Veterinary Biomedical Science (M.S.)

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The Veterinary Biomedical Sciences (VBS) program is a College of Veterinary Medicine based program leading to a Master’s (MS) degree. This program is governed by the rules and regulations adopted by the University Graduate Faculty and the Graduate Council as set forth in the Graduate Faculty Handbook and by additional program policies established by the Graduate Faculty in the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Areas of Emphasis

Three Areas of Emphasis have been established within the Veterinary Biomedical Sciences program: Anatomy and Physiology, Clinical Sciences, and Pathobiology. Information about each Area of Emphasis can be found below.

Credit Requirements

A minimum of 30 semester hours of credit is required for completion of the Veterinary Biomedical Sciences MS Degree.

Regular MS Students:
Students with a bachelor’s degree must complete a minimum of 30 semester hours of credit.

Dual-Degree DVM/MS Students:
Students with a bachelor’s degree who are concurrently pursuing the DVM degree at Kansas State University may apply up to 12 hours of credit from relevant courses in the veterinary curriculum toward both the DVM degree and the 30 semester hours of credit required for the MS degree provided that the grades in these courses are consistent with Graduate School requirements. The specific courses from the veterinary medicine degree transcript for which credits are being claimed must be listed on the program of study under the transfer credit(s) section.

Post DVM Students:
Students with a veterinary medicine degree may apply up to 12 hours of credit from the veterinary medicine degree transcript toward the 30 semester hours of credit required for the MS degree provided that the grades are consistent with Graduate School requirements and the courses are relevant to the program of study.

Program Options and Research Credits

The Veterinary Biomedical Sciences MS degree program offers three different academic plans:

Thesis:
As part of the degree program requirements the student will complete 6-12 credit hours of research and will write and defend a thesis as the culminating experience for the degree.

Report:
As part of the degree program requirements the student will complete 2 credit hours of a specified research project or a specified problem in the major field. The student will write and submit a report on the research project or identified problem as the culminating experience for the degree.

Non-Thesis/Non-Report (coursework):
The student’s degree program will consist of course work only, but will include evidence of scholarly efforts, such as term papers, as determined by the committee. This option is not available in the Clinical Sciences Area of Emphasis.

Admission Requirements

In order to be considered for admission in the Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, the applicant must FIRST identify, contact, and be accepted by a graduate faculty member within one of the three areas of emphasis: Anatomy and Physiology, Clinical Sciences or Pathobiology. Once the student has been accepted by a graduate faculty mentor, the student should submit application materials as follows to the Director of the Veterinary Biomedical Sciences MS program, 106 Coles Hall.

Online application to Graduate School
Statement of Objectives
Official transcripts of all college coursework completed
GRE scores
Three letters of recommendation

International applicants must also submit the following:

TOEFL scores
Affidavit of Financial Support form

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis and admission will follow deadlines set forth by the Kansas State University Graduate School.

Areas of Emphasis

Anatomy and Physiology Area of Emphasis

The Anatomy and Physiology Area of Emphasis is administered by the Graduate Faculty and Ancillary Graduate Faculty in the Department of Anatomy and Physiology.

The primary goal of graduate study in the Anatomy and Physiology Area of Emphasis is to prepare students for academic positions in various health science-related institutions such as Colleges of Veterinary Medicine and Schools of Medicine and Dentistry, as well as positions in industry and agribusiness. Epithelial physiology, stem cell biology and cancer, cardiopulmonary physiology, immunophysiology, neuroscience and pharmacology are major themes of research in the department. Specific areas of interest include cell signaling, epithelial cell solute transport, comparative exercise physiology, food animal immunophysiology, molecular biology of membranes, mechanisms of stress phenomena, molecular genetics and gene mapping, neural control of cardiovascular function, and pathophysiology of microcirculation. Research laboratories are equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, equipment, and instruments to provide excellent opportunities for basic and applied research. Adjunct faculty members from other departments comprise a strong ancillary support group.

