Masters Degrees in Veterinary Sciences study the needs, welfare, medical care and treatment of animals, including domestic pets, livestock and wildlife.
These courses offer a range of opportunities for specialisation. You could learn to treat domestic pets in veterinary practice, focus on agricultural species or even become an expert on wider animal welfare issues such as the conservation and management of wild species.
Courses may have an academic or professional focus, awarding MSc, MRes and MPhil degrees as well as accredited qualifications approved by bodies such as the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (in the UK).
This programme is the only one of its kind in the UK. It is designed for high-calibre, veterinary graduates from clinical backgrounds who want to explore and benefit from veterinary research, perhaps with a view to pursuing a PhD or a career in research.
The programme offers you the opportunity to undertake a research project in a laboratory or department relevant to your speciality. The choice of research projects carried out is wide, and ranges from bench research to clinical research.
Admission to this programme is subject to identifying a suitable research project and appropriate supervisor before starting the degree.
Subjects include:
The programme begins with a month of teaching to give you an overview of the whole range of techniques used in medical research. The first two weeks comprise lectures on subjects from stem cell biology to ethics and clinical trials and statistics training. This will follow with two weeks of practical workshops in cell biology and molecular medicine and learning practical techniques, including basic tissue culture, how to do PCRs and run Western Blots. After the first month of teaching you will move to a laboratory most relevant to your own speciality.
The programme begins with a month of teaching to give you an overview of the whole range of techniques used in medical research.
The first two weeks comprise lectures on subjects from stem cell biology to ethics and clinical trials and statistics training.
This will follow with two weeks of practical workshops in cell biology and molecular medicine and learning practical techniques, including basic tissue culture, how to do PCRs and run Western Blots.
After the first month of teaching you will move to a laboratory most relevant to your own speciality.
Most MVetSci graduates go on to study for a PhD. Those who choose to return to clinical practice go back with a broader experience of research than is afforded by the undergraduate clinical veterinary curriculum.
Our research aims to enhance understanding of disease processes in animals and to translate that understanding into improved therapies for both animal and human disease.
Research focuses on:
Most of our research is carried out within The Roslin Institute, which is incorporated with the School and is the major centre of research.
Studentships are of 3 or 4 years duration and students will be expected to complete a novel piece of research which will advance our understanding of the field. To help them in this goal, students will be assigned a principal and assistant supervisor, both of whom will be active scientists at the Institute.
Student progress is monitored in accordance with School Postgraduate (PG) regulations by a PhD thesis committee (which includes an independent external assessor and chair). There is also dedicated secretarial support to assist these committees and the students with regard to University and Institute matters.
All student matters are overseen by the Schools PG studies committee. An active staff:student liaison committee and a social committee, which is headed by our postgraduate liaison officer, provide additional support.
Students are expected to attend a number of generic training courses offered by the Transkills Programme of the University and to participate in regular seminars and laboratory progress meetings. All students will also be expected to present their data at national and international meetings throughout their period of study.
The Veterinary Campus at Easter Bush includes the new “state-of- the-art” Roslin Institute Building, the Small Animal and Large Animal Hospitals, the Riddell-Swan Cancer Imaging Centre as well as the New Vet School. Our facilities include: rodent, bird and livestock animal units and associated lab areas; comprehensive bioinformatic and genomic capability; a range of bioimaging facilities; extensive molecular biology and cell biology labs; café and auditorium where we regularly host workshops and invited speakers.
Bringing the world’s expertise to you
Learn from internationally recognised veterinary specialists and gain in-depth veterinary research skills.
Massey's Master of Veterinary Science is an internationally recognised veterinary degree, most suitable for those who would like to undertake in-depth research in a particular area of interest.
Massey University’s Master of Veterinary Science brings the world's veterinary expertise to you. You will learn in a supportive and enthusiastic environment supported by internationally-recognised experts in their field.
The classroom experience is interactive and there is significant opportunity for research.
You are able to use your study towards a Master of Veterinary Science to either delve into an area of veterinary science you are passionate about, or to hone your research skills to help you ascertain if you wish to progress into a research-based career.
Massey University’s veterinary programme is ranked in the top 50 universities worldwide by both the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) ranking and ShanghaiRanking's Global Ranking of Academic Subjects.
