University of Maryland
Graduate Catalog Fall 2009

Veterinary Medical Sciences (VMSC)

Faculty

Director
Walters, Bettye,

Professor
Samal, Siba K.,

Professor Emeritus
Mallinson, Edward,

Associate Professor
Perez, Daniel , Tablante, Nathaniel L., Zhu, Xiaoping,

Assistant Professor
Bossis, Ioannis, Pal, Utpal, Zhang, Yanjin,

Extension Associate
Baya, Ana ,

Note: Some courses in this program may require the use of animals. Please see the statement on Animal Care and Use and the Policy Statement for Students in the Appendix.

Abstract

The Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine (VMRCVM) is the only truly regional veterinary college in the United States. The College was established as a joint venture between two major land grant universities, the University of Maryland and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech). The College has three major campuses: The Avrum Gudelsky Veterinary Center in College Park, Maryland, the Marion Scott Dupont Equine Medical Center in Leesburg, VA, and the main teaching hospital and research facility at Blacksburg, Virginia. The Maryland campus of the VMRCVM focuses on research, education and outreach, and our faculty provide a myriad of related services throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Veterinary teaching hospitals are located in Blacksburg and Leesburg, VA. The Veterinary Medical Sciences (VMSC) Graduate Program in the Maryland campus of the VMRCVM at the University of Maryland College Park (UMCP) is a collaboration in graduate education and research between UMCP and Virginia Tech, providing benefits in education and research from both universities. The VMSC Graduate Program includes faculty with a wide range of research interests: immunology, molecular biology, parasitology, pathology, poultry medicine and health, public health and food safety, public policy, and virology. The VMSC Graduate Program offers Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees.

Admissions Information

Only students with a veterinary degree (DVM or equivalent) are eligible for admission to the VMSC Graduate Program; however, qualified non-veterinary students admitted through other graduate programs, namely Animal and Avian Sciences (ANSC), Molecular and Cell Biology (MOCB) and Food Sciences (FDSC), can work toward their graduate degrees in the research areas offered by the VMSC Graduate Program with all privileges, including selecting graduate faculty advisors within Veterinary Medicine.

A minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (B or better) and a minimum Graduate Record Examination (GRE) combined score of 1100 (verbal and quantitative) are required. The GRE score for either the verbal or quantitative section should not be less than 400. The analytical score should not be less than 4. International applicants are required to attain the minimum Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of 100 on the internet-based test (IBT) for unconditional admission. In addition, the following sectional scores must be met: Speaking: 22; Listening: 26; Reading: 26; and Writing: 26.

Application Deadlines

 

Fall

Spring
Domestic Applicants:
U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents

Domestic Applicant Deadlines


Applications must be received by May 1 .


Applications must be received by October 1 .

 


International Applicants:
Applicants from Outside the U.S. or U.S. Citizens / Permanent Residents with Non-U.S. Credentials

IMPORTANT:   International Applicants and U.S. Applicants with Non-U.S. Credentials must follow the domestic deadlines above if they are earlier than the deadlines listed below.   

Applicants seeking admission under F (Student) or J (Exchange Visitor) visas

February 1
If Domestic Deadline is after Feb. 1

June 1
If Domestic Deadline is after Jun. 1

Applicants seeking admission under A, E, G, H, I, and L visas and immigrants

May 1
If Domestic Deadline is after May 1

October 1
If Domestic Deadline is after Jun. 1

U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents with foreign credentials

May 15
If Domestic Deadline is after May 15

October 31
If Domestic Deadline is after Oct.31
 

Application Requirements

    The following materials must be submitted online or by mail to:

      University of Maryland College Park
        Enrollment Services Operations
          Application for Graduate Admission
            Rm 0130 Mitchell Building
              College Park, MD 20742

            1. Application form and $60 non-refundable application fee
            2. Official academic transcripts reflecting undergraduate and graduate work
            3. TOEFL Scores (for international applicants whose native language is not English)
            4. 3 Letters of recommendation
            5. GRE scores (University of Maryland Institution Code is 5814)
            6. Statement of goals, research interests and experiences

              In addition to the above requirements, applicants must submit to the VMSC Graduate Program, a current resume or curriculum vitae.

