Curriculum
Curriculum Requirements
To complete the program in 1 calendar year, students must earn a minimum of 12 credit hours each semester (fall, spring, and summer) for a total of 36 credits. This includes core coursework, 2 comprehensive in-person laboratory sessions, and elective courses. Students may also choose to pursue their studies at a more moderate pace to accommodate other professional and personal commitments. For additional details, read our program handbook.
Other Eimeria spp. oocysts (background)
Laboratory Instruction
Students must take 4 credits of laboratory instruction (including a 1-credit online lab skills assessment after completing both in-person sessions).
In their final semester, students will be required to complete a literature review-based capstone project with guidance from program faculty.
Core Courses
| Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| Parasites of Domestic Animals | 4 |
| Veterinary Pharmacology and Antiparasitic Agents | 2 |
| Parasite Diagnostic Methods | 2 |
| The U.S. Government and Animal Health | 1 |
| Scholarly Writing and Critical Review of Scientific Literature | 2 |
| Parasite Identification Methods (In-person Lab) | 1.5 |
| Applied Parasite Identification and Diagnosis (In-person Lab) | 1.5 |
| Parasitology Identification and Diagnostics: Skills Assessment | 1 |
| Parasitology Seminar | 1 |
| Capstone I (Taken in the penultimate semester) | 2 |
| Capstone II (Taken in the final semester) | 4 |
| Total Credits | 22 |
Elective Courses
| Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| Veterinary Ectoparasites and Vectors | 3 |
| Clinical and Applied Parasitology: Dogs and Cats | 3 |
| Clinical and Applied Parasitology: Cattle and Sheep | 3 |
| Parasitism in Wildlife and Zoo Animals | 2 |
| Drug Discovery and Vaccines: The Process and Parasiticides | 2 |
| Statistics for Surveillance, Diagnostic Test Development and Efficacy Studies | 2 |
| Product Development, Regulations and Approval Process | 2 |
| Clinical Parasitology Cases: Companion and Laboratory Animals | 1 |
| Clinical Parasitology Cases: Production Animals | 1 |
| Anthelmintic Resistance and Integrated Parasite Control | 2 |
| Parasites Without Boundaries | 2 |
| Histopathologic Interpretation of Parasites in Host Tissue (Online synchronous) | 1 |
| Total Credits (14 elective credits required) | 24 |