Wide range of facilities
This course is run on our Manawatu campus in Palmerston North. Host to the only veterinary school in New Zealand, Massey University’s well-equipped facilities include an equine hospital, 24-hour pet hospital and sheep, beef, dairy and deer farms, all located near campus. The Wildbase wildlife hospital is the only dedicated wildlife hospital in New Zealand and underwent a $1.44 million expansion in 2016.
You will have access to our other world-leading science facilities such as modern laboratories for virology and bacteriology, molecular and immunohistochemical work.
Our courses are led by internationally-recognised lecturers and have a reputation for their use of real-life case studies and high staff to student ratios.
Massey’s veterinary and animal science staff are integrated and cooperative. There is also a wide range of expertise across the sciences at the university, such as agricultural science, fundamental sciences and engineering. This will give you access to a wide range of expertise, equipment and facilities on one small campus to assist your research.
The Master of Veterinary Science is a 120 or 240 credit degree which may be available part-time or full-time.
This is a research qualification, where you will undertake an intensive investigation of an area of your choice. This programme can be completed via a 120 research thesis if you are a New Zealand BVSc graduate or equivalent, or a 240 credit (two years full time) research and taught programme if you are an international student.
The 240 credit programme offers a wide range of taught programmes. These include pathology, epidemiology, conservation medicine, parasitology, surgery, medicine, livestock production, ruminant livestock feeding, physiology, animal welfare science and many other subjects.
If you are more interested in a professional development qualification with less of a research focus, the Master of Veterinary Studies may be a more appropriate qualification for you.
The Master of Veterinary Medicine is also focused on professional development, but is available via distance learning.
Postgraduate study is hard work but hugely rewarding and empowering. The Master of Veterinary Science will push you to produce your best creative, strategic and theoretical ideas. The workload replicates the high-pressure environment of senior workplace roles.
Our experts are there to guide but if you have come from undergraduate study, you will find that postgraduate study demands more in-depth and independent study.
This programme is intended for those who wish to enhance their understanding of the role of microorganisms in animal health and disease, and provides an excellent grounding in molecular biology, immunology, epidemiology and microbiology.
This grounding leads into the study of the complex mechanisms of host/microbe interactions that are involved in the pathogenesis of specific animal diseases, and provides insights into diagnosis and interventions, such as vaccines, essential for disease control.
You will enhance your critical and analytical skills and gain hands-on experience in the diagnosis of veterinary diseases, such that you may identify problems, formulate hypotheses, design experiments, acquire and interpret data, and draw conclusions.
This programme is studied full-time over one academic year.
Example module listing
The following modules are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication. Please note that not all modules described are compulsory and may be subject to teaching availability and/or student demand.
This is a full or part-time programme, intended mainly for graduates, those already working in veterinary diagnostic/research laboratories and staff from other laboratories who want to enhance their understanding of the role of microorganisms in animal health and disease.
Pharmaceutical research personnel, policymakers, veterinarians, public health personnel and environmental biologists will also benefit.
Most modules are offered as standalone short courses. The fee structure for short courses is different to that for registered students, and details may be obtained via admissions enquiries, please refer to the contact details on this page.
The option to study the MSc on a part-time basis is only available following successful completion of three modules as stand-alone/CPD. Please contact the [email protected] for further information.
This Masters programme is delivered by a consortium comprising the University of Surrey and two world class veterinary microbiology institutions: the BBSRC funded Pirbright Institute (PI), and the Government sponsored Animal & Plant Health Agency (APHA).
The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) and Public Health England (PHE) also contribute to the programme.
You will have the unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the diagnosis of important veterinary diseases within the world reference laboratories of the APHA and Pirbright Institute (PI).
There will also be an opportunity to visit Public Health England (PHE) to gain a detailed knowledge of how zoonotic diseases outbreaks are investigated, and to visit the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD), a livestock abattoir and an intensive livestock farm.
Colleagues from the CEFAS laboratory will also contribute to the programme, and further research training will be provided during your practical research project.
This is a one year full-time programme aimed at preparing graduates to work in a range of fields in which a detailed understanding of veterinary microbiology is a valuable asset.
These fields include research, commerce, government and policy, reference laboratory and diagnostic work, epidemiology and disease mapping, veterinary science, farming especially animal production, wild and zoo animal conservation and education.
