Contents
1 Veterinary Public Health Core Courses
2 Electives
3 Applied Practice Experience
4 Integrative Learning Experience
5 Careers Filled
Veterinary Public Health Core Courses
VETPREV 7721: Epidemiology of Zoonotic Diseases
Basic epidemiology of important zoonotic diseases, focusing on their etiology and epidemiology. Common manifestations in humans and animals, diagnostic procedures, and specific preventive and control measures.
VETPREV 7722: Foodborne Diseases, Food Animal Production Systems and Food Safety
Overview of how the food chain for the most common products of animal origin works, with special emphasis in pre-harvest safety, describes most common food-borne bacterial and viral diseases, antimicrobial resistance, HACCP.
VETPREV 7723: Biosecurity, Emergency Response & Outbreak Investigation
An overview of biosecurity, with special emphasis on bioterrorism, preparedness, emergency response, risk assessment, and management of zoonotic and foreign animal disease outbreaks. Regulations and regulatory agencies will also be presented.
VETPREV 7724: Environmental Health at the Human Level Interface
This course will provide an overview of environmental health issues related to human and animal interactions and animal agriculture. Topics will include water and air quality, waste management, occupational safety, and environmental toxicology.
VETPREV 7725: Veterinary Epidemiology & Applied Veterinary Data Analysis
Overview of the basic approaches and philosophies that serves as the foundation for the science and epidemiology as it applies to veterinary medicine with special emphasis on the role veterinary epidemiology in maintaining human and animal health as well as the appropriate analysis of animal human data.
VETPREV 7726: Preventive Medicine Research Design and Methods
Understanding the process used to plan and execute research studies is crucial for students completing their own research projects. This course will introduce students to research methods and designs commonly used in veterinary medicine and public health research.
VETPREV 7895: Critical Evaluation of Scientific Literature
Introduces students to critical reading of scientific literature related to veterinary medicine and public health. During class sessions, relevant scientific articles will be discussed and critically reviewed using faculty-guided discussions.
VETPREV 8810: Advanced Concepts & Applications in Veterinary Epidemiology
In-depth exploration of philosophies that serve as the foundation for the science of epidemiology as it is applied to veterinary medicine. Instructor-guided discussions, assigned readings, and application activities.
PUBHBIO 6211: Design Analysis in the Health Sciences II
A second course in applied biostatistical methods with an emphasis on regression methods commonly used in the health sciences. The focus is on linear regression and ANOVA. Integrated with use of computer statistical packages.
In addition to core courses and electives, students must complete an Applied Practice Experience or field experience as well as an Integrative Learning Experience to fulfill the requirements of the MPH-VPH program. Through these experiences, the students utilize classroom knowledge for practical and real life applications.
Electives
Students will take 10 credit hours of electives for specialization. Advisors will work with students to decide the best combination of electives to make the student competitive in whatever field they choose to enter. Electives can be determined based off of recommended tracks, which students have the option to select, depending on their ultimate career goals.
Food Industry
Principles of Food Processing
Food Microbiology
Advanced Food Microbiology
Food
Regulations
Infectious Diseases
Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Introductory Virology
Molecular Epidemiology
Mechanisms of
Microbial
Pathogenesis
Veterinary Public Health Officer
Public Finance
Program Evaluation
Management & Program Development
Management &
Human Relations
Research & Academics (PhD)
Master Thesis
Advanced Biostatistics
Molecular Epidemiology
Advanced Epidemiology
Pre-Professional Student
Immunology
Introductory Virology
Molecular Epidemiology
Food
Microbiology
Applied Practice Experience
Managing Brucellosis in Bison, Montana, USA
The Applied Practice Experience (APE) is a graduate-level internship where students apply classroom knowledge to career objectives in a professional setting. Students typically begin the APE by shadowing a VPH professional carrying out their regular duties in any of the five areas of veterinary public health. Some of the common areas in which students complete their VPH APE include zoonotic diseases, food safety, preparedness and emergency response, environmental health, epidemiology, biomedical research and veterinary regulatory medicine. Often during this 3-week minimum field experience, students take on projects and job duties requisite of professionals in their chosen field. Students should review the College of Public Health website for more information about the APE (CPH APE).
Examples include:
- Analyzing zoonotic disease surveillance data and writing summary reports
- Conducting research in regulatory veterinary medicine and presenting findings at a conference
- Processing lab specimens to aid county level health departments in identifying and measuring the prevalence of vector borne diseases such as West Nile Virus in their jurisdiction
Students gain real world experience that provides them a competitive edge when they prepare to enter the workforce. Furthermore, many students find that their APEs turn into job offers. Our graduate students have completed APEs at the local, state, federal, and international level. Please see the listings below for recent examples of positions filled for internships and field experiences.
