Available to study anywhere in the world
If you’re an animal health specialist, an epidemiologist or a public health specialist, this programme provides an understanding of veterinary epidemiology and public health.
"The study has benefitted almost all aspects of my work. From designing a project with risk assessment, to giving technical advice to countries on outbreak investigation, plus data analysis and presenting about a high-impact disease."
This programme helps you develop skills for disease modelling and for devising strategies to combat chronic farm animal disease.
Learn about the use of economic concepts in animal health, and apply herd-health programmes to maximise economic returns from animal production.
By taking this programme, you will challenge perceptions of what constitutes safe food production, make objective judgements about contemporary issues such as antibiotic resistance, and develop the skills you need for epidemiological investigations.
You can study individual modules of this degree (240-hour modules) for CPD purposes. If you complete one successfully, you can apply to transfer onto the degree programme.
There is also a range of shorter 50-hour and 35-hour modules (see below).
This programme has one intake date per year: February.
The programme is offered by distance learning and is fully supported by a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). You study independently, at a time and pace that suits you (subject to course-specific deadlines), using the study materials provided.
We will provide study materials developed by academics at the Royal Veterinary College. Your materials will include a module pack, comprising of a study guide and specially selected readings. For some modules, materials are available via the Virtual Learning Environment only.
When you register, we will provide access to both the Royal Veterinary College’s Virtual Learning Environment (RVC Learn) and your personal RVC email account:
Academics will offer feedback, along with a numerical mark on two written assignments and the highest mark will count towards your overall assessment. Academic feedback helps you to reach high standards and support your preparation for exams.
We are committed to delivering an exceptional student experience for all of our students, regardless of which of our programmes you are studying and whether you are studying independently or with a Recognised Teaching Centre.
You will have access to support through:
To complete the programme in the minimum study period, we recommend that you should study approximately 15 hours per week. (Academic year: February to September).
The assessment for each module includes a three-hour written examination which takes place in October (80% of the mark) and you submit up to two written assignments, from which the highest mark will count towards the overall module assessment (20%).
The optional Research Project (MSc only) is assessed through a research paper, written in the style required by an identified scientific journal (80%) and an oral examination (20%).
You can sit exams at an approved centre anywhere in the world.
MSc degree: Either a second class honours degree (or equivalent) in a scientific subject, veterinary, animal science, agriculture, biological sciences, or medicine. Or a second class honours degree (or equivalent) in a scientific discipline which has included suitable training.
PGDip / PGCert / 240-hour modules: an appropriate degree, professional or technical qualification and work experience that we deem appropriate.
Reference letters will be requested when your application is processed by the Admissions Office. Alternatively, you can upload signed letters of reference to your application when you apply.
You will meet our language requirements if you have achieved one of the following within the past three years:
Alternatively, you may satisfy the language requirements if you have at least 18 months of education or work experience conducted in English.
Please see the individual module outlines for information concerning specific software requirements.
More about computer requirements.
For the modules 'Management of infectious disease outbreaks in animal populations', you will require the following additional requirements:
The fees below are effective from 1 March 2022 for the 2023 session only, and are subject to annual review.
Disclaimer: Currency conversion tool.
If you pay the total fee at the point of registration, this covers your registration fee, all module fees, and offers a discount on the individual components of the qualification.
You can also spread out your payments. In the first instance, you pay for registration plus your first-year modules. In subsequent years, you pay for each new module you take.
*The online examination administration fee is charged for each examination paper held online, including resits. This does not apply to any coursework submissions.
You will also need to budget for:
Please note: all student fees shown are net of any local VAT, Goods and Services Tax (GST) or any other sales tax payable by the student in their country of residence. Where the University is required to add VAT, GST or any other sales tax at the local statutory rate, this will be added to the fees shown during the payment process. For students resident in the UK, our fees are exempt from VAT.
Further information on Sales Tax.
Your payment provider may apply additional transaction fees. (If in doubt, please check with them before making a payment.)
Further information about fee payment options can be found in the “How to pay your fees” link above.
