Graduate Certificate in Veterinary Public Health (GC-VPH)

The Graduate Certificate in Veterinary Public Health comprises the first four subjects of the Master of Veterinary Public Health. The Graduate Certificate and the Graduate Diploma also represent early exit options from that Masters course.

The Master of Veterinary Public Health is an online Masters degree for veterinarians, animal scientists and animal health workers to enable them to identify and respond to animal health issues at the population level. A component of the degree deals specifically with responses to emergency animal disease occurrences, in Australia and internationally.

For the past 25 years the animal health and quarantine services in the Commonwealth and State governments have encouraged continuing education and have provided a number of short courses in “exotic” diseases for graduate veterinarians to promptly detect, control and eradicate newly introduced and other emergency diseases. This course will enhance and formalise this training and educational experience by providing co-ordinated and targeted modules to cover the skills that have been identified from experience in recent emergency diseases situations, such as Hendra virus infections and the 2007 outbreak of equine influenza in Australia.

This course has been developed in direct partnership with CSIRO’s Australian Animal Health Laboratory and the Victoria State Government’s Department of Primary Industries. It has been tailored to suit experienced full time animal health professionals, expecting to remain in employment whilst studying part-time. The online method of delivery and broad range of elective topics will provide students with flexibility and allow them to manage their study commitments and educational needs.

VETS90083 Selection and Interpretation of Laboratory Tests will be taught as a short residential course to cover hands-on experience and to personally introduce students to each other as well as to their future tutors and mentors to ensure that they are familiar with the resources and requirements of online learning.

Other subjects in the Veterinary Public Health program may be studied individually under the Community Access Program, without applying for the full program. Any such successfully completed subjects may later be credited towards the Masters, Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate level programs in Veterinary Public Health.