Courses

Foundation Courses

Comprising approximately 70% of the professional curriculum, Foundation courses are required of all students. They are scheduled in sequential blocks of time, and vary in length and teaching modality. Three of them incorporate a problem-based approach. Each Foundation course is prerequisite to the ones that follows.

first year equine labThe Foundation Courses are:

  • The Animal Body
  • Neuroanatomy
  • General Pathology
  • Cell Biology and Genetics
  • Function and Dysfunction
  • Host, Agent, and Defense
  • Parasitology
  • Animal Health and Disease
  • Clinical Rotations
  • Veterinary Practice

Distribution Courses

Distribution courses represent opportunities for students to pursue areas of interest in greater depth, or explore other aspects of the profession.

Cornell faculty offer more than 100 Distribution courses on a wide range of topics. Courses are grouped into sets, and students must fulfill credit requirements for each set. This "structured choice" accounts for approximately 30% of the curriculum, and includes opportunities for students to gain additional clinical experience off campus, or in research.

Course DescriptionsÂ