Degree Requirements

Master of Science (M.S.)
During the first semester the student selects an advisor, and with the help of the advisor forms an Advisory Committee with the approval by the program's Graduate Education Committee. By the end of the second semester with the advice of the Advisory Committee, the student files a proposed schedule of course work including at least one credit of seminar (VMSC 698). A minimum of 24 semester with hours of graduate courses and six hours of thesis research credit (VMSC 799) is required for the degree. No less than 12 credits should be from courses 600 level or higher; at least 12 credits must be earned in the major subject. Three credits of graduate biometrics or biochemistry and one seminar credit (VMSC 698) are required. No more than two credits of Special Problems (VMSC 699) are acceptable as part of the 24 required course credits. Students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 or better in courses taken for graduate credit. The committee may require remedial courses if the student enters with inadequate prerequisites or deficiencies in undergraduate program. By the end of the second semester, a thesis research proposed must be approved and filed. The student must present the thesis in a public seminar and pass a final oral examination given by the Advisory Committee. Details on the Graduate School policy on the Master's Thesis Examination may be found in the Graduate School Catalog at http://www.gradschool.umd.edu/catalog/masters_degree_policies.htm

The thesis must be submitted to the Graduate School in electronic format after final approval of the document by the Thesis Examining Committee. See the University of Maryland Thesis and Dissertation Style Guide (http://www.gradschool.umd.edu/etd) for the details of this process.

Students with adequate undergraduate training usually complete the master's degree within two years.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Only applicants with an M.S. degree (and a D.V.M. or equivalent veterinary degree) will be admitted to the Ph.D. program. In exceptional cases, admission to the Ph.D. program without an M.S. degree may be considered but these candidates must meet a minimum of 24 hours of course work. Ph.D. candidates who have previously completed the M.S. degree must meet the minimum course requirements of 12 credits, and a minimum of twelve dissertation research credits (VMSC 899). No more than two credits of Special Problems (VMSC 699) are acceptable as part of the 12 required course credits. Two additional seminar credits (VMSC 698) are required.

Students are required to register for one seminar credit (VMSC 698) each academic year. Two seminar credits will be counted toward degree requirements. All students are expected to attend seminars regularly.

Students are required to take a written and oral comprehensive examination and to submit and defend their Ph.D. dissertation in partial fulfillment of the doctoral degree (see below).

During the first semester, the student selects an advisor and with the help of the advisor forms an Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee and the student must meet by the end of the second semester to approve the student's plan of study. By the end of the second semester the student will submit to the Advisory Committee a dissertation research proposal. An oral and written comprehensive examination is required for advancement to candidacy. Prior to the final dissertation, an oral examination is required for advancement to candidacy. A student must be admitted to candidacy for the doctorate within five years after admission to the doctoral program and at least six months before the date on which the degree will be conferred. It is the responsibility of the student to submit an application for admission to candidacy when all the requirements for candidacy have been fulfilled. Applications for admission to candidacy are made in duplicate by the student and submitted to the graduate program for further action and transmission to the Graduate School . Application forms may be obtained at the Graduate School, Room 2123, Lee Building, or on the web. Paperwork must be received by the Graduate School prior to the 25th of the month in order for the advancement to become effective the first day of the following month. Doctoral candidates are automatically registered for six (6) credits of Doctoral Dissertation Research (899), for which they pay the flat candidacy tuition.

Prior to the final dissertation oral examination, the candidate must present a public seminar. Details on the Graduate School policy on the Doctoral Dissertation and Examination may be found in the Graduate School Catalog at: http://www.gradschool.umd.edu/catalog/doctoral_degree_policies.htm

Dissertations are to be submitted to the Graduate School in electronic format after final approval of the dissertation by the Dissertation Examining Committee. See the University of Maryland Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) website at http://dissertations.umi.com/umd or the University of Maryland Thesis and Dissertation Style Guide (http://www.gradschool.umd.edu/styleguide) for the details of this process.

