Veterinary sciences

Master of science

Starting from your undergraduate degree, you pursued veterinary science to help animals of all types thrive. Your knowledge, coupled with your steadfast drive, paved the way toward a career as a veterinary technician or veterinarian. Day after day, you assist pets, livestock and their owners directly — whether through a private practice, in the agriculture industry or as a mobile clinician serving a wider area.

Yet, while you’re there for tick season, vaccinations and awareness campaigns, you strive to grow your influence. That might be through research shaping how veterinarians deliver care or the medications and treatments they recommend. Or it could be in higher education, where you instruct the next generation of professionals on animal-specific anatomy and pharmacology. As you plan your next move, Mizzou Online's master of science in biomedical sciences with a concentration in veterinary sciences enriches your analytical and pedagogical foundation in preparation for these career paths or doctoral studies.

This flexible program presents a detailed, comprehensive perspective of animal health. You’ll delve into the cellular and chemical building blocks of anatomy, physiology and pharmacology and advance your studies in molecular biology, endocrinology and toxicology. Then, for a thesis or project prepared for publication, you’ll draw from your background to tackle a problem and formulate an original solution.

If you are a veterinary professional whose master's program was discontinued, it may be possible to complete your degree through Mizzou Online's veterinary programs. Please contact Dr. Laurie Wallace (wallacela@missouri.edu), director of Mizzou's online veterinary programs, if you think you may qualify.

About the online master's in veterinary sciences

Job market projections illustrate potentially above-average growth across the veterinary science field over the next decade. Demand, however, isn’t uniform.

As the catalyst for this trend, more people own pets than they did 30 years ago. A higher number of cats, dogs and exotic animals per household has driven requests for routine services — and the veterinarians and technologists there to perform them. In response, veterinary schools and training programs require more instructors equipped with the education and field perspective to introduce related scientific concepts, handling and treatment methods to future graduates.

In parallel, the medical field continues to examine the relationship between animal and human health — from diseases passed through contact to the foods we consume. As a result of this interest, job opportunities for veterinary researchers have surged. In addition to discovering new drug therapies and treatments, these professionals play an integral role in connecting outbreaks among pets or livestock with population health trends.

In helping you shift gears beyond direct care, the online master’s in veterinary sciences program:

• Immerses you in intensive research training, strengthening what you know about cellular biology and how animals respond physiologically.
• Repositions your knowledge for the classroom, research lab or managing a clinic.
• Highlights the relationship between scientific concepts and the care animals receive.
• Lets you expand your skill set while continuing to support your clients as an independent or industry clinician.
• Creates a stepping stone toward a doctorate — a key credential for entering the academic field.
• Consists of fully online courses taught by award-winning faculty-scholars who contribute to cardiovascular, reproductive health, exercise and more biomedical disciplines.