Concentration
Veterinary Public Health
What is Veterinary Public Health?
Veterinary public health professionals play an integral role in One Health, which is the link between animal, human, and environmental health. Needs and opportunities for veterinarians and licensed veterinary technicians (LVTs) are expanding in organizations ranging from public agencies dealing with animal and human health, to agencies and corporations charged with food safety and security from the farm to the consumer level. A Master of Public Health (MPH) degree is an excellent and necessary addition to prior medical training for those individuals wanting to make a career in public health and service.
Veterinarians are the only health professionals trained in multi-species comparative medicine and the profession links agriculture, companion animal health, and human health. In light of continuing emerging threats to the health of humans, animals, and the environment, veterinary public health professionals are well-positioned to seek solutions across disciplines.
Apply NowPathways in Public Health: Veterinary Public Health
Is veterinary public health the right fit for you?
Our VPH concentration is a great path for:
- Veterinary students enrolled in the University of Tennessee DVM/MPH dual degree program as well as students enrolled in other professional veterinary programs in the U.S. or internationally
- Graduate veterinarians
- Licensed veterinary medical technicians (LVMT)
Graduates work in a range of organizations, including:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- U.S. Department of Agriculture
- National Institutes of Health
- Federal, state, and local health departments
- U.S. Army Veterinary Corps
- USDA Food Safety Inspection Service
Veterinary Public Health Competencies
As a VPH student in the online Master of Public Health program, you will cultivate a set of skills and capabilities necessary to assess and understand the link between animal, human, and environmental health. Our UTK Veterinary Public Health students learn to:
- Assess health related benefits and/or risks to individuals and communities associated with zoonotic or emerging diseases, the human-animal bond, foodborne illness, and/or injuries associated with animals.
- Communicate health benefits and/or risks to individuals and communities associated with zoonotic or emerging diseases, the human-animal bond, foodborne illness, and/or injuries associated with animals.
- Apply techniques of surveillance, recognition, prevention, control and/or management of infectious diseases, including zoonotic or emerging diseases, food borne illnesses, and/or potential bio- or agroterrorism agents.
- Evaluate programs and/or policy that aim to improve human health by fostering the human-animal bond or by reducing foodborne illness, zoonotic or emerging diseases, or hazards associated with animals.
- Describe the role of the federal government in ensuring the safety of foods of animal origin.
Concentration Coursework
Online course that will address the link between human, animal, and environmental health. Each online module focuses on some aspect of “One Health” and may include topics such as emergency preparedness, zoonotic diseases, antibiotic resistance and food safety, responsible pet ownership and the human-animal bond, and the effects of climate on disease prevalence. Methods of intervention and problem solving such as research design, program evaluation, community education, and policy analysis are also incorporated.
3 credits
Emphasis is placed on understanding the host, agent, and environmental factors that determine the distribution of selected diseases of importance to both human and animal populations. Selected topics include vector-borne zoonoses, rabies, brucellosis, and psittacosis. This is an online course. Recommended Background: Public health, veterinary medicine, nursing courses, or students in these programs.
3 credits
Emphasis is placed on understanding the host, agent, and environmental factors that determine the distribution of diseases of importance to both human and animal populations. Selected topics include anthrax and leptospirosis, in addition to parasitic and food-borne zoonoses. This is an online course.
3 credits
Applied Practice Experience in an approved organization under supervision of a designated preceptor. Students must complete a total of 6 credit hours.
3-6 credits
Readings and discussions based on current literature.
1 credit
Veterinary Public Health in Action
MAJ Todd French, DVM
Concentration:
Veterinary Public Health
Location:
Knoxville, TN
Agency Name:
Human-Animal Bond in Tennessee (HABIT)
Agency Type:
Non-profit
Semester:
Spring 2015
Meet Major Todd French, a former UTK MPH and Veterinary Public Health student. As part of his Applied Practice Experience, Todd worked to develop and adapt process design to increase community outreach for Human-Animal Bond in Tennessee (HABIT). To learn more about HABIT, visit: habit.utk.edu.
Todd’s major projects included:
- Developing the HABIT Student and HABIT Pro programs to fully integrate vital community stakeholders into HABIT.
- Redesigning the HABIT Pet Team evaluation process to better represent program needs and achieve updated program goals.
- Restructuring HABIT’s online, multimedia, and digital presence to improve organizational efficiency and outreach.
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