FOCUS
Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Local
Columbus Public Health
Columbus, Ohio
FOCUS
Emergency Response
Local
London City Health Department
Madison County, Ohio
FOCUS
Zoonotic Diseases
Local
Veterinary Public Health Program
Los Angeles Health Department
Los Angeles, California
FOCUS
West Nile Virus and Vectorborne Diseases
State
Zoonotic Diseases Program
Ohio Department of Health (ODH)
Reynoldsburg, Ohio
FOCUS
Foodborne Pathogen Testing
State
Consumer Protection Laboratory
Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA)
Reynoldsburg, Ohio
FOCUS
Brucellosis in Elk/Bison
State
Wildlife Laboratory
Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks
Bozeman, Montana
FOCUS
Regulatory Research
Federal
Office of Research, Center for Veterinary Medicine
US Food & Drug Administration (FDA)
Laurel, Maryland
FOCUS
Foreign Animal Disease Surveillance
Federal
Veterinary Services, Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service
US Department of Agriculture (USDA-APHIS-VS)
Pickerington, Ohio
FOCUS
Norovirus Research and Surveillance
Federal
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Atlanta, Georgia
FOCUS
Zoonotic Disease and Surveillance Analysis
Federal
US Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine
Dayton, Ohio
FOCUS
Milk Quality and Food Safety
International
National Institute of Veterinary Research, Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development
Hanoi, Vietnam
FOCUS
Food Safety and International Food Systems
International
Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture & Fishery and University of the Republic of Uruguay
Montevideo, Uruguay
FOCUS
Toxoplasma in Wildlife
International
College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Gondar
Gondar, Ethiopia
FOCUS
Infectious Disease Surveillance and Monitoring
International
Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO)
Washington, DC, USA
FOCUS
Animal Identification and Global Movement
International
World Organization for Animal Health (OIE)
Paris, France
Integrative Learning Experience
Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
screening, Columbus, USA
Thesis OptionGenerate new knowledge or science through research
Expectations for students completing a thesis include identifying a research problem, developing objectives and hypothesis, designing an experiment, running the experiment(s) in the field or the laboratory, organizing and analyzing data, and writing a manuscript (thesis) of publishable quality.
OR
Non-Thesis OptionIdentify a veterinary public health issue or problem and provide a solution
Students pursuing the non-thesis pathway have multiple options in which the service project can take form. Common projects include, but not limited to, developing risk communication materials or emergency plans, creating educational materials to train public health professionals, conducting applied research and analysis with government and private industry data, or conducting comprehensive literature reviews that fill gaps in knowledge.
Integrative Learning Experiences usually require a year to complete and can take the form of field research, laboratory research, service projects, and comprehensive reviews. These student projects add to the knowledge base of Veterinary Public Health science and contribute to solving current human and animal health issues. To review ILE guidelines and timeline, visit: https://cph.osu.edu/students/graduate/mph-integrative-learning-experience.
Please refer to the table below for examples of previously completed projects.
Integrative Learning Experiences
"A Retrospective Study of Leptospirosis in Ohio Animals between 2002 and 2005"
Applied Field Research
"The Public Health Implications of Emergency and Disaster Planning at Ohio Animal Shelters"
Applied Field Research
"Prevention of Zoonotic Diseases on Dairy Farms: Assessing a Comprehensive Educational Program for Dairy Personnel"
Applied Field Research
"Service Dogs and Biological Event Response to an Anthrax Attack"
Service
"Development of Educational Materials to Improve Management and Reduce the Burden of Pet Allergies"
Service
"Laboratory Emergency Management Plan for the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory"
Service
"To Treat or Not to Treat? Development of Decolonization/ Treatment Guidelines for Veterinarians Dealing with Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Positive Canines"
Review
"Montana's Effort to Eliminate Wild Reservoirs of Brucella abortus: A Review of Competing Interests with Future Recommendations for Public Health Workers"
Review
"E. coli O157:H7 Outbreaks Related to Animal Contact in Agricultural Settings"
Review
"Environmental Factors that May Contribute to the Transmission of Avian Influenza: A Study at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo"
Research
"Environmental Salmonella Surveillance in the Ohio State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital"
Research
"Optimization and Validation of a Duplex PCR Technique for the Identification of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus from Canine Samples"
Research
Careers Filled
Norovirus detection in Ohio, USA
Ohio Department of Health
State Health Department
Perry County Health Department
Local Health Department
Madison County Public Health
Local Health Department
USDA-APHIS
US Department of Agriculture
USDA-FSIS
US Department of Agriculture
Ohio Department of Agriculture
State Agriculture Department
Ohio Consumer Protection Laboratory
State Diagnostic Laboratory
Plum Island Animal Disease Center
National Diagnostic Laboratory
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention--Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS)
Federal Agency
Food Drug Administration
Federal Agency
US Geological Survey
Federal Agency
Food processing
Private industry
Food service
Private industry
Pharmaceutical
Private Industry
US Public Health Service
Uniformed Services
US Air Force
Uniformed Services
