A class of top-grade students at the University of Liverpool are about to become the first in the UK to graduate in Bioveterinary Science.
The degree was established to accommodate the increasing numbers of academically gifted students wishing to study animal related subjects in the UK, and aims to provide graduates with a skill-base suitable for careers in animal industries, conservation and pharmaceuticals.
The University was the first to offer the degree in the UK, which draws upon the joint resources of the School of Biological Sciences and the Faculty of Veterinary Science, including a £23 million Biosciences Centre and Biotechnology Business Incubator. The programme is designed to develop students’ knowledge in the maintenance, management, and welfare of animals at all levels. Students are able to choose modules in both biological and veterinary disciplines, as well as core bioveterinary subjects, such as pharmacology and infectious disease.
Professor Sandy Trees, Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Science, said: “The need for suitably qualified people to work in the ever-growing animal industries has been recognised for some time. This new degree programme offers students the opportunity to pursue their interests in a variety of areas within the field and will hopefully lead them onto successful careers. Not only will graduates have a wide range of skills applicable to the animal industries, but they will also have an excellent basis for pursuing research into animal disease and welfare.”
Optional module choices on the course allow students to tailor their education to their career aspirations. Students are able to choose modules suited to jobs in the fields of biotechnology, the environment, and animal behaviour as well as areas of business, law and science journalism.
The students will graduate on Tuesday 6 July.
Notes to editors
1. A photograph of the students will be available upon request after the graduation ceremony. Any media wishing to take their own photographs are welcome to do so. Please contact Kate Spark on the number below.
2. The University of Liverpool is one of the UK’s leading research institutions with a prodigious spread of expertise – from the humanities and social sciences to engineering, science, veterinary science and medicine. It attracts collaborative and contract research commissions from a wide range of national and international organisations – commissions valued at more than £80 million annually.