The priority deadline to apply for financial assistance is January 15. Dual degree students, please see this information.
California residents, please see this information
Program Opportunities
The MPVM sits within an extensive network that provides opportunities for dual degrees, numerous internships and workshops, experiences in partnering agencies, career planning and more.
ACVPM Board Eligibility
Many MPVM students will be eligible for board-certification in epidemiology in the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine. The exam is offered in early summer; however students must register in early fall of the previous year. Much of the required and elective coursework in the MPVM prepares students to the pass the exam, and the research project often fulfills some of the applied experience that the Board requires. We also offer a structured exam-preparation course in spring. Students base their studying around materials available at http://prepacvpm.org/. Details on who is eligible and how to become board certified are at https://www.acvpm.org/.
Animal Health Policy Class
Each year, 2-4 MPVM students may elect to participate in the Washington State University Animal Health Policy class, with programs in Sacramento (California State Capital) and Washington, DC covering state, national, and international policy in Animal Health.
Army Veterinarians and the MPVM
Through its Long Term Health Education and Training (LTHET) scholarship program, Army veterinarians may elect to join the MPVM program to undergo rigorous training in epidemiology and statistics, undertake a relevant research or applied leadership project, and link this training with a residency, Masters degree in International Agricultural Development, or other programs.
Career Planning Assistance
The MPVM program maintains a Cloud-based compilation of recent job opportunities, and provides assistance with continuing on in a PhD and networking for further internship, public health and policy, and other programs. During required course experience, students are exposed to career portfolio development, mastering public presentations, publishing reports and peer-review manuscripts, and other aspects of developing a career in Veterinary Preventive Medicine. Any affiliates interested in accessing the Box account of job opportunities should send a request to Chair Janet Foley, jefoley@ucdavis.edu.
CDC Vet Student Day
Offered at the CDC, this 2-day program is supported by the School of Veterinary Medicine and affords DVM and MPVM students a close-up view of how the CDC works and career and training options at the CDC. Click here to read about the 2019 CDC Vet Student Day.
Clinical Residencies
The MPVM program is a required component of three School of Veterinary Medicine residencies: Free-ranging wildlife health, Livestock herd health and reproduction, and Dairy production medicine. Candidates interested in these options begin by applying directly to the residency program of interest.
Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health (CEAH) internship
As part of the USDA, CEAH in Fort Collins, Colorado will host MPVM students for a month or more, providing a great opportunity to learn more about what CEAH does, what it's like to work there, and about veterinary population health at the national level. The internship involves a project on surveillance, risk assessment, disease monitoring, data management, or antimicrobial resistance.
DVM/MPVM Dual degree
The DVM/MPVM dual degree offers a flexible program where students can attend 2 years of DVM training, complete their Year 2 exam (if at UCD), and then spend one year in MPVM coursework and initiating their research project. Once they return to DVM, they then capitalize on MPVM training by incorporating their interests into DVM junior/senior rotations and by completing their MPVM research projects in concert with DVM rotations, culminating in the awarding of a dual DVM and MPVM degree.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and MPVM
MPVM students may be involved in projects and data analysis in collaboration with FAO staff that may be applied to their MPVM thesis. Projects typically solve practical epidemiology problems with direct impact on animal health and food security in underserved communities around the world. The Center for Animal Disease Modeling and Surveillance (CADMS) at UC Davis is an FAO Reference Center for Veterinary Epidemiology, committed to strengthen capacity development in epidemiology and provide independent technical/scientific support in areas such as risk assessment and risk mapping, disease surveillance, and modeling. MPVM students working with CADMS and FAO will work in diverse, interdisciplinary, international scientific teams and their research will have a direct impact to support disease control and policy making.
Contact Beatriz Martinez-Lopez for information.
PhD degree transition from the MPVM
Many MPVM students meet potential mentors and start research work that can ultimately serve as the basis for a PhD at UC Davis, most commonly in the Graduate Groups in Epidemiology or Integrative Pathobiology. Contact jefoley@ucdavis.edu if you are interested in applying for the MPVM and would like to continue with a PhD, or if you’re already an MPVM student ready to move into a PhD.
GradPathways Institute
The GradPathways Institute program provides training in numerous aspects of professional development including writing, speaking, resume construction, professionalism, leadership, and many other skills.
School of Nursing- MPVM collaborative education
MPVM students and alumni are invited each year to collaborate in innovative education with the UCD Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing to help train the next generation of nursing scholars. Topics include human-animal bond and grief, zoonotic disease, and One Health. The experience includes developing curricular materials, guiding scenarios and problem-based learning, and leading small group discussions.
Services for International Students and Scholars (SISS)
UC Davis Services for International Students and Scholars (SISS) provide group and one-on-one assistance to international students including help with visa applications, all aspects of moving to and living in the US, and a community to ease transitions and make the most of the MPVM experience.