Animal Health and Disease

The Animal Health and Disease major will provide a springboard for students wishing to pursue careers or research in the animal health and production industries, as well as for students wishing to progress to the graduate entry professional veterinary program (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, DVM) at the University of Melbourne. Graduates of this major will develop understandings of the determinants of health in populations of domestic animals and in particular the impact of welfare, housing, nutrition and infectious agents on domestic animal health. This major will integrate knowledge from a range of disciplines including veterinary anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, nutrition, microbiology and pathology as they apply to the health of domestic animals.

Students undertaking the Veterinary Bioscience (pre DVM) specialisation will develop skills in clinical investigation and problem solving, through an integrated systems-based approach to organ structure and function that will be the foundation for their studies in the graduate professional entry DVM program. Students undertaking the Animal Disease Biotechnology specialisation will develop an understanding of the role of animal health in maintaining the health of human populations, at the same time developing skills in laboratory techniques important in the diagnosis and surveillance of disease in domestic animal populations. Students will gain experience that prepares them for the workplace by participating in laboratory activities and also possibly by industry placements.

Graduates of the Animal Health and Disease major should demonstrate

• an in-depth knowledge of biological science, as it applies to the structure, function, health and disease processes of domestic animals and birds, and of the diagnostic processes used to determine the health status of domestic animals and birds. This understanding will be cross-disciplinary, and include the disciplines of anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, and pathology;
• ability to apply their understanding of animal structure, function and dysfunction, to identify solutions to animal health-related problems;
• recognition of the role of animal health in assuring the health of human populations both in Australia and globally;
• capacity to work effectively in small group teams to develop solutions to animal health related case studies;
• the ability to communicate effectively the principles of animal health to peers and to the lay public through the spoken word as well as in written communication;
• a range of technical skills appropriate to laboratory assessment of animal health.

Completion of 50 points of study at Level 3.

There are two specialisations within the Animal Health and Disease major.

N.B. The Veterinary Bioscience specialisation is only available to students who have received a provisional course offer into the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine upon completion of the Bachelor of Science.

The prerequisites for the core Level 3 subjects will be the following three Level 2 subjects