VPTH Graduate Programs

Building on our long established departmental strengths in the pathology and parasitic diseases of domestic animals, the Department of Veterinary Pathology emphasizes residency training leading to board-certification combined with graduate degrees in Veterinary Pathology for individuals who already hold the DVM or equivalent degree. This approach gives our graduates the ability to have a scientific evidenced-based approach in all aspects of future discipline areas, including diagnostics, teaching, and research. Discipline areas offered are anatomic pathology, clinical pathology, and parasitology. Graduate degrees are MS with thesis, MS non-thesis or PhD. We are very proud of our graduate’s accomplishments in the areas of research and residency training. Additional information on graduate degrees can be found on the Graduate College website.

For veterinarians, the three discipline areas are listed below with links to degree level and courses.

Master’s degree (MS) and non-thesis MS information (Anatomic pathology*, Clinical pathology*, Parasitology** areas of residency training for board certification)

PhD and associated areas of residency training for board certification

The Program of Study (POS) Committee in the department is approved by the Department Chair and DOGE.  For degrees in the department, fifty percent of the committee is composed of faculty with the Department of Veterinary Pathology as their primary appointment department.  The POS committee major professor or co-major professor is a Graduate Faculty member with their primary appointment in the Department of Veterinary Pathology.

To obtain board-certification, resident candidates must have a DVM or equivalent degree and meet the requirements of the certifying organization. In addition, the departmental residency coordinators in each discipline are responsible for signing the documents to assure that the qualifying criteria have been met to take the examination.
*Certification by the American College of Veterinary Pathologists
**Certification by the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists

There are a limited number of residency/advanced degree positions available in the department. For post-DVM positions related to pathology training, our positions will be posted in searchable training databases ACVP or ASVCP, or you may contact Krista Hibbs.

The department does not have a specific program for concurrent veterinary students seeking advanced degrees. The faculty contact for concurrent veterinary programs is Dr. Cathy Miller, clm@iastate.edu, and some information. A major professor must be identified while the candidate is a veterinary student and assure that funding for the student is available throughout the program, including for the remaining work after the awarding of the veterinary degree.

For non-DVMs seeking a graduate degree or a DVM seeking an advanced degree only without board certification, our department participates and has several members of the Veterinary Pathology faculty involved in interdepartmental graduate training programs. Students admitted into these programs may have research projects in the Department of Veterinary Pathology and VPTH as their home department. See the links below for more information and application instructions. Krista Hibbs can be contacted to obtain the participating VPTH faculty members.

Information and Application Instructions