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 of Veterinary Medicine does not offer PhD degrees online, but this online Master’s degree program can be precursor to a PhD program at MU or elsewhere. Job openings for MS veterinary technologists and veterinarians are primarily in academia, research, and veterinary medical industries.
- The MS in Biomedical Sciences degree is NOT intended as a means to prepare for admission to a DVM program.
Online graduate course rigor is equivalent to that of traditional on-site 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.
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.
For more information go to: MU Online MS in Biomedical Sciences with an Emphasis in Veterinary Sciences.
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 BS degree in veterinary technology or another biological science)
Applicants must meet the admission requirements of Veterinary Online Programs and the University of Missouri Graduate School.
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.
Requirements for Admission to the Master’s Degree Program
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 School
- 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
For more information and a sample MS program of study, please consult the MU online catalog:MS in Biomedical Sciences with Emphasis in Veterinary Sciences.