The Veterinary Epidemiology and Public Health programme is aimed primarily at animal health specialists, epidemiologists and public health specialists.
Graduates of this programme are employed in a variety of organizations, including the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra), University Veterinary faculties and international organisations including the FAO and World Health Organisation (WHO).
What do employers think of our graduates?
In some countries, qualifications earned by distance and flexible learning may not be recognised by certain authorities or regulators for the purposes of public sector employment or further study. We advise you to explore the local recognition status before you register, even if you plan to receive support from a local teaching institution.
The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has maintained its position at the top of the QS World University Subject Rankings 2022(Opens in new window). This is the third time the RVC has ranked first in the past four years.
The RVC is the UK’s longest established veterinary school and one of the most highly regarded institutions of its kind in Europe. It has over 1,500 students enrolled on its programmes and four state-of-the-art teaching and referral hospitals, providing services to the public and the veterinary profession.
The RVC’s independent status enables it to innovate and to remain at the forefront of knowledge and practice. Postgraduate students learn alongside experts in their field and are provided with the specialist knowledge and skills required to make it to the very top of their chosen profession.
Dr Christine Thuranira-McKeever is the Distance Learning Director at the Royal Veterinary College, providing academic leadership for the two MSc postgraduate courses offered by distance learning. She manages course content, monitors your progress, oversees teaching strategies, co-ordinates the course administration, and liaises with external partners and collaborators.
Professor Dirk Pfeiffer is a Professor of Veterinary Epidemiology. His current projects cover animal health surveillance methods and animal diseases such as avian influenza, PPR and African swine fever. Dirk holds an Honorary Professorship at the LSHTM and an Adjunct Professorship at the China Animal Health & Epidemiology Centre, Qingdao, China.
Without the cost of moving to London, studying for your University of London degree anywhere in the world represents excellent value for money. However, there are additional sources of support depending on where you live and how you choose to study.
Royal Veterinary College staff members and alumni receive a 20% bursary off fees for this programme (excluding resit fees).
Available for nationals of Commonwealth countries for this programme, see Commonwealth Scholarships.
If you're employed, your employer may be willing to cover part/all of the programme fees if you can make a compelling case as to how this programme will boost your contribution to the workplace.
Our programmes are ideal for employers because they get to retain you as an employee and benefit from your learning from the moment you begin.
Choose from a range of 240-hour modules available for Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
If you complete one module successfully, you can apply to transfer onto the degree programme.
You can find further information on 240 hour modules on the Royal Veterinary College's website.
There are also a number of 50-hour modules available for Continuing Professional Development (CPD). There are no entry requirements for these modules and you may register and commence studying immediately.
Once you register for an individual module, you will receive a letter of registration and a pack containing all the materials you need (e.g. learning notes, readings and textbooks). Access to the VLE is limited for 50-hour modules.
If you successfully complete the assessment we will send you a Certificate of Achievement, which notes the number of study hours required for the course.
Understanding risk analysis has become essential for people working in animal health policy. This module provides a basic understanding, with particular emphasis on qualitative and quantitative risk assessment. Discover how to use frameworks and probability theory to build a simple quantitative model using a software package called @RISK.
Animal disease surveillance has become more important given increasing concerns for food safety and the emergence of new diseases. This module introduces the principles of disease control and how programmes are implemented and evaluated. Understand the complexity of the decision-making process and how epidemiological tools can help in the control and eradication of animal diseases.
This course concerns microbiological aspects of food safety in the production of red and poultry meat, eggs, milk and milk products. Examine methods to reduce microbiological contamination in meat during the entire production chain. Understand the importance of egg shells and milk as vehicles for human infection and the methods used to reduce contamination.
This module introduces you to observational and intervention studies conducted on populations, and how to measure association between disease and risk factors. Learn more about different measures of association and the most suitable application for each one. This allows you to evaluate these studies and statistical testing requirements.
Analyse two examples of national disease control programmes in veterinary public health - salmonella in pig herds in Denmark and tuberculosis in cattle in the UK - to recognise the important elements of a disease eradication programme. By the end of this module, you can develop your own strategies for combating similar chronic farm animal diseases.
