Areas of Study

Degree Options for Professionals

MPH for Practicing Veterinarians

The University of Iowa College of Public Health, in collaboration with the  College of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University offers a primarily distance-based Master of Public Health Program.  The program is designed for practicing veterinarians looking for a career change or to enhance their ability to become board certified in Veterinary Preventive Medicine. The MPH will provide veterinarians with new opportunities in local, state and federal health, agricultural and environmental agencies, colleges and universities, private sector food industry, the military and international public health organizations.

Prerequisites

• Degree in Veterinary Medicine from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited college of veterinary medicine or comparable training.

• The GRE is an overall requirement for the MPH degree, but for practitioners seeking admission to the program, special permission for waivers of the GRE will be sought by the College of Public Health.

MPH Program Courses

Students  will participate in two 2-week summer institutes, one at the University of Iowa and the other at Iowa State University in consecutive summers. The remainder of courses are available in asynchronous format via the internet-evenings, weekends, whenever fits your schedule.  Students have set courses each semester and deadlines to meet within the semester, but do not attend classes live over the internet.

MPH Core Courses (18 s.h.)

The following courses are required of students in the MPH program. Students are expected to earn ≥ B- (2.67) on each core course and must earn a ≥ B (3.0) cumulative grade point average on all core courses. When necessary, a student may repeat a course to achieve this standard.

Practicum Requirement (3 s.h.)

The practicum is the capstone experience of the MPH program.  It provides an opportunity for students to apply public health competencies in a public health practice setting.  The practicum requires a minimum of 200 hours of public health practice and must be carried out in a setting that has components of veterinary medicine and public health. The experience from this course, including a final written report and oral or poster presentation constitutes the final examination for the MPH.

In the past, some of the veterinarians in this program have worked at state health departments working on zoonotic diseases, state departments of agriculture working on animal disaster management plans and agroterrorism issues, researched the effects of musculoskeletal symptoms in dairy producers, tested swine workers for antibodies to influenza viruses, and traveled overseas to research Dengue fever and anthrax. There are many opportunities in the local area to get involved with the board of health, human medical facilities, and state and federal government projects to incorporate your knowledge as a veterinarian with the vast world of public health. 

Required Course (1 s.h.)

Electives (20 s.h.)

Summary of Requirements