Program Information

Veterinary Public Health (D.V.M./M.P.H.)
Public Health Practice Major
School Public Health at the University of Minnesota

Welcome to the Veterinary Public Health Program in the Public Health Practice Major at the School of Public Health University of Minnesota! We value your interest and will do everything possible to help determine whether this program will meet your educational interests and professional aspirations.

The University of Minnesota, School of Public Health is a nationally ranked school whose faculty are internationally recognized for their innovative research and teaching effectiveness. The faculty has a strong commitment to educating a new generation of public health leaders. We offer cutting-edge courses at a unique three week Public Health Institute where national academic and community experts are brought in to teach courses on anticipated and current topics.

If you wish to compete more effectively for positions that deal with the intersection of human and animal health, spanning the biomedical and food industries, as well as with state and federal government agencies involved with agriculture, public health, and animal health, adding an M.P.H. to your D.V.M. will greatly expand your professional options.

CAREERS

Veterinarians with public health credentials serve as leaders for such zoonoses prevention and control programs as rabies, food-borne illnesses, and arboviruses; they operate as field epidemiologists investigating new and emerging diseases, they help strengthen the country's ability to respond to bioterrorism and public health-related emergencies; and they coordinate critical activities among industry, non-profit organizations, government, and academia.

Potential employers include the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the military, the uniformed public health service, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Get more information on careers in veterinary public health.

PROGRAM STRUCTURE

The program’s 42 credit curriculum is composed of the basic, or required curriculum (22 credits) which is offered online throughout the year, and the focus area, or elective curriculum (20 credits) which is traditionally completed via attendance of two or more three-week Public Health Institutes.  Therefore, Veterinary Public Health Students typically spend six week to nine weeks on campus.

Areas of focus are:

• Food Protection
• Preparedness, Response and Recovery
• Occupational Health and Safety

Most D.V.M. students complete their M.P.H. in three to five years, depending on how they choose to schedule the courses and if any credits are approved to be transferred from their D.V.M. program. Students have up to seven years to complete the M.P.H. degree.

View the curriculum.
View the four year sample schedule.

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