Veterinary Preventive Medicine Graduate Program

The Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine at The Ohio State University offers the Master of Science (MS) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees.  In addition, a Master of Public Health program with a specialization in Veterinary Public Health is also available.

The objective of our graduate program is to provide specialized education and experience for persons interested in fields such as the prevention and control of animal disease, zoonotic disease, enhancement of health, and protection of the food supply. Students enrolled in the dual-degree program must be concurrently registered in the College of Veterinary Medicine and the Graduate School. A student must complete the freshman year of veterinary college before becoming eligible for dual enrollment, and must have received at least a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale GPA in his/her freshman year.

Entrance qualifications and application process

An applicant for graduate studies must be a veterinarian or have a baccalaureate degree in an appropriate discipline. An applicant with a baccalaureate degree must have a grade point average of 3.0 and score satisfactorily on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Students with an MS degree from an accredited program are not required to submit GRE scores. The GPA for all graduate course work must be 3.3 or above for PhD applicants. Veterinarians with a grade point average of less than 3.0 or who have graduated from colleges not accredited by the AVMA must submit adequate GRE scores. GRE scores are not required when a veterinarian from a nonaccredited college is supported by government or agency which has a competitive selection process. Students from countries where English is not the primary language must demonstrate acceptable proficiency in English prior to acceptance.

For more information, contact

Ann Sanders
Graduate Program Coordinator
A184 Sisson Hall
1920 Coffey Road
Columbus, OH 43210
e-mail

Dr. Päivi Rajala-Schultz, Chair, Graduate Studies Committee

• Please download application forms and instructions via the Graduate Admissions Office website.

Innovative, Collaborative Education

The Pew National Veterinary Education Program and other authorities on veterinary medicine predict a strong demand for persons with advanced training in veterinary preventive medicine. Persons with specialty education in epidemiology, infectious disease control, health management of food producing animals, parasitology, laboratory animal medicine, health economics, food safety and public health will be increasingly sought to meet these emerging needs.

Graduate students in our program have a first-hand exposure to these specialty areas as our faculty includes specialists in epidemiology, microbiology, parasitology, production medicine, extension, public health, and laboratory animal medicine. We also work in conjunction with other departments in the College of Veterinary Medicine and the University. Many of our faculty hold joint appointments in the College of Medicine and the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. Faculty members in the other departments contribute to graduate programs and training activities at both the Columbus and Wooster campuses.