Facilities and Special Resources

The Avrum Gudelsky Veterinary Center, the University of Maryland home of the VMRCVM, lies in the heart of Maryland's thriving biotechnology community, and is near Maryland's major university research campuses and government laboratories, including the USDA Beltsville Agriculture Research Center, the National Institutes of Health, and Walter Reed Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. The Center contains 32,000 square feet of research and support laboratories, including animal care facilities. The 10,000 square-foot research laboratories are fully equipped with state-of-the-art facilities for molecular biology research, cell culture facilities, a confocal microscope, and a sophisticated electron microscope suite. Approximately 18,000 square feet of space comprise a Biological Safety Level-3 facility and facilities for laboratory animals and poultry. The poultry unit has 15 rooms for housing poultry, each equipped with 20 poultry isolators to contain any infectious pathogens and maintain a disease-free environment. The animal facility has a fully equipped necropsy room designed for postmortem analysis.

The Avrum Gudelsky Veterinary Center also houses the College Park diagnostic laboratory of the Maryland Department of Agriculture, the drug-testing laboratory of the Maryland Horse Racing Commission, and the Poultry Research and Development Unit of Synbiotics Corporation. This co-location facilitates active collaboration in both applied and basic research on diseases of animals.

The Center for Agricultural Biotechnology (CAB) of the University of Maryland comprises state-of-the-art molecular biology and engineering research facilities. CAB's DNA sequencing facility and DNA microassay technology service are available to the campus research community. Extensive information for DNA sequence analysis, image analysis and production of publication-quality graphics are accessible through the CAB area networks. Several of the VMSC program's faculty have joint appointments and research collaborations with CAB.

The Laboratory for Biological Ultrastructure in the Department of Biology is equipped with a transmission and scanning electron microscope, a confocal light microscope, ultramicrotomes, and equipment for freeze-fracture studies. The Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics has a Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorter for supporting cell biology research.

The campus has Central Animal Resource Facilities (CARF) for maintaining laboratory animals to facilitate animal research.

Extensive library facilities are available on campus. In addition, the College Park campus is close to the National Agricultural Library (NAL) and the National Library of Medicine (NLM). The Library of Congress and the National Archives, along with several other libraries of biomedical research and academic institutes, are located within a short driving distance.

Computer facilities at the University of Maryland are outstanding. Veterinary Medicine provides computer access to all faculty and graduate students. Students are provided with e-mail accounts and free Internet access. The campus maintains both Unix and mainframe systems, and access to supercomputers for specific research projects. Software for graphics, modeling, statistics, and the analysis of molecular data is readily available.

The College Park campus is also ideally situated near a number of federal agencies involved in veterinary medical sciences. Collaborative initiatives are underway with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Centers for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) and Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN); U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS), Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), and Beltsville Agriculture Research Service (BARC); National Institutes of Health (NIH); Walter Reed Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP); World Bank; and Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Scientists from some of these agencies have adjunct appointments with the College of Veterinary Medicine and participate on students' graduate committees.

Financial Assistance

A number of graduate assistantships are available and awarded to candidates with strong academic records.

Teaching Assistantships, Research Assistantships, Scholarships, and Fellowships are available on a competitive basis. Research Assistantships (RAs) are 12-month appointments and Teaching Assistantships (TAs) are 10-month appointments. Benefits for each assistantship include stipends, ten credits of tuition remission per semester, and health benefits. Generally, student assistantships are offered for two years for an M.S. degree and four years for a Ph.D. degree.

Sources of funding include the VMRCVM; Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station; Maryland Cooperative Extension; College of Agriculture and Natural Resources; Graduate School open-nomination and block grant fellowships (for recruitment of new students only); University diversity fellowships; endowed fellowships; and funds from faculty research contracts and grants. Inquiry about the stipends can be made to the VMSC Graduate Program.

Contact Information

Contact the members of the Graduate studies committee and the VMSC graduate program Website http://www.gradschool.umd.edu/catalog/programs/VMSC.html

Dr. Nathaniel Tablante,
Associate Professor and Director, VMSC Graduate Program
Avrum Gudelsky Veterinary Center,
8075 Greenmead Drive,
College Park
MD  20742
Telephone: (301) 314-6810
Fax: (301) 314-6855
nlt@umd.edu

http://www.gradschool.umd.edu/catalog/programs/VMSC.html

current URL: http://www.gradschool.umd.edu/catalog/programs/printable.cfm?CODE=207

Copyright 2001 University of Maryland