As such, it is intended that graduates will achieve the highest levels of professional understanding of veterinary microbiology within a range of contexts.
The programme combines the study of the theoretical foundations of, and scholarly approaches to, understanding the application and various practices of veterinary microbiology within the contexts described above along with the development of practical and research skills.
The main aims are to enable students to:
The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, skills, qualities and other attributes in the following areas.
The learning outcomes have been aligned with the descriptor for qualification at level 7 given in the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ) produced by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) for Higher Education.
Knowledge and understanding
Following completion of the programme, students should display knowledge of:
Intellectual/cognitive skills
Following completion of the programme, students should be able to:
Professional practical skills
Following completion of the programme, students should be able to:
We often give our students the opportunity to acquire international experience during their degrees by taking advantage of our exchange agreements with overseas universities.
In addition to the hugely enjoyable and satisfying experience, time spent abroad adds a distinctive element to your CV.
A flexible world-leading veterinary programme
The Master of Veterinary Medicine attracts students from all around the globe to this world-leading distance education programme.
Massey’s Master of Veterinary Medicine programme offers practicing veterinarians a flexible, modular system of study via distance. You may choose from a wide range of small animal, large animal, equine, epidemiology and veterinary business courses.
Massey University’s veterinary programme is internationally-recognised - we were one of the first in the Southern Hemisphere to earn American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accreditation.
You will also be joining one of the few distance education programmes for veterinarians that offers the option of completing a qualification.
Your courses will advance your knowledge and skills to an in-depth level beyond that obtained in your primary veterinary degree. Courses can be completed for continuing education or put towards a Master of Veterinary Medicine or other qualification.
Massey University has an excellent reputation for veterinary teaching, with our expert lecturers coming to us from all over the world.
All courses in the Master of Veterinary Medicine programme are delivered by distance learning, and there is no restriction on where in the world you can live.
Massey is New Zealand's premier distance education provider, with fifty years of experience and advanced online tools, forums and interactions with lecturers to facilitate your study.
As well as specific knowledge in areas of interest, you will strengthen your:
On-campus workshops are held in Palmerston North, New Zealand. Attendance at these workshops is strongly recommended, but not compulsory (with the exception of the capstone Contact Workshops which are compulsory either in-person or online). All courses require a computer and internet access.
Massey University’s veterinary programme is ranked in the top 50 universities worldwide by both the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) ranking and ShanghaiRanking's Global Ranking of Academic Subjects.
Find out more about specific courses and our lecturers at mvm.massey.ac.nz
A unique programme in New Zealand
Join this world-leading programme offering postgraduate study in conservation veterinary medicine.
Find out more about the Master of Veterinary Studies parent structure.
The Master of Veterinary Studies (Conservation Veterinary Medicine) is the only programme of its kind in New Zealand. It combines the strengths of our world-leading veterinary school and the essential work of our Massey Wildbase team and the Massey University ecology group.
New Zealand ‘s biodiversity is in crisis and the study of conservation medicine, disease ecology and ecotoxicology is crucial to protecting the remaining unique endemic fauna.
Your learning will cover a broad range of conservation-related medicine including avian and reptile medicine, wildlife pathology, captive management of wildlife, disease ecology and ecotoxicology.
Attached to Massey University’s veterinary school, Wildbase has four areas of focus: the hospital, oil response team and training, research and pathology.
Massey University’s Wildbase Research Centre is an internationally renowned leader in the field of wildlife health and disease. Wildbase has New Zealand's only dedicated wildlife hospital and is having a huge impact on the survival of some of New Zealand’s most endangered birds and animals. We are the go-to hospital for the Department of Conservation, receiving wild and captive animals from all over New Zealand to diagnose, care for or perform autopsies. The Wildbase wildlife hospital is currently in the midst of a NZ$1.44 million expansion.
Massey University’s veterinary programme is ranked in the top 50 universities worldwide by both the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) ranking and ShanghaiRanking's Global Ranking of Academic Subjects.
This course is run on our Manawatu campus in Palmerston North. Host to the only veterinary school in New Zealand, Massey University’s well-equipped facilities include an equine hospital, 24-hour pet hospital and sheep, beef, dairy and deer farms, all located near campus. The Wildbase wildlife hospital is the only dedicated wildlife hospital in New Zealand and underwent a $1.44 million expansion in 2016.