Information management is the foundation of food animal production-oriented health programmes. Good information allows managers to make good decisions, identify shortfalls, and monitor interventions. This module introduces herd health programmes and the economic principles governing their design and delivery, plus the role of computers in herd health management, using the CamDairy software package as an example.
Assuming you have no prior knowledge of statistical analysis, this module explains the basic concepts of statistics and provides a basic introduction to statistical analysis in veterinary and animal health fields. Learn about hypothesis testing, sampling, study design and parametric and nonparametric methods of data analysis.
Explore the diverse nature of Veterinary Public Health (VPH) in this introductory module. Discover how food can constitute a hazard to human health, and how to measure the risk to consumer health. Gain a basic understanding of risk analysis, with particular emphasis on qualitative and quantitative risk assessment.
Examine how to control food safety hazards throughout production, storage and distribution. Identify suitable control measures to avoid food poisoning bacteria and viruses that may contaminate ready-to-eat food. Examine the controversial use of antibiotics, the associated problem of antibiotic resistance, and the implications for public health.
The module emphasises the practical use of sampling theory to answer epidemiological questions, with examples of effective use of sampling techniques for epidemiological investigations. Discover methods for describing the frequency of disease occurrence in animal populations; examine techniques for making inferences about large populations on the basis of a sample; and learn about the techniques used for effective sampling of populations.
Assuming no prior experience of animal health economics, this practical module introduces the principles of economic analysis and a number of tools used to aid decision making. Learn how to use the tools in a number of activities and case studies while understanding issues so you can critically review the work of others.
This module provides an overview of some major zoonotic diseases, their epidemiology and their control. It considers some emerging and re-emerging zoonoses that are important to human health. The course provides separate coverage of parasites, bacteria, viruses, rickettsia and prions.
You can find further information on 50 hour modules on the Royal Veterinary College's website.
There are also a number of 35-hour modules available for Continuing Professional Development (CPD). There are no entry requirements for these modules and you may register and commence studying immediately.
Once you register for a short course, you will receive a letter of registration and a pack containing all the materials you need (e.g. learning notes, readings and textbooks). Access to the VLE is limited for 35-hour modules.
If you successfully complete the assessment we will send you a Certificate of Achievement, which notes the number of study hours required for the course.
Simulation models have become important for the control of infectious diseases. They examine 'what if' scenarios for current disease control and herd production, plus a mechanism for generating hypotheses about the components of epidemiological systems. This module introduces the concepts of deterministic and stochastic disease modelling.
Learn how computer software can be used to interrogate and handle databases to generate summary statistics and graphs. Get to grips with some of the technical language used to describe databases, and learn more about the important points to consider when designing them.
Learn about the animal welfare issues involved in the handling, transport, and slaughter of livestock, and how auditing systems can maintain welfare levels. This module prepares you to provide advice on the design and management of facilities for loading and unloading animals, stockyards, and restraint equipment to prevent welfare problems.
Applying epidemiology to the improvement of livestock health and production requires responsible management of information. From milk production on a single farm to countrywide diseases, data management is essential. Find out about the types of data you might encounter, methods of collecting and storage, and tools that will help you extract useful information.
This module introduces the role that economics plays in animal health decision making. Assess the issues, then learn about concepts used in animal health economics. The conclusion is a practical session, which guides you through how to calculate the output of livestock enterprises.
Investigate the methodologies used for decision making in animal health and production so you can critically evaluate studies. Explain the basic principles involved and familiarise yourself with the techniques of partial and benefit-cost analysis, as well as the economic tools used to analyse the risk and uncertainty associated with livestock production.
The welfare of extensively farmed animals is influenced by factors including climate, food availability, handling, parasites, predators, etc. As these factors interact in a complex way, there are no simple answers regarding animal welfare. Understand the complex interplay between them and the dilemmas they bring.
Intensive farming systems, including small-space confinement, have led to many animal welfare issues. Scientists and agricultural engineers are working on enclosures and environments to better meet the needs of animals. Explