The Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences encourages students to pursue work outside the conventional lecture or class-associated lab environment and to undertake research projects under the direction of a UMass faculty member or as outside internship experiences. Classes are taken pass/fail or for a letter grade, and range from significant discovery-based research projects ('91C/M courses), independent literature or data review and analysis ('96 courses), or an internship/practicum experience ('98 courses). Note: no more than 18 credits of '98 courses can be applied to the 120 credits required for graduation, and no more than 15 credits of '98 courses can be applied to the 45 credit residence requirement.
Faculty sponsors must email completed contracts to Mary Schneider for enrollment.
Biotechnology Research Experience
Biotechnology Research Experience Contract
ANIMLSCI 291C - Biotech Research -Cellular & Molecular I 1 credit
Science Day Requirement: abstract to be posted or submitted to PI
ANIMLSCI 291M - Biotech Research-Animal Models I 1 credit
Science Day Requirement: abstract to be posted or submitted to PI
ANIMLSCI 391C - Biotech Research-Cellular & Molecular II 2 credits
Science Day Requirement: poster or oral presentation
ANIMLSCI 391M - Biotech Research-Animal Models II 2 credits
Science Day Requirement: poster or oral presentation
ANIMLSCI 491C - Biotech Research-Cellular & Molecular III 3 credits
Science Day Requirement: poster or oral presentation
ANIMLSCI 491M - Biotech Research-Animal Models III 3 credits
Science Day Requirement: poster or oral presentation
Biotechnology Research Experience courses are letter-graded discovery-based tutorial research experiences with a UMass faculty sponsor that emphasize cellular and molecular approaches (ANIMLSCI 291C, 391C, or 491C) or animal models (ANIMLSCI 291M, 391M, or 491M) in research related to biotechnology. Research projects can be focused on optimization of a research technique, the development of a research tool, or experimental testing of a hypothesis. The course title “Biotech Research- Cell & Molec I, II, or III” or “Biotech Research-Animal Models I, II, or III” will be visible on the transcript to potential employers or graduate/professional schools. Course levels are based on the number of credits taken, with one credit averaging three hours of work per week over 15 weeks of the fall or spring semester (i.e. 291= 1 credit; 391= 2 credits; 491= 3 credits). Hours may include time spent in the lab, in group meetings, or on background reading, and will be agreed upon in advance between the student and the faculty sponsor. Courses can be taken multiple times for credit.
Students wishing to enroll in a biotechnology research experience course should identify a potential faculty sponsor at UMass, preferably by their junior year, and contact that faculty sponsor to inquire whether he or she has available spots in his or her research projects and if so, to discuss the project and expectations. The faculty sponsor and student match the time to be committed by the student to the number of credits to be enrolled in and agree on the reporting requirement of a poster at Science Day in the spring semester or an oral presentation in a group meeting. Faculty sponsors for the '91C/M courses can be from any department at UMass. In addition to the VASCI department, faculty in the psychology and brain sciences, biology, biochemistry and molecular biology, and microbiology departments have sponsored students. VASCI faculty have also sponsored students from majors other than animal science or pre-veterinary science.
Form of posters or oral presentations for Biotechnology Research Experience classes
1. All reports should contain the following information:
a. Title and names of student, any collaborators, and faculty sponsors
b. Abstract of 200–300 words summarizing the project and conclusions (poster)
c. Introduction: What is known thus far, the significance of the research question and hypothesis to be tested or the goal of the project
d. Materials and Methods
e. Results: quantitation of data and statistical analysis is encouraged
f. Conclusions: interpretation of findings and suggestions for further research
g. References (poster)
2. Presentation of background, hypothesis, and data interpretation are integral to scientific research. Students will be supported in this endeavor by their sponsoring faculty and faculty in charge of the '91 courses (e.g. how to use PowerPoint and Photoshop software for posters and oral presentations, and how to run statistical analyses). Students are also encouraged to participate in the annual Massachusetts Statewide Undergraduate Research Conference.
Experiential Learning/Internship/Practicum *98 Courses
The Veterinary and Animal Sciences Department strongly encourages students to participate in internships to achieve the diverse veterinary medical related experience required for a competitive veterinary medical school or graduate school application and to explore career options. The 298, 398, and 498 practicum courses are a mechanism for students to earn credit for these internship experiences. Each course is graded pass/fail and can be taken for 1-18 credits; the total amount of internship credits applied toward the 120 credits required for graduation is limited to 18 credits. The department maintains a list of local and state-wide veterinary clinics, biotech companies, farms, zoos, animal shelters, animal trainers and behaviorists, and wildlife centers where Animal Science and Pre-Veterinary Science students have interned in the past. The College of Natural Sciences maintains a database of completed internships so you can see where other students have already interned. Students interested in working in a Massachusetts life sciences company may pursue the Life Sciences Internship Challenge from the end of their sophomore year to one year after their graduation with a B.S. or M.S. degree. The Life Sciences Internship Challenge is a workforce development program focused on enhancing the talent pipeline for life sciences companies in Massachusetts and offers part-time or full-time paid internships all year long.
Students enrolled in a ’98 course are covered for liability by the UMass Amherst General Liability (GL) plan. Liability insurance covers any accidental damage a student may cause at an internship site, such as damage to property or to another person at the internship site. It does not cover injury to the student, which is covered by the student’s health insurance policy. Some human direct care internships (e.g. nursing or psychology) may require additional Direct Care coverage or malpractice coverage. If an internship sponsor requires evidence of liability insurance coverage, the student enrolled in a ’98 course should send the name, email address, company name and mailing address of the internship sponsor to @email which is the Field Experience Program Office at UMass Amherst’s Career Development Hub. The UMass Treasurer’s Office will then generate a certificate of liability coverage and email it directly to the internship sponsor.
In order to enroll in a ’98 practicum course, students should:
- Identify an internship sponsor and a faculty sponsor. The student and sponsoring faculty member discuss the internship, the appropriate number of credits (1credit= minimum 40 hours) and the required academic product to be produced, which is usually a journal documenting the hours worked and what was learned, or a paper on a related topic.
- Fill out and Submit an Experiential Learning Request in SPIRE:
a. Log in to your student account in SPIRE.
b. Click on the Academics Tile.
c. Under the Forms and Academic Requests tab, choose
Experiential Learning Request.
d. Here, click the Create a New Request button.
e. Fill out all the information. Items marked with an asterisk are
mandatory fields.
- Contact the Career Development Hub at @email with any questions.
- An email is sent to the faculty sponsor for approval. Once approved, Career Development Hub staff helps the student get enrolled by sending a request to the Department Scheduling Rep in Animal Science for manual enrollment for fall and spring internships or requests enrollment by the UWW Registration Office for summer or winter internships.
- Enjoy your internship!
- Submit your academic project to your faculty sponsor at the end of the semester, or at the end of the second summer session, in time for the faculty sponsor to assign the final grade.
During the fall and spring semesters, students can register for up to 19 credits and can apply to the CNS academic dean for a credit overload approval based on their GPA. We encourage students to register for at least 1 credit for their internships so that they are covered for liability by the UMass Amherst General Liability (GL) plan.
Teaching Assistant
ANIML SCI 296T - Introduction to Teaching in Animal Science, 1–2 credits. Repeatable once for credit. Students gain experience in teaching all aspects of Animal Science courses. Students will be expected to demonstrate specific competencies related to labs and assisting students; and lead review sessions. No contract required. Instructors send list of TA's to Undergraduate Program Office to add course to student's schedule. For Moodle access, a FERPA form must be completed by TA and submitted to instructor.
ANIML SCI 396T - Intermediate Teaching in Animal Science, 1–2 credits. Repeatable once for credit. Students gain further experience in teaching all aspects of Animal Science courses. Students will be expected to demonstrate specific competencies related to labs and assisting students; and lead review sessions. No contract required. Instructors send list of TA's to Undergraduate Program Office to add course to student's schedule. For Moodle access, a FERPA form must be completed by TA and submitted to instructor.
ANIML SCI 496T - Advanced Teaching in Animal Science, 1–2 credits. Repeatable once for credit. Students gain advanced experience in teaching all aspects of Animal Science courses.
Students must complete the two-part FERPA for Moodle access to the course in which they are a Teaching Assistant.