Online Veterinary Science Degree Program

Online Veterinary Science Degree Programs - What Do You Study?

Veterinary medicine is the branch of medicine that deals with the health and well-being of animals (typically domestic animals). Veterinarians perform typical medical procedures on animals such as making diagnoses, performing surgical operations, anesthetizing, performing embryo transfers and carrying out radiographic examinations. They also study disease patterns in animals and do their best to prevent the spread of animal diseases, which can be deadly to scores of wildlife as well as humans. In addition to looking out for the well-being of the animals themselves, veterinarians also perform the important function of ensuring a safe food supply for people by monitoring and maintaining the health of food-producing animals.

Related Veterinary Science Degree Programs Online

Schools that offer degrees in veterinary science aim to produce veterinary professionals that promote and maintain the health of the animals under their care with compassion, patience and appreciation. While all programs focus on teaching animal health and welfare practices, many also require students to take courses in core sciences such as biology, chemistry, physics, biochemistry, genetics, microbiology and others. Some examples of typical courses that are related specifically to animal studies are introduction to animal science, animal management techniques, animal nutrition, animal disease, animal breeding and genetics, behavior of domestic animals and wildlife and human disease.

Many schools with veterinary science programs offer pre-veterinary Bachelor's degrees, which function very much like pre-med degrees as they prepare students for admission into veterinary schools. For those wishing to become certified Veterinarians a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine is required.

Career Options in Veterinary Science

While many people participating in Veterinary Medicine programs are interested in becoming certified Veterinarians, there are a number of other career options for those earning degrees in this field. Some common options include:

• Agribusiness
• Range Livestock Management
• Animal Science and Husbandry
• Wildlife Conservation
• Environmental Safety
• Veterinary Technology
• Animal Biology
• Zoology

With the ongoing threat of bioterrorism and animal-borne disease epidemics (e.g. avian flu, swine flu) veterinary specialists are in high demand to help keep the public safe. Many degree holders can find opportunities at state or federal agencies that might offer jobs ranging from animal inspection at international borders, meat and produce inspection in grocery stores and marketplaces, or developing biosecurity standards and regulations. Additionally, jobs are available in Veterinary hospitals as Veterinary Technicians and Animal Caretakers who help assist veterinarians with surgery and nursing functions respectively. Finally, there are jobs available as zookeepers for those who love wild animals and want to be responsible for caring for, feeding and ensuring the health of animals at zoos.