Concurrent DVM & Masters of Science

Nonthesis Masters of Science Degree with Concurrent Enrollment in the DVM Program

Students may be concurrently enrolled in the professional curriculum leading to the DVM degree and in a graduate program. Students enrolled in the nonthesis M.S. degree program are required to maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or higher in the veterinary curriculum. Degree requirements for the MS are identical, whether you are in a concurrent program or not; however, it is anticipated that students would enroll in selected veterinary courses for graduate credit. It is anticipated that completion of both degrees within a four-year period would require students to enroll in one or more summer sessions.

Interested students must complete a graduate application and a “Concurrent Enrollment Request” form. Both forms must be submitted with appropriate transcripts and letters of recommendation to the Office of Admissions (100 Alumni Hall). State on the application that the application is for a concurrent degree program.

Refer to the Graduate College Handbook for additional information on the concurrent degree program.

Concurrent Degree Program

Students in the professional school (DVM) may also enroll for graduate studies in the M.S. program within the Veterinary Preventive Medicine program. Only students who have demonstrated exceptional academic achievement and are highly motivated will be considered. Students requesting admission as a concurrent student must fulfill all of the admission requirements described above. In addition, they must have competed at least 90 semester hours of pre-veterinary or professional course work. Students will be subject to the normal rules and procedures in effect for both the College of Veterinary Medicine and ISU's Graduate College. Students in the concurrent D.V.M.- Graduate Degree Program will need to have Program of Study approved by the Deans of both colleges. As well as the normal forms that need to be completed, current students need to request permission for concurrent enrollment. [Download Concurrent Enrollment Request Forms]

Courses for Concurrent Students

Students enrolled in the Graduate College will satisfy all academic requirements established by the Graduate College. In meeting these requirements, the only courses in the Veterinary College eligible for graduate credit will be courses identified in the ISU Bulletin as being available for graduate credit. Students enrolled in the concurrent program may elect to use courses from their graduate Program of Study, where applicable, to meet the requirements in effect for the professional curriculum, provided approval is obtained from the Curriculum Committee and the Administration of the College of Veterinary Medicine. At present, these include VMPM 586 Medical Bacteriology; VMPM 586 Medical Bacteriology Laboratory; VMPM 587 Animal Virology; VMPM 587 Animal Virology Laboratory; VPth 542 General Pathology; VPth 576 Veterinary Parasitology; and VDPAM 426 Veterinary Toxicology. In order for a graduate course to be acceptable as a substitute for a designated professional course in the Veterinary Curriculum, it shall be reviewed by the CVM Curriculum Committee for breadth necessary for the professional curriculum and by the College Graduate Studies Committee for depth and rigor appropriate for graduate education.

If a student does not hold a B.S. or B.A. degrees, a graduate degree would not be granted until all requirements for the D.V.M. degree are completed. By not restricting credits earned, a student may pursue graduate studies during summer and holiday sessions and may elect to postpone the fourth year of professional curriculum for one year in order to facilitate pursuit of graduate courses and research. This latter option may be declared during the second or third year of the professional curriculum, and no later than the first day of the spring semester of the third year of the professional curriculum.

At the end of each semester, students should transfer credits from the DVM transcript to the graduate curriculum. The form for this is provided on the Graduate college forms page (Transfer of Courses for Concurrent VM/Graduate).

Support During a Concurrent Program

Students enrolled in a concurrent program may be hired by a professor for work as an hourly student during the semesters; however, this is not required. Alternatively, a student may be offered an assistantship in a large component of the program is research. Assistantships are usually funded by a grant obtained by the major professor for a particular project from an agency outside the university and likely will not last for the duration of a students program. The usual graduate assistantship is a ¼ or 1/2-time appointment with a stipend. The university establishes a minimum and maximum monthly stipend for 1/2-time teaching, research, and administrative assistantships. These rates are available on the Graduate College Web site. Stipends for other fractional appointments are scaled proportionally. Currently most concurrent students DO NOT have assistantships because they are doing insufficient research component – i.e. non-thesis Masters.

If a student is pursuing two degrees (DVM /M.S. VPM) AND has an assistantship, the university assesses the student at the residential rate for tuition of the most expensive degree (i.e. in state vet med tuition). Students with an assistantship will need to sign a letter of intent. The department or other administrative unit offers graduate assistantships using the “Iowa State University Graduate Assistantship Letter of Intent” form, which contains a description of the position offered, stipend, and length of appointment.