DVM + MS (Comparative Biomedical Sciences)
The goal of this dual degree program is to prepare selected veterinarians to become outstanding clinician scientists. These two degrees can be taken sequentially or combined. In both cases this takes approximately five years. A brief description of each year is provided below.
Funding for DVM + MS: Students pay standard tuition during the DVM portion of this program. During the MS portion of the program, a stipend will be provided by the Major Professor ($21,000), or by the 12-month Mentored Research Program (Combined Program), as well as tuition and health benefits.
Sequential: The requirements of the MS degree in Comparative Biomedical Sciences can be completed partially during the DVM curriculum, although up to one additional year may be needed after the award of DVM degree.
Following admission to the DVM curriculum,
Year One (DVM student)
Identify research lab/major professor. Apply for Summer Research Fellowship
Year Two (DVM student)
Work in research lab part-time
Year Three (DVM student)
Work in research lab part-time
Year Four (DVM student)
Fall semester – Apply to MS Graduate Program*
Sign-up for research credits for ~eight weeks
DVM degree awarded at spring commencement (May)
Summer: enroll as graduate student in MS program
Year Five (MS graduate student)
Complete didactic course requirements (can transfer up to six DVM course credits to MS program). Complete research. Defend thesis.
MS degree awarded at Spring commencement (May)
*The University of Wisconsin graduate programs require a separate application and do not allow deferments. DVM students apply to MS graduate programs in the Fall preceding admission to graduate school. DVM students in good academic standing are highly likely to gain admission to graduate programs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Combined: Highly motivated veterinary students with an interest in research and who have completed at least one year of the veterinary medical program can apply to the NIH-funded 12-month Mentored Research program
Students typically enter the program at the completion of their first or second year of DVM degree program in June and rejoin the DVM curriculum in late August of the following year. The MS degree is awarded as soon as the degree requirements are completed, generally during the third or fourth year of the DVM curriculum.
A typical five-year DVM + MS program in the 12-month Mentored Research Program would be as follows:
Following admission to the DVM curriculum,
Year One (DVM student)
Identify research lab/major professor. Apply for Summer Research Fellowship
Year Two (DVM student)
Fall Semester
Spring Semester – apply to 12 month Mentored Research Program.
Apply to Comparative Biomedical Sciences Graduate program
Summer – begin MS program; form graduate committee; lab research; one course (optional)
Year Three (MS graduate student)
Fall Semester – didactic course, lab research
Spring semester – didactic course, lab research
Summer – research; write MS thesis
Year Four (DVM student)
Fall/Spring semester – complete MS research and defense if necessary
MS degree awarded at Spring commencement (May)
Year Five (DVM student)
Fall/Spring semester – complete MS research and defense if necessary
DVM degree awarded at spring commencement (May)
DVM + PhD (Comparative Biomedical Sciences; other graduate programs)
The goal of this dual degree program is to prepare selected veterinarians to become outstanding clinician scientists. These two degrees can be taken sequentially or combined. In both cases this takes approximately eight years. A brief description of each year is provided below.
Funding for DVM + PhD: Students pay standard tuition during the DVM portion of this program. During the PhD portion of the program, a stipend will be provided by the major professor ($21,000) as well as tuition and health benefits.
In addition to the Comparative Biomedical Sciences graduate program, which is housed in the School of Veterinary Medicine, there are many other graduate programs that are available to DVM + PhD students. Admission requirements vary. View a list of programs.
Sequential. The requirements of the PhD degree in Comparative Biomedical Sciences can be completed partially during the DVM curriculum, although up to four additional years may be needed after the award of the DVM degree.
Following admission to the DVM curriculum,
Year One (DVM student)
Identify research lab/major professor. Apply for a Summer Research Fellowship
Year Two (DVM student)
Work in research lab part-time
Year Three (DVM student)
Work in research lab part-time
Year Four (DVM student)
Fall semester – Apply to PhD Graduate Program*
Sign-up for research credits for ~eight weeks
DVM degree awarded at spring commencement (May)
Summer: enroll as graduate student in PhD program
Years Five-Eight (PhD graduate student)
Complete didactic course requirements (can transfer up to six DVM course credits to PhD program). Complete research. Defend thesis.
