Curriculum
Curriculum Requirements
To complete the program in 1 calendar year, students must earn a minimum of 12 credit hours each semester (fall, spring, and summer) for a total of 36 credits. This includes core course work, 1 required on-site laboratory per semester, and elective courses.* Students may also choose to pursue their studies at a more moderate pace to accommodate other professional and personal commitments. For additional details read our program handbook.
*Starting fall 2025, there will be curriculum updates—more details to come. The general academic structure and 36 credit graduation requirement will not be changed.
Other Eimeria spp. oocysts (background)
Laboratory Instruction
Students must take 5 credits of laboratory instruction (with 5-6 full days of instruction in the laboratory being equivalent to 1 credit). We recommend students take a minimum of 1 laboratory credit each semester on the Cornell University campus. Lab options offered at Cornell University are detailed in Table 2.
In the final semester, students will be required to complete a literature review-based capstone project with guidance from program faculty.
Core Courses
| Courses | Credits | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Parasites of Domestic Animals* | 2 | ||
| Introductory Pharmacology* | 1 | ||
| Antiparasitic Drugs | 1 | ||
| Federal Government’s Role in Animal Health | 1 | ||
| Parasitologic Diagnostic Methods Video Lab | 2 | ||
| Organisms as Lab Models | 1 | ||
| Early Drug Discovery | 1 | ||
| Antiparasitic Vaccines | 1 | ||
| Regulatory Approval | 1 | ||
| Scientific Writing and Critical Review of Literature | 1 | ||
| Statistics for Efficacy Studies | 1 | ||
| Capstone I (Taken in the penultimate semester) | 1 | ||
| Capstone II (Taken in the final semester) | 2 | ||
| Total Credits | 16 |
Lab Courses
| Courses | Site | Credits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parasite Identification‡ | CU | 1 | |
| Non-Morphologic Parasite ID | CU | 1 | |
| Advanced Parasite ID | CU | 1 | |
| Cases with Lab Specimens – Lg Animal | CU | 1 | |
| Cases with Lab Specimens – Sm Animals | CU | 1 | |
| The Parasitologic Necropsy Lab | CU | 1 | |
| Parasitologic Histology Lab | OTH | 1 | |
*If students already possess the DVM degree (or equivalent), the requirement for taking the Parasites of Domestic Animals and Introductory Pharmacology courses is waived.
‡This laboratory is required for all students.
Elective Courses
| Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| Biting Flies and Myiasis | 1 |
| Fleas and Lice | 1 |
| Mites | 1 |
| Ticks | 1 |
| Apicomplexa | 1 |
| Excavata | 1 |
| Internal Parasites of Dogs | 2 |
| Internal Parasites of Cats | 1 |
| Internal Parasites of Cattle | 2 |
| Internal Parasites of Pigs | 1 |
| Internal Parasites of Sheep | 2 |
| Parasites of People | 2 |
| Imaging of Parasites In Vivo | 1 |
| Drug Discovery– The Big 12 | 1 |
| Alternate Parasite Control Approaches in Sheep and Goats | 1 |
| Wildlife Parasitology | 2 |
| Parasite Eradication Programs | 1 |