Joint Degree Programs
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine/Master of Public Health (DVM/MPH) Joint Degree
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Applicants interested in veterinary public health should consider the DVM/MPH
degree at the University of Florida. This joint degree is a unique opportunity
since the only College of Veterinary Medicine in the state is located at
UF. Veterinarians with MPH degrees are increasingly in demand because they
work 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 DVM/MPH degree is offered jointly by the College of Public Health and
Health Professions and the College of Veterinary Medicine. If taken consecutively,
the DVM and MPH degrees at UF are 150 and 48 credits, respectively, and
require 6 years of coursework. The joint DVM/MPH program permits sufficient
sharing of course credits to allow completion of the program in 4 years
plus 1 summer.
Hallmarks of the program
• The DVM/MPH may be completed within the four-year timeframe required for a DVM degree alone by starting MPH coursework the summer before entering the DVM program.
• Students have the flexibility to select an in-depth concentration in the MPH program or to choose the Public Health Practice concentration, which allows selection of courses from two or more concentration areas.
• MPH core courses and select concentration core courses may be taken online.
• The MPH program will accept 12 credits of DVM courses toward the MPH degree, and the DVM program will accept 6 credits of MPH courses towards the DVM degree.
MPH concentrations
Students must choose from one of the six MPH concentrations: Biostatistics,
Environmental Health, Epidemiology, Public Health Management and Policy,
Public Health Practice, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. Please visit
http://www.mph.ufl.edu/concentrations/
for a description of each concentration. Many veterinary students may
choose Public Health Practice, because of its broad flexibility, although
they are free to choose from any of the other concentration options.
Supervisory committee
To facilitate student progress in the joint program, the MPH supervisory
committee is comprised of one MPH faculty member and one faculty member
from the College of Veterinary Medicine.
Internship requirement
Students enrolled in the joint degree program must complete a public health
internship, as described in the MPH program description at http://www.mph.ufl.edu/programs/masterspublichealth.htm.
For most students, the internship will be completed, over one or more semesters,
near the end of the joint degree program.
MPH culminating experience
Students attain a depth in public health knowledge and skills by selecting
one core area for their concentrations. They obtain a broad knowledge base
of public health issues and perspectives through the MPH core courses and
electives. The concepts presented in these courses are integrated and assimilated
through the internship, which provides an opportunity for each student to
apply his or her knowledge in the real world of public health. Students
may engage in many activities during an internship. However, each student
must have one special project which serves as the basis for a major paper
and a presentation. These final activities of the MPH program are intended
to encourage students to understand their projects in the larger context
of public health as a cross-disciplinary field and in relation to the competencies
expected of all MPH graduates. Student presentations are scheduled on one
or two Public Health Days near the end of fall, spring and summer
semesters. The written paper and oral presentation constitute a culminating
experience for the MPH.
Sample MPH curriculum
A sample of the MPH curriculum DVM/MPH students may follow, including a
range of electives that students may choose from, is in the table below.
The examples here are for the Public Health Practice concentration, although
students may choose from any concentration.
