The attendance pattern for this course is full time or part time according to candidate choice.

This is a combined master’s degree consisting of a coursework master’s degree which is an advanced learning master’s course, as defined by the Coursework Rule; and a research master’s degree.

The combined degree of the Master of Veterinary Studies / Master of Veterinary Clinical Studies is available in the following streams:

Feline Medicine

Small Animal Surgery

Canine Medicine

Small Animal Medicine

Bovine Medicine

Equine Medicine

Equine Surgery

Veterinary Anaesthesia

Veterinary Dermatology

Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging

Veterinary Emergency Medicine and Critical Care

Veterinary Pathology

The degree of Master of Veterinary Studies / Master of Veterinary Clinical Studies shall be awarded in the stream in which the candidate enrols. The testamur for the degree shall specify the stream.

Candidates wishing to transfer between streams should contact the Faculty Office.

This combined degree is available to domestic and international candidates

Available places will be offered to qualified applicants based on academic merit and relevant professional experience, according to the following admissions criteria:

a BVSc with first or second class honours or equivalent (relevant professional experience in the relevant stream is desirable) or

a BVSc or equivalent and relevant professional experience in the relevant stream

‘Full registration’ or ‘Registration with conditions’ or ‘Limited Registration’ with the NSW Veterinary Practitioners Board for the entire duration of the candidature.

Admission to candidature will be conditional upon the appointment of an appropriate clinical supervisor and associate supervisor.

The Associate Dean Postgraduate Studies in consultation with the Associate Dean Clinical Services will appoint a research supervisor and associate supervisor for each candidate in accordance with the HDR Rule and Academic Board policies for postgraduate research higher degree supervision.

To qualify for the award of the Master in Veterinary Studies / Master of Veterinary Clinical Studies, a candidate must complete 48 credit points relevant to their chosen stream, including:

Undertake a research project and producing a research thesis (containing a literature review, and chapters on materials and methods, results and discussion) that meets the requirements specified in the HDR Rule.

The thesis should not normally exceed 40,000 words.

Candidates who fail any unit of study will be identified as not meeting academic progression requirements and become subject to the Progression provisions of the Coursework Rule. Candidates who subsequently fail the unit of study for a second time will be excluded from the course if they cannot show cause. Any further failures will result in automatic exclusion from the course.

There are no unit of study barriers for progression.

Requirements for progress in the Master of Veterinary Clinical Studies will require that:

A candidate is normally accepted for candidature on a probationary basis for a period not exceeding one year according to the provisions of the HDR Rule.

In the probationary period each candidate must:

complete a specified research methods unit of study if prescribed by the Faculty;

develop and present a refined research proposal to the satisfaction of the Supervisor.

The HDR Rule specifies the conditions for the progression by the Faculty for the Master of Veterinary Clinical Studies

A candidate is required to maintain satisfactory progress towards the timely completion of the degree. Progress will be reviewed annually according to the provisions of the HDR rule.

Examination of the thesis will be conducted in general accordance with standards prescribed by Academic Board for the Doctor of Philosophy, except that:

three copies of the thesis shall be submitted by the candidate;

two examiners will be appointed by the Faculty, at least one of whom shall be external to the University; and

the Faculty Postgraduate Education and Research Training Committee will act in place of the PhD Award Sub-committee.

The Master of Veterinary Studies is awarded on successful completion of 48 credit points

The Master of Veterinary Clinical Studies is awarded at the Pass level only.

A candidate for the Master’s in Veterinary Studies/Master’s in Veterinary Clinical Studies may abandon the combined degree and elect to discontinue study and graduate with the Master’s in Veterinary Studies alone or with a shorter award from the embedded sequence detailed in the course resolutions for the Master’s in Veterinary Studies, or graduate with the Master’s of Veterinary Clinical Studies alone, with the approval of the Dean, and provided the requirements of the shorter award or research master’s respectively, have been met.