Apr 19, 2024  
2020-2021 Graduate Catalog 
    
2020-2021 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]


Pathobiology (Ph.D.)



The Pathobiology Graduate Program is an interdepartmental and interdisciplinary program with a mission to provide a broad based graduate education to students seeking a PhD degree in the areas of infectious and non-infectious diseases of animals, food safety, security, and policy, and production animal medicine and management. The research activities of the graduate faculty, primarily in the Departments of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology and Clinical Sciences are in specialized areas of Infectious Diseases, including Zoonotic Diseases and Transboundary Diseases, Bacteriology, Companion Animal Health, Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Cancer Biology and Treatment, Epidemiology, Food Animal Health and Management, Food Safety and Security, Immunology, and Translational Medicine. The graduate program faculty have established programmatic requirements, within the overall policies of the Graduate School, for admission, supervision, and completion of the degree and provide both the course instruction and the research training essential to complete the PhD degree. The program offers opportunities for DVM students to concurrently work on a dual degree program (DVM/PhD). 

Students with a BS Degree


At least 90 semester hours of credits including a minimum of 15 hours of formal course work (800-level or higher) and 30 hours of research credits for the dissertation, a preliminary examination, research, a written dissertation, and a satisfactory defense of the dissertation at the final oral examination.

Students with a MS Degree


At least 60 semester hours of credits including a minimum of 15 hours of formal course work (800-level or higher) and 30 hours of research credits for the dissertation (DMP 999. Ph.D. Research in Pathobiology), a preliminary examination, research, a written dissertation, and satisfactory defense of the dissertation at the final oral examination.  For students who do not have a bachelor’s degree or not yet earned a bachelor’s degree and are enrolled in the dual degree (DVM/Ph.D.) program, the doctoral degree shall be awarded concurrently with the DVM or after the completion of the DVM degree.

Students with a DVM Degree or in a Dual DVM/PhD Degree Program


At least 90 semester hours of credits including a minimum of 15 hours of formal course work (800-level or higher) and 30 hours of research credits for the dissertation (DMP 999. PhD Research in Pathobiology), a preliminary examination, research, a written dissertation, and a satisfactory defense of the dissertation at the final oral examination.  Students who hold a professional doctorate degree (DVM, MD, etc.) degree or enrolled in a dual DVM/PhD program may transfer a maximum of 30 graduate credit hours from a professional doctorate degree toward the doctorate program of study.  For students who do not have a bachelor’s degree or not yet earned a bachelor’s degree and are enrolled in the dual degree (DVM/PhD) program, the doctoral degree shall be awarded concurrently with the DVM or after the completion of the DVM degree.

Core Course Requirements


  1. Three credits of Graduate Seminar. At least one of the three credits should be DMP 970. Seminar in Pathobiology (PhD).
  2. Two credits of course on responsible conduct and ethics in research (AP 896-Introduction to Responsible Conduct of Biomedical Research).