Course Requirements

Anatomy and Physiology Seminar (AP 803) for two semesters. (1 credit hour per semester)
Additional courses according to the desires of the student, the major professor and the student’s supervisory committee.

Seminar Requirements

The student will present two seminars in addition to his or her oral defense/examination. The seminars will provide partial fulfillment of the course requirements for Anatomy and Physiology Seminar (AP 803).

Clinical Sciences Area of Emphasis

The Clinical Sciences Area of Emphasis is administered by the Graduate Faculty in the Department of Clinical Sciences.

The primary goal of graduate study in the Clinical Sciences Area of Emphasis is to prepare students for careers in teaching, research, or service in a clinical specialty area or research and development program. Training in planning research projects and writing research proposals provides students the ability to function with teams of scientists from the fields of biomedical and clinical sciences. The student’s experience in teaching and literature study will form the basis for development of future teaching and research programs within his or her discipline. After completing graduate work the student will be better prepared to conduct research both independently and as a team member. The department, along with the Veterinary Health Center at Kansas State University, has modern facilities and equipment for both basic and applied studies.

The Clinical Sciences area of emphasis for the Veterinary Biomedical Science master’s program can include graduate students, dualdegree students enrolled in the professional curriculum of the Veterinary College at Kansas State University, or concurrent residency-graduate programs.

Course requirements

A minimum of 3 hours of credit in a statistics course.
Clinical Sciences Seminar (CS 859 or another seminar course as approved by the supervisory committee) for a minimum of one semester.
Additional courses according to the desires of the student, the major professor and the student’s supervisory committee.

Seminar Requirements

The student will present a minimum of 1 seminar in addition to his or her oral defense/examination. The seminar will provide partial fulfillment of the course requirements for Clinical Sciences Seminar (CS 859 or another seminar course as approved by the supervisory committee).

Off Campus Research

In selected cases a student may conduct extensive research and training off campus. These activities must be approved by the candidate’s supervisory committee in advance.

Pathobiology Area of Emphasis

The Pathobiology Area of Emphasis is administered by the Graduate Faculty and Ancillary/Adjunct Graduate Faculty in the
Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology.

The primary goal of graduate study in the Pathobiology Area of Emphasis is to prepare students for careers in teaching, research, or service in academic institutions, industries, or in state and federal agencies. The graduate study in Pathobiology is an interdepartmental and interdisciplinary program with faculty involved in the study of the epidemiology, diagnosis, pathogenesis, and prevention/control of infectious, metabolic, and parasitic diseases of animals and humans. In addition, the program has faculty with expertise in topics related to food safety and security, public health and zoonosis, and cancer biology. Opportunities exist to work towards the Master’s degree in the areas of bacterial and viral pathogenesis, clinical and anatomic pathology, epidemiology, immunology, parasitology, toxicology, cancer biology, and food safety and security. The Pathobiology graduate program is sufficiently diverse to provide the critical mass and cross-disciplinary interactions necessary to offer high quality graduate training, yet focused to avoid dilution of resources and conflicts with other graduate programs. The scope and flexibility of the graduate program are notable strengths. Research laboratories are equipped with state-of-the- art facilities, equipment, and instruments to provide excellent opportunities for basic and applied research. The Diagnostic Laboratory, housed in the department, is fully accredited by the American Association of Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory Diagnosticians. The Diagnostic Laboratory is internationally recognized for its diagnostic capabilities for many important diseases of food and companion animals. Laboratories and support staff address all aspects of diagnosis from necropsy and histopathology, clinical pathology, serology, toxicology and detection of infectious agents.

Course Requirements

Pathobiology Seminar (DMP 870) for two semesters (1 credit hour per semester). One of the seminar courses, with the permission of the student’s supervisory committee, could be taken from a different program or department.
Additional courses according to the desires of the student, the major professor and the student’s supervisory committee.

Seminar Requirements

The student will present two seminars in addition to his or her oral defense/examination. The seminars will provide partial fulfillment of the course requirements for Pathobiology Seminar (DMP 870).