Veterinary Medicine and Science

As a student in the Veterinary Medicine and Science programme at the University of Surrey you’ll work alongside academic staff with different areas of interest and expertise. These include applied clinical research, fundamental science, inherited and infectious diseases and pathology.

On the Veterinary Medicine and Science Veterinary Medicine and Science PhD offered at Surrey, you’ll conduct research in our state-of-the-art facilities or at a collaborating institution, investigating a research topic of your choice with support from our expert academics.

Career opportunities

The Veterinary Medicine and Science PhD is research-based, so you’ll spend most of your time developing a research question, conducting original research, analysing your results and writing up your research findings, all under the guidance of your project supervisors. Depending on the nature of your research project, you might do computational analysis work at a desk, experimental work in a laboratory, a clinic, in the field, or a combination. You can work on your project onsite at the School of Veterinary Medicine or at a collaborating institution. If you do work from a collaborating institution, you’ll need to come to the University of Surrey University of Surrey periodically to attend training sessions, examinations and meet your supervisors. Your final assessment will be based on the presentation of your research in a written thesis, which will be discussed in a viva examination with at least two examiners. You have the option of preparing your thesis as a monograph (one large volume in chapter form) or in publication format (including chapters written for publication), subject to the approval of your supervisors. You’ll have a confirmation assessment to formally review your project. If you’re a full-time student, this will take place around 9-15 months into your studies or 18-30 months if you’re studying part-time. You’ll be required to submit a written report and successfully complete an oral examination.

Research themes

• Clinical sciences, including biomarkers of neoplasia, biomechanics, orthopaedics, neurology, nutrition and youngstock health and production. 

• Education, including clinical skills, communications and professionalism and technology enhanced learning. 

• Epidemiology and public health, including animal health surveillance, food chain health and interactions with animals and people.  

• Pathology and infectious diseases, including antimicrobial resistance, comparative pathobiology, disease intervention, emerging pathogens, food-borne pathogens, host-pathogen interactions and neuropathobiology. 

• Preclinical sciences, including cardiology, design-based stereology, musculoskeletal biology and physiology and neuroscience.