Veterinary and Animal Sciences
Prepare for successful careers in veterinary and human health, animal biotechnology, or production agriculture.
Academic Highlights: The department offers three undergraduate majors—animal science, pre-veterinary science, and veterinary technology—with a student-faculty ratio of 22:1. Students work with large and small animals, engaging in research at campus farm and livestock facilities, as well as in the labs of well-known scientists studying immunology, reproduction and development, genetics, and toxicology. The BS in Veterinary Technology program begins with two years at UMass Amherst, in state-of-the-art classrooms, labs, and farms, followed by two years in the dedicated Veterinary Technology facility at the UMass Amherst Mount Ida campus in Newton, Mass.
Research Areas: Topics include autoimmune diseases, breast cancer, developmental biology, environmental toxicology, fertility research, infection and immunity, lymphoid development, reproductive biology, stem cell biology, and veterinary immunopathology.
Degrees: BS, MS, PhD
People:
- Tenure faculty: 14
- Research faculty: 4
- Lecturers: 15
- Postdoctoral fellows: 5
- Undergraduate major students: 640
- Graduate students: 20
Research Awards: $7.5M
Visit the Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences website.
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In the news
CNS Researchers Identify Enzyme Key to Training Cells to Fight Autoimmune Disorders
A first-of-its-kind study focuses on understanding how a subset of cells might be trained to correct overzealous immune responses.
CNS Researchers Are Remodeling the Immune System to Fight Tuberculosis
Researchers found that prior exposure to a genus of bacteria called Mycobacterium seems to remodel the first-line defenders in the body’s immune system.
CNS Researchers Shed Light on How Tumor Cells Outwit the Body’s Immune System
The researchers call this discovery the “mosquito effect,” whereby certain pathogens, such as cancerous tumor cells, can outwit the body’s immune system.
Contact
Lisa M. Minter
Professor
Lisa M. Minter is the department head and a professor in the Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences.