You will have access to our other world-leading science facilities such as modern laboratories for virology and bacteriology, molecular and immunohistochemical work.
Our courses are led by internationally-recognised lecturers and have a reputation for their use of real-life case studies and high staff to student ratios.
Massey’s veterinary and animal science staff are integrated and cooperative. There is also a wide range of expertise across the sciences at the university, including agricultural science, fundamental sciences and engineering. This will give you access to a wide range of expertise, equipment and facilities on one small campus.
Postgraduate study is hard work but hugely rewarding and empowering. The Master of Veterinary Studies will push you to produce your best creative, strategic and theoretical ideas. The workload replicates the high-pressure environment of senior workplace roles. Our experts are there to guide but if you have come from undergraduate study, you will find that postgraduate study demands more in-depth and independent study.
In veterinary management of animals, anaesthesia (rendering animals unconscious to permit procedures) and analgesia (reducing the pain an animal is suffering) have vital importance in improving animal welfare, as well as permitting the ongoing developments in medical and surgical advances.
Knowledge and advances in anaesthesia over the last 20 years have been considerable. We can use techniques to block sensation locally or over a region of the body not just total unconsciousness. We have an array of drugs and methods of drug administration available to us in our fight against pain. Anaesthesia has always carried risks, and we have an increasing availability of monitoring equipment to help us monitor the physiological function of the body during anaesthesia with the aim of reducing morbidity and mortality in our animals.
The University of Edinburgh is offering this unique opportunity for an entirely online MSc to study these advances, during which students can gain knowledge and understanding in the equipment, drugs and techniques associated with anaesthesia and analgesia. Our team can provide a wide range of clinical and research experience across many species.
Our award-winning online learning technology is fully interactive and enables you to communicate with our highly qualified teaching staff from the comfort of your own home or workplace. Online students not only have access to Edinburgh’s excellent resources, but also become part of a supportive online community.
Expert tutors will support you through every stage of the programme and you can engage with fellow students in supportive and constructive online networks.
Your progress will be assessed through online presentations, essays, critical reviews of literature, student self- reflection activities, short-answer questions, scientific posters, group wiki events and peer review activities.
The programme is taught part time over 3 years, but its flexible nature will allow you a maximum of 6 years to complete it. There are also options for studying for a certificate (1-2 years) or a diploma (2-4 years).
Each year will consist of three 11-week terms, structured into two blocks of five weeks of study, with a week in between for independent study and reflection.
The Postgraduate Certificate year (Year 1) starts with a series of compulsory courses to give a foundation in veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia, then progresses to examine how this may be applied in a variety of species. In the Postgraduate Diploma year (Year 2), you have the choice of selected courses to tailor the programme to your requirements. A dissertation completes the final year, however, this is a very flexible course, which can be tailored to suit you (subject to approval).
Year 1
Compulsory courses:
You will also choose 2 out of 4 species-related courses in dogs and cats, equidae, ruminants, camelids and pigs or small mammals (e.g. rabbits, rats etc).
Year 2
You will choose courses to total 60 credits from the following:
In addition, you could choose to select additional species courses from Year 1.
Year 3
During the written reflective element of the programme you will have the opportunity to further develop your scientific skills and utilise scientific theory. The form of the dissertation may vary to suit individual candidates, subject to approval of a submitted proposal. The dissertation will be a piece of written work 10-15,000 words long, which may take the form of a research study, analysis of techniques used in previous clinical work or an extended literature review. A casebook or portfolio submission may also be permitted.
The MSc Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia is likely to be desirable for veterinary surgeons seeking employment in research environments (e.g. as Named Veterinary Surgeon or other roles) due to the key importance of anaesthesia and the emphasis on this from Home Office regulation of research work in the UK.
The MSc will be a different route for progression for veterinary nurses who have key roles in private veterinary practices with regard to veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia. This may be desirable for practices wishing to show a wide range of expertise amongst their staff and patient support for surgical procedures.
Lead the world of pathology
Join this unique residency programme to learn from the largest collection of veterinary pathologists in the southern hemisphere.
Find out more about the Master of Veterinary Studies parent structure.
