Program overview
The D.V.M./M.P.H. degree is offered jointly by the College of Public Health and Health Professions and the College of Veterinary Medicine. Applicants interested in veterinary public health should consider the D.V.M./M.P.H. combination degree program at the University of Florida. Veterinarians with M.P.H. degrees are increasingly in demand because of their involvement in all areas of public health, including epidemiology, environmental health, global health, infectious disease investigation and control, and homeland security. Public health-trained veterinarians are uniquely qualified to understand and respond to emerging zoonotic diseases, to address complex global food system problems, and to respond to acts of bioterrorism. The combination D.V.M./M.P.H. Program may be completed within the four-year timeframe required for a D.V.M. degree alone by starting M.P.H. coursework the summer before entering the D.V.M. program.
Graduation requirements
All students in combination M.P.H. programs must meet graduation requirements of the M.P.H. A student must satisfy the curriculum requirements for each degree before either degree is awarded. If taken consecutively, the D.V.M. and M.P.H. degrees at UF are 150 and 48 credits, respectively, and require six years of coursework. The combination D.V.M./M.P.H. Program permits sufficient sharing of course credits to allow completion of the program in four years plus one summer semester for students who enter both programs concurrently. D.V.M. students who choose to enter the combination program after completing one or more years of the D.V.M. program may require an extra semester after completing the D.V.M. Key elements of the program are described briefly below. Details can be found on the D.V.M.-M.P.H. checklist.
Note: D.V.M./M.P.H. seniors are encouraged to present their M.P.H. special projects at the CVM Phi Zeta Research Emphasis Day, typically held in March. The oral presentations given previously at Public Health Day may be presented, or students may prepare a poster.
Requirements for graduation from the M.P.H. program are outlined on the Campus M.P.H. degree webpage.
Admission criteria and process
Candidates for the program must:
- Meet the D.V.M. entrance requirements and procedures for admission to Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program
- Meet the M.P.H. entrance requirements and procedures for admission to the Master of Public Health program
- Note: D.V.M./M.P.H. applicants must only complete a UF Graduate School application; the SOPHAS application is not required.
- Be accepted into the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program first
Acceptance into the combination D.V.M./M.P.H. Program is dependent upon acceptance into the D.V.M. program. Please note however, that the combination application may be due prior to student notification regarding acceptance into the D.V.M. program. The combination degree program is not open to students who have already earned either the D.V.M. or the M.P.H. degree.
Timing of application/admission
The application process for the UF combination D.V.M./M.P.H. Program is open to any student accepted into the D.V.M. program. However, due to the timing of several deadlines for the M.P.H. portion of the application process, some interested students may need to apply to the M.P.H. program prior to being notified of acceptance into the D.V.M. program.
Students should feel free to contact Telisha Martin (MPH contact) or dvmadmissions@vetmed.ufl.edu (DVM contact) if they have questions regarding the D.V.M./M.P.H. degree program.