- Thesis – This option requires original laboratory research and external funding. It is recommended for students who plan for a career conducting research, striving for tenured track faculty positions, and/or a PhD degree.
- Non-Thesis – The non-thesis option requires a substantial project that results in a publishable paper in a peer-reviewed publication. The project can be retrospective studies, reviews of the literature, national surveys, and other projects pertinent to the student’s career aspirations and approved by the student’s graduate committee. The non-thesis option does not require external funding and is recommended by students who plan on careers that do not require laboratory research such as non-tenured track faculty positions, industrial (animal feeds or pharmaceuticals) marketing, or private practice in veterinary specialties.
Post-baccalaureate Training: Up to 9 cr hr of graduate courses may be taken as a post-baccalaureate student in preparation to apply for the Master’s in Biomedical Sciences Program or as selected educational enhancement.
Graduate Certificate in Veterinary Sciences: Qualified students who successfully complete at least 12 cr hr of graduate Veterinary Online Program courses plus 3 cr hr of graduate level statistics will receive a graduate certificate in veterinary sciences. Graduates of the certificate program will meet admission requirements to the online MS in Biomedical Science program. For more information on the Certificate Program, go to Graduate Certificate in Veterinary Sciences.
Requirements for Admission to the Master’s Degree Program:
Note: All potential applicants are strongly encouraged to first submit their qualifications for a free pre-evaluation by completing and submitting a FREE PRE-APPLICATION EVALUATION OF QUALIFICATIONS.
Formal application includes:
- Completion of a Bachelor’s or Professional degree (or equivalent degree as approved by the Committee on Graduate Training)
- Veterinary technicians with a bachelor’s degree must have achieved a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 in the last 60 cr hr prior to achieving a bachelor’s degree
- Completion of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) with a minimum verbal + quantitative score of 291 and an analytical score of 4.0 within the previous 5 years. The GRE requirements are waived for otherwise qualified DVMs, veterinary technologists who have achieved VTS status, and graduates of the Graduate Certificate in Veterinary Sciences.
- Acceptance by the University of Missouri-Columbia Graduate Studies
- Availability of a faculty advisor within the college
- Enrollment in the University of Missouri-Columbia system
- Applicants who have not spoken English as their first language are required to prove their proficiency in English. For more information, see English Language Testing Services.
- Acceptable references from at least 3 people who know the candidate well but are not related to the candidate
Sample Masters Degree Program of Study
| Year | Sem/Session | Course Number | Title | Cr Hrs |
| 1 | ||||
| Spring | VMS 7320 | Fund of Sm Anim Emerg & Critical Care | 3 | |
| BIOMED 8700 | Principles of Veterinary Pain Mgmt | 2 | ||
| Summer | STAT 7020 | Statistical Methods in Health Sciences | 3 | |
| VMS 8485 | Problems in Veterinary Clinical Sciences | 1 | ||
| Fall | BIOMED 8100 | Veterinary Online Course Development | 3 | |
| VPBIO 8450 | Non-Thesis Research | 1 | ||
| 2 | ||||
| Spring | VMS 8029 | ECC Journal Review | 1 | |
| VMS 8040 | Advanced Small Animal Nutrition | 2 | ||
| BIOMED 8710 | Essentials of Radiation Biology | 2 | ||
| Summer | VPBIO 8450 | Non-Thesis Research | 3 | |
| Fall | VMS 8023 | Internal Medicine Journal Review | 1 | |
| VMS 8485 | Problems in Veterinary Clinical Sciences | 3 | ||
| 3 | ||||
| Spring | BIOMED 8900 | Sm Anim Wound Mgmt & Reconstr Surg | 2 | |
| BIOMED 8310 | Advanced Topics in Stress Physiology | 3 | ||
| Total 8000-level or above cr | 15 (min) | |||
| Total S/U, Problems, or Research cr | 10 (12 max) | |||
| Total 7000-level cr | 6 | |||
| TOTAL CREDIT HOURS | 31 (30 min) |
NEXT COURSES
Upcoming Graduate Courses are listed in the Permission Number Request Form
General Notices:
Courses Are Subject to Change
Statements about courses concerning requirements, prerequisites, conditions, and other matters are for informational purposes only, and are subject to change without notice. They are not to be regarded as offers to contract.
Academic Rigor
Online BIOMED course rigor is equivalent to that of traditional room-bound classes. It is estimated that online and study time for a 3-credit-hour on-line course taken over a semester will require 6 to 9 clock hours per week. Exams are proctored online. All BIOMED courses are approved by MU Quality Matters criteria for online courses or in the process of MU Quality Matters evaluation.