Applied Bioveterinary Research

Applied bioveterinary research is a degree that combines the biological sciences with veterinary science, focusing specifically on research methods and the application of scientific knowledge to questions about animal health, disease, and welfare. It is distinct from the veterinary medicine degree in that it prepares graduates for research and applied science roles rather than clinical practice, developing a thorough scientific understanding of the biological processes that underlie animal health and the research skills needed to investigate them.

At the Royal Veterinary College, which is part of the University of London and is one of the world's leading veterinary institutions, this four-year programme gives you an outstanding scientific education in a research-active environment closely connected to clinical veterinary practice. You will study animal physiology, immunology, infectious disease, comparative medicine, and the research methodologies used to investigate biological questions in animal populations. The programme includes a sandwich year in a research or industry placement, a year abroad at a partner institution, and work placement opportunities, all of which develop your professional experience and your understanding of how bioveterinary science is practised in different contexts.

The Royal Veterinary College's access to its own hospital and clinical operations provides an unusual research environment for undergraduate students.

Graduates of applied bioveterinary research pursue careers in animal health research, the pharmaceutical and veterinary pharmaceutical industries, public health and biosecurity agencies, and academic research institutions. Roles in vaccine development, diagnostic test development, epidemiology of animal diseases, and the regulation and testing of veterinary medicines are direct applications of the degree's content. Many graduates continue to postgraduate research, either within veterinary science or in related biomedical fields.

The One Health agenda, which recognises the connections between animal, human, and environmental health, creates growing opportunities at the interface of veterinary and human medicine, and graduates with this background are well placed to contribute to that agenda.