| I. Public Health Core: 16 credits | Credits |
Semester* |
|
| PHC 6001 | Principles of Epidemiology | 3 |
ss-0C (online) |
| PHC 6102 | Introduction to Public Health Administrative Systems | 3 |
ss-0C (online) |
| STA 6166 | Statistical Research Methods I | 3 |
ss-1A |
| PHC 6313 | Environmental Health Concepts in Public Health | 3 |
F-4 (online) |
| PHC 6406 | Psychological, Behavioral, and Social Issues in Public Health | 3 |
F-4 (online) |
| PHC 6931 | Seminar in Contemporary Public Health Issues | 1 |
ss-0B |
| II. Concentration Core: choose 13-15 credits from 2 or more MPH concentrations. (Concentration) | |||
| VME 6605 | Toxic Substances (EH) | 3 |
ss-C (online) |
| PHC 6002 | Infectious Disease Epidemiology (Epi) | 3 |
ss-A |
| PHC 6107 | Introduction to Veterinary Public Health (EH) | 1 |
ss |
| PHC 6702 | Exposure Measurements and Assessment (EH) | 3 |
ss-C |
| VME 6602 | General Toxicology (EH) | 3 |
F (online) |
| FOS 5205 | Current Issues in Food Safety (EH) | 3 |
F (online) |
| PHC 6937 | Risk Communication (EH) | 2 |
ss-B |
| PHC 6xxx | PH Disaster Prep. and Emergency Response (EH)** | 3 |
ss-C (online) |
| PHC 6xxx | Bioterrorism and Public Health (EH)** | 3 |
ss-C (online) |
| PHC 6716 | Survey Research Methods (Epi) | 3 |
ss-C |
| III. Courses Accepted from DVM Program: choose 12 credits | |||
| VEM 5150 | Veterinary Parasitology | 1 |
S (DVM-1) |
| VEM 5141 | Veterinary Infectious Diseases | 3 |
F (DVM-2) |
| VEM 5172 | Veterinary Toxicology | 1 |
F (DVM-2) |
| VEM 5503 | Veterinary Epidemiology | 2 |
S (DVM-2) |
| VEM 5510 | Exotic and Emerging Diseases of Animals (VIN) | 1 |
S/F (DVM-3/4) |
| VEM 5571 | Emerging Diseases | 3 |
S/F (DVM-3/4) |
| VEM 5504 | Preventive and Production Medicine | 2 |
S (DVM-2) |
| VEM 5153 | Parasitology, Small Animal | 1 |
F (DVM-4) |
| VEM 5154 | Parasitology, Large Animal | 2 |
F (DVM-4) |
| VEM 5143 | Microbiology, Small Animal | 2 |
S/F (DVM-3/4) |
| VEM 5144 | Microbiology, Large Animal | 2 |
S/F (DVM-3/4) |
| VEM 5931 | Seminars in International Veterinary Medicine | 1 |
S (DVM 1-4) |
| VEM 5506 | International Veterinary Medicine | 1 |
S (DVM 1-4) |
| IV. Public Health Internship: 5-7 credits | |||
| PHC 6946 | Public Health Internship | 5-7 |
ss-3 |
* F=Fall; S=Spring; ss=Summer
0, 1, 2, 3, 4 = DVM year of study
A, B, C = summer session
** To be offered Summer 2009
What is the outlook for veterinarians in Public Health?
Public health career opportunities for veterinarians will continue to expand
with the rapidly changing demographics of human and animal populations,
increasing urbanization, increasing poverty, the expanding technology gap
between developed and developing countries, and changes in the environment,
land use and climate. These changes will present new opportunities for public
health-trained veterinarians as part of veterinary and human health systems.
(Excerpt from Veterinarians in Public Health, prepared by The Association
of American Veterinary Medical Colleges. www.aavmc.org).
Admission criteria
Candidates for the program must meet the entrance requirements and procedures
for admission to both the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and the Master of
Public Health degree programs. Acceptance into the joint DVM/MPH program
requires the student has been accepted into the DVM program. Please note
however, that the joint application is due prior to student notification
regarding acceptance into the DVM program and joint program acceptance is
contingent on DVM program acceptance. The joint degree program is not open
to students who have already earned either the DVM or the MPH degree. Additional
information regarding admission to each program may be found at www.vetmed.ufl.edu/cvmadmissions/
and www.mph.ufl.edu/admissions/.
How to apply
The application process for the joint DVM/MPH degree can begin only
after you have been offered an interview by the College of Veterinary Medicine.
The process involves the following steps with deadlines that must be met
in order to enter the program during the summer prior to the start of your
DVM program.
1. Develop a statement of intent
A statement of intent is very important for acceptance into the joint program.
The statement should not exceed 2 pages and may be considerably shorter,
but it must convey your understanding of how an MPH degree would enhance
your career goals. See below for instructions on submitting your statement
of intent.
