About the Program
The Department of Comparative Pathobiology in the College of Veterinary Medicine. Purdue University, offers three-year graduate instruction leading to the Master of Science (MS) or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees to persons possessing the DVM degree and to those with a baccalaureate degree and comprehensive training in the biological sciences. Areas of study include animal welfare science, human-animal interaction, cancer biology, infectious diseases, bacteriology, epidemiology, immunology, laboratory and experimental medicine, parasitology, pathology, public health, toxicology, virology, and molecular genetics. Dual-Title PhD in Gerontology: Students may enroll in the groundbreaking dual-title PhD in gerontology. This degree program links the disciplinary depth of a traditional PhD with the interdisciplinary breadth of gerontology. Students are admitted through and meet all course requirements in their home department, while taking courses in aging in at least three disciplines and focusing their dissertation on an aging related issue or problem. Program Website: Comparative Pathobiology Program Website: Gerontology Program Requirements
90 Credits RequiredRequired Courses (4-6 credits)
Dissertation Research (18 credits)
Area of Study (66-68 credits)
Students should choose one or more areas of study, listed below, to fulfill remaining credit requirements. Animal Welfare
The core aim of the Animal Welfare program is to facilitate the well-being of animals through understanding and applying concepts pertaining to animal ethology, physiology, psychology, husbandry and management, ethics and economics. Related topics include: animal-assisted intervention, service animals, dog bite prevention, zoonotic diseases, and broken bonds between humans and animals. The course list below provides a sample for students seeking to focus their graduate program in Animal Welfare. Area of Study Website Human-Animal Interaction
The core aim of the Human-Animal Interaction program is to evaluate both the beneficial and adverse effects of interactions between humans and animals for both the human and animal counterparts. Related topics include: animal-assisted intervention, service animals, dog bite prevention, zoonotic diseases, and broken bonds between humans and animals. The list below provides a sample of appropriate courses for students seeking to focus their graduate program in Human-Animal Interaction. Area of Study Website Epidemiology and Public Health
The training program is designed to attract students with diverse professional, cultural, and geographical backgrounds. Students can be both graduate veterinarians as well as non-veterinarians. Non-veterinarians enrolled in the program have included biostatisticians, microbiologists, medical students, and economists with interests in the health of humans, animals, and the environment. Observational studies, clinical trials, infectious disease epidemiology, biostatistics, multivariate analysis, and biomedical ethics are among the subjects that are taught informal courses. In addition to the epidemiology and public health courses offered at Purdue University, courses in epidemiology, public health and biostatistics are available in summer programs offered by the schools of public health at other universities. The students may also select courses from other departments at Purdue University, including Animal Science, Statistics, Food Science, Foods and Nutrition, Biochemistry, Agricultural Economics, Health-Kinesiology and Leisure Studies, Health Sciences, Child Development and Family Studies and others. The faculty in these departments may also serve on the students’ graduate advisory committees. Area of Study Website Microbiology and Immunology
Research focuses on the understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of veterinary and human infectious diseases, basic and applied immunology, the development of novel diagnostic tests, therapeutics and methods to prevent infections and tissue inflammation. Investigations are conducted at the whole animal, tissue, cellular, and molecular levels and are supported by electron microscopy, flow cytometry, cell sorting, confocal microscopy (regular, multiphoton and superresolution), and whole animal imaging facilities within the college and throughout the campus. Microarray, bioinformatics, statistical analysis, histology, DNA-sequencing, metabolomics, nuclear magnetic resonance/CT, transgenic mouse facility, and other state of the art technologies are available on campus. The Indiana State Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory provides a significant resource in the practical training of individuals interested in specialty board certification, e.g. microbiology and pathology. Area of Study Website Geronotology Requirements for Dual Title
Requirements for Interdisciplinary Program (18 credits)
GPA Requirements
All courses listed on the approved plan of study must be completed satisfactorily (grade of “C” or higher.) No more than six credits of 30000 or 40000 level courses may be listed on the electronic plan of study. Graduate Programs Disclaimer
- The student is ultimately responsible for knowing and completing all degree requirements. Students should consult with their advisor/department for more information.
- Not all graduate programs may be actively recruiting students and course modality availability may vary.
- Please refer to the Explore Graduate Programs website for a list of currently available graduate programs.
- Transfer credit policy: Credits earned for graduate study at other universities (both domestic and international) may be applied toward an advanced degree. Only credit hours associated with graduate courses for which grades of B- or better were obtained will be eligible for transfer. Any additional conditions under which credit transfers may be made are determined by the various departments.
- Comparative information about Purdue University and other U.S. educational institutions is also available through the College Navigator tool, provided by the National Center for Education Statistics, and through the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
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