PhD degree awarded at Fall or Spring commencement (Dec, May)
*The University of Wisconsin graduate programs require a separate application and do not allow deferments. DVM students apply to PhD graduate programs in the Fall preceding admission to graduate school. DVM students in good academic standing are highly likely to gain admission to graduate programs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Combined: Following admission to the DVM curriculum
Year One (DVM student)
Identify research lab/Major Professor. Apply for Summer Research Fellowship
Spring Semester – apply to 12 month Mentored Research Program (for Research Year between VM1 and VM2. Can also be done in Year Two, with Research Year between VM2 and VM3)
Year Two (12-month Mentored Research Program)
Work in research lab. Take courses that can be applied to PhD.
Year Three (DVM student)
Work in research lab part-time
Year 4 (DVM student)
Sign-up for research credits for ~eight weeks
DVM degree awarded at spring commencement (May)
Year 5 (DVM student)
Fall semester – Apply to PhD Graduate Program*
Sign-up for research credits for ~eight weeks
Year 6-8 (PhD student)
Complete didactic course requirements (can transfer up to six DVM course credits to PhD program). Complete research. Defend thesis.
PhD degree awarded at Fall or Spring commencement (Dec, May)
DVM + PhD (Major or Minor in Clinical Investigation)
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is one of only five veterinary medical schools in the country that are affiliated with a Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In addition, UW-Madison is unique in that it offers MS, PhD major, or PhD minor options in Clinical Investigation in collaboration with on-site programs in medicine, veterinary medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and biomedical engineering.
This program would look the same as the DVM + PhD in Comparative Biomedical Sciences except for some differences in course requirements. In addition, electing a PhD major or minor in Clinical Investigation makes a graduate veterinarian eligible to apply for fellowship funding through the TL1 program at the UW Institute for Clinical and Translational Research.
DVM + MPH (Master of Public Health)
The goal of this dual degree program is to provide advanced professional training in both veterinary medicine and public health. The MPH degree is administratively offered through the UW-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health but is a multidisciplinary, cross-campus program involving dual degree students from human medicine, veterinary medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and single-degree MPH students. The MPH degree is accredited by the Council on Education in Public Health and the DVM by the Council on Education of the AVMA. The DVM and MPH degrees may be pursued sequentially or as a five-year combined program.
Sequential: For those interested in sequential training, most students complete the DVM degree first and then immediately enter the MPH program (with application during the fall semester of the fourth year in the DVM program). This approach will typically involve five to six years in total for both degrees. Enrollment in the MPH can also be pursued full-time or part-time at any time after graduation (e.g., following several years in clinical veterinary medical practice). However, no online/asynchronous option is currently available.
Combined: For those interested in dual degree training, most students complete the first two years of the DVM degree then spend 12 months in MPH training, followed by the final two years of DVM training (with MPH application completed in the fall semester of DVM year two). Some students have completed the MPH year between years three and four of the DVM degree. However, completion of the MPH after only one year of the DVM degree is not recommended.) Thus, the dual degree option is completed in five years. Both degrees are awarded at the completion of the DVM degree because eight academic credits of the DVM degree count towards electives for the MPH degree.
DVM + Certificate in Global Health
The goal of this program is to offer students an introduction to the major issues of global health in combination with professional degree training in veterinary medicine. The Certificate in Global Health is offered through the UW-Madison Center for Global Health, which is administratively housed within the School of Medicine and Public Health but is a multidisciplinary, cross-campus program involving students from human medicine, veterinary medicine, nursing, pharmacy and public health, as well as non-health science students. The Certificate in Global Health requires a combination of eight credits of classroom studies and at least one credit of field experience. DVM students should apply to the Certificate program during the spring of their first year in the DVM program in order to allow sufficient time for completion of the Certificate requirements within the four years of the DVM degree. (Due to time constraints beginning in year three of the DVM program, it is recommended that the majority of the Certificate requirements be completed during years one and two of the DVM training. This can be facilitated by enrolling in a first global health core course during the spring semester of DVM year one as a special student, even before formal admittance to the certificate program later in the spring semester.) Finally, it should be noted that students can also complete a combined DVM, MPH, and Certificate in Global Health within the five years required for the DVM + MPH dual degree program.
For more information, visit the Center for Global Health and the Certificate in Global Health program website.