2. Apply to the University of Florida Graduate School on or before
March 14
Please note that you are required to submit duplicate materials to both
the UF Office of Admissions and to the MPH Program.
Submit the following to the UF Office of Admissions no later than March 14:
• Application form
o Applications may be made online or by US Mail. In either case, they must be received on or before March 14, 2008.
o Detailed information regarding applying to UF Graduate School is on the Graduate School website. This includes application forms for online submission, and for printing to submit via US Mail. http://gradschool.rgp.ufl.edu/students/application-and-admission.html
o Please note that this website will also mention letters of reference, however the letters that were submitted with your vet school application will be used for the joint program application. There is no need to send additional letters of reference.• $30 Application fee
• Official transcript(s) – these are in addition to the one(s) that were submitted with the vet school application
• Official GRE scores, and TOEFL scores (if applicable) –also in addition to those submitted with the vet school application
Submit the following to the MPH Program no later than March 14:
• Statement of intent (mentioned in #1) – Please provide the original and note that the UF Office of Admissions does not need a copy of the statement of intent
• Original or a copy of the Official Transcripts sent to the UF Office of Admissions
• Original or a copy of the GRE scores, and TOEFL scores (if applicable) sent to the UF Office of Admissions
• Detailed information about the materials to be submitted to the MPH Program can be found on the website: http://www.mph.ufl.edu/admissions/forms.htmo Please note that the MPH admission requirement website listed above will also mention letters of reference, however the letters that were submitted with your vet school application will be used for the joint program application. There is no need to send additional letters of reference
• The MPH Program application materials must be received on or before March 14 at the following address:
University of Florida
Public Health Programs Admissions
P.O. Box 100182
Gainesville, FL 32610-0182
1-866-62-UFMPH
3. Notify the MPH Program on or before March 14
After your application has been submitted, please e-mail the MPH program
at bhart@phhp.ufl.edu and let
us know when and how your Graduate School application was submitted.
4. Apply for financial aid for summer 2008 on or before March 14
– if you do not wish to receive financial aid, you may skip this step.
To apply for summer financial aid you must complete the current academic
year’s FAFSA at the same time you apply to the MPH program. For example,
to start joint degree coursework summer 2009 you must complete the 2008-2009
application (Please Note: The 2009-2010 application refers to the fall semester,
so please do not use this application when applying for the summer semester
aid. You will be asked at a later date to complete the 2009-2010 form for
veterinary school).
Any delay in filing current FAFSA application may impede assignment of funds for the summer term. If you are unsure if you will need financial aid, please apply anyway as you can always decline later (if you do not apply prior to the March 14th deadline and later decide you do need financial aid, it may be too late to receive aid for the summer). Financial aid application information and forms may be found at: http://www.sfa.ufl.edu/apply/howtoapply.html.
5. Notification and acceptance
Applicants who qualify for acceptance into the joint DVM/MPH program will
be notified via invitation in early April. Your written acceptance letter
must be received by April 15th as confirmation and to assure
you can begin the joint program coursework in the summer semester.
Contact us
Traci Krueger, DVM, MPH
Assistant Professor
Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Environmental Health
College of Public Health and Health Professions
Department of Infectious Disease and Pathology
College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Florida
Box 100182
Gainesville, FL 32610
Phone: 352-273-5259 Fax: 352-273-5061
kruegert@vetmed.ufl.edu
Mischka Garel, MPH
Associate Director of the MPH Program
College of Public Health & Health Professions
University of Florida
Box 100182
Gainesville, FL 32610
Phone: 352-273-6443 Fax: 352-273-6448
mgarel@phhp.ufl.edu
Mary Peoples-Sheps, Dr.PH
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
College of Public Health & Health Professions
University of Florida
Box 100182
Gainesville, FL 32610
Phone: 352-273-6084 Fax: 352-273-6199
mpeoplessheps@phhp.ufl.edu