Massey University has the largest pathology department in the southern hemisphere. Our team of veterinary pathologists that include five pathologists that are boarded by the American College of Veterinary Pathology will help you develop your own expertise in this fascinating and sought-after speciality residency.
Massey University deals with a broad range of animals, from companion and production animals to exotic animals that may go off-track and wash up on our shores. That means that you will gain pathology knowledge of a wide variety of animal species.
Massey University’s veterinary programme is ranked in the top 50 universities worldwide by both the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) ranking and ShanghaiRanking's Global Ranking of Academic Subjects.
This course is run on our Manawatu campus in Palmerston North. Host to the only veterinary school in New Zealand, Massey University’s well-equipped facilities include an equine hospital, 24-hour pet hospital and sheep, beef, dairy and deer farms, all located near campus. The Wildbase wildlife hospital is the only dedicated wildlife hospital in New Zealand and underwent a $1.44 million expansion in 2016.
You will have access to our other world-leading science facilities such as modern laboratories for virology and bacteriology, molecular and immunohistochemical work.
This is a residency programme that operates under the entry requirements of the Master of Veterinary Studies (MVS).
The content of the course is similar to a residency - clinical work with a small thesis - and, like other residencies, has very restricted entry numbers.
This is not a paid residency. It operates as the MVS and any of its associated entry requirements and student fees (which will be dependent upon your residency status) will apply.
Pathology is a part of veterinary medicine that is particularly hands-on and as such demands a high level of learning ‘on the job’. That is why this particular endorsement of the Master of Veterinary Studies is a clinical residency programme. There are no lectures or structured taught component to this programme, instead you will be guided by our world-leading pathologists, working on real-life cases.
Around 80% of your time will be working with pathologists performing gross necropsy examinations as well as learning how to make microscopic diagnoses and describe disease processes within necropsy reports. The remaining 20% will see you complete a research thesis in an area of interest to you.
This programme has very limited openings. Applicants are only selected into the program when space becomes available.
The position is initially for two years. If you achieve academic milestones, the program can be extended to three years which will make you eligible to sit the ACVP board exams and practice in a wide range of countries.
Postgraduate study is hard work but hugely rewarding and empowering. The Master of Veterinary Studies will push you to produce your best creative, strategic and theoretical ideas. The workload replicates the high-pressure environment of senior workplace roles. Our experts are there to guide but if you have come from undergraduate study, you will find that postgraduate study demands more in-depth and independent study.
Learn from the best
When you study the Master of Veterinary Studies (Public Health) you will be learning from a world-leading group of researchers and teachers, internationally- recognised for their contribution to progress in the areas of One Health and epidemiology.
Find out more about the Master of Veterinary Studies parent structure.
You may be in a government position and needing to know more about disease surveillance and/or food safety. Or you may come from a veterinary background and be interested in learning more about animal health and the transmission of pathogen to humans (zoonoses).
In the Master of Veterinary Studies (Veterinary Public Health) you will learn from our world-leading experts how to help create solutions to reduce the impact of animal pathogens on human health, including the prevention and control of food and water borne pathogens.
The Master of Veterinary Studies (Veterinary Public Health) is a research-focused qualification. It has a focus on issues around food safety, water quality and zoonotic diseases - issues that have a crossover between animal and human health.
Massey University is internationally-renowned for its expertise in this area. We have a unique strength in veterinary public health, both in our research experience in epidemiology and in our on-the-ground experience in implementing preventative programmes in Central Asia. You will be able to work with and learn from four groups that are actively working on different aspects of research and training:
The mEpiLab and EpiCentre are both OIE (World Assembly of the World Organisation for Animal Health) collaborating centres – the only ones in Australasia.
Massey University’s veterinary programme is ranked in the top 50 universities worldwide by both the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) ranking and ShanghaiRanking's Global Ranking of Academic Subjects.
The area of public health crosses over into many other scientific disciplines. You will able to take advantage of Massey’s expertise and specialised equipment in relevant areas such as microbiology, molecular biology, mathematics, genomics and other areas.
Massey University’s reputation in this area will mean your degree will be viewed favourably by employers, both within New Zealand and internationally.
The Master of Veterinary Studies is a 240 credit qualification for students who want to pursue postgraduate study and research. This qualification is a partly-taught with a large, in-depth research project. You will learn and focus on highly-topical and globally-relevant issues.
