College of Veterinary Medicine
Oregon State University
The College of Veterinary Medicine offers graduate study leading toward the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Comparative Veterinary Medicine. Students receive a comprehensive background in biomedical sciences and intensive research training in the specific area toward a career in research/teaching in biomedical or veterinary sciences. Areas of specialization include anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, pathology, toxicology, microbiology, immunology, and clinical sciences. Students may select one or more minor fields beyond their major.
The program is primarily designed for students who have a DVM degree. Students with only a BS degree are required to obtain a MS degree first before being considered for the admission. The minimum grade point average (GPA) is 3.0 for courses taken for a DVM degree or for a MS degree. Other requirements are consistent with the entrance requirements of the OSU Graduate School. The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores may be used as an additional reference, although they are generally not required. Students in the PhD program are expected to complete their degree programs prior to admission to other professional schools.
Four years are generally required for the completion of the doctorate degree. The College offers a single major: Comparative Veterinary Medicine. Students, however, should indicate their area(s) of interest at the time of application. Successful applicants should select their major professor (or co-major professors) within 12 months of commencing study. A minimum of 108 credit hours is required, including 36 hours minimum for thesis research. The student must complete 36 credits of regular non-blanket coursework. No more than 15 hours total of blanket-numbered courses can be included in the program. Grade and other requirements listed in the Graduate Catalog will apply to the doctorate students in addition to those listed below.
Comparative Veterinary Medicine is a multidisciplinary field. Specific requirements for the student are largely determined in consultation with his/her major professor and doctoral committee members with consideration of the area of concentration and the student's background. All students are required to take the following:
Those students who have not earned a DVM or an equivalent degree recently from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)-accredited institution are required to take the following:
15 hours transfer credit in Pathology and Physiology
10 hours of Biochemistry courses1
12 hours of Statistics courses1
3 hours of Seminar
36 hours of Thesis Research
32 hours for other courses
108 total hours
1Those students who have completed graduate level courses in Biochemistry and/or Statistics will be given appropriate credits upon the approval of their graduate committee and the Graduate Studies Committee.
33 hours maximum credit transfer2
10 hours of Biochemistry courses
12 hours of Statistics courses
15 hours of Pathology and Physiology courses
3 hours of Seminar
36 hours of Thesis Research
0-32 hours for other courses
109+ total hours
2Excluding credit hours for MS/MA thesis and blanket-numbered courses.
A student who has recently acquired a DMV degree in one of the AVMA-accredited institutions may transfer credits for Veterinary Physiology and Pathology, not to exceed 15 credit hours total. A student with a MS degree can transfer a maximum of 33 quarter credit hours of graduate level courses, excluding those of thesis and blanket-numbered courses, providing that (1) the transfer is approved by the committee; and (2) grades of A or B have been earned. If a student wishes to transfer any other credits, he/she should submit a written request to the Graduate Studies Committee.
By the end of the fifth term of enrollment, the student, in consultation with their major professor and members of their graduate committee (consisting of a minimum of five members of the graduate faculty, including two from the College of Veterinary Medicine and a representative of the Graduate School), must decide upon three areas of major emphasis. The student submits to the Associate Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, who in consultation with the College's Graduate Studies Committee, approves or suggests changes. After the approval of the student's committee by the Dean of the Graduate School, the committee meets to develop the student's study program. The Associate Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine approves the student's program with the recommendation by the College's Graduate Studies Committee.
The student must enroll for three out of four consecutive quarters at OSU, and a minimum of 36 hours of graduate work must be completed at OSU as specified in the Graduate Catalog.
No foreign language is required.
Graduate students in the PhD program are expected to obtain some formal teaching experience. All students in the doctoral program are required to teach at least one (but not more than 10) hour(s) of formal lecture per year in one of the professional or graduate courses offered by the College of Veterinary Medicine. The instructor-in-charge guides students by indicating topics and objectives of a particular lecture, and students develop written outlines and audiovisual materials with the instructor's approval. The teaching experience is incorporated into the student's program. The teaching experience should not interfere with coursework research, unless the designated amount of teaching has been clearly specified in the employment or admission agreement. A letter of evaluation is solicited from the instructor-in-charge of the course by the Associate Dean.
The student must pass comprehensive preliminary examinations, consisting of both written and oral examinations, at or near the completion of their coursework, but no later than 24 months from the start of the study. The student must first pass a written test which is followed by an oral examination. Elapsed time between the two tests should be approximately 14 days if at all possible.
For the written test, the Associate Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine designates the referee. All committee members submit questions to the referee except the graduate school representative. The questions should be such that the student can complete them within a four-hour period per committee member. The exam is "closed book" unless otherwise noted by an examiner. The referee conducts the exam and is responsible for distributing the student's answers to, and collecting the graded exams from, each committee member. The exam is graded on a PASS/NO PASS basis with comments. The referee notifies the student's committee of the scores on all questions and the committee then determines if the student has passed the examination. If the student fails the exam, they may retake the written exam no sooner than three months later. Only one retake is permitted.
The purpose of the oral examination is to test the student's analytical and creative ability, communication skills, and comprehensive knowledge in the specialized fields designated by the student, as well as in basic sciences related to the fields. In the oral preliminary examination, the exam may cover the student's proposed research topic, although no more than one-half the time should be devoted to specific aspects of the proposal. Oral examinations are conducted according to the Graduate School's guidelines.
The doctoral candidate in the College of Veterinary Medicine must carry out independent research and submit a thesis to demonstrate the originality and excellence of their research. The thesis must be a significant contribution to knowledge, based on the candidate's own investigation.
The student must pass a final doctoral examination as specified by the OSU Graduate School. This includes a public seminar and an oral defense of their thesis. At least one complete academic term must elapse between the time of preliminary oral examination and the final oral examination.
The Graduate Studies Committee of the College of Veterinary Medicine plays a central role in maintaining a standard of excellence and in improving the quality of graduate education programs in the College. In the admission process, the committee reviews each applicant to recommend rejection or admission into the graduate program. Even if an applicant fulfills the minimum requirements for admission to the doctoral program, the committee may not recommend admission when it does not find sufficient evidence for the applicant's potential for excellence in a specific field.
When the doctoral program for a candidate is formulated, the Associate Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine consults with the Graduate Studies Committee to assure that the program is consistent with the guidelines of the College of Veterinary Medicine.
The Graduate Studies Committee reviews academic progress of each doctoral candidate in the Spring quarter. Faculty members familiar with each student, including his/her academic advisor, will be asked to provide their recommendation/information for this evaluation. If a student's progress is judged satisfactory, the student will be so notified in a letter from the committee. If progress is less than fully satisfactory, the committee will recommend appropriate action to the Associate Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine before the end of the quarter. Failure of the student and their major professor to address areas of concern in a satisfactory manner may result in dismissal from the graduate program. Removal of a student from the graduate program will be done by the Graduate Dean, upon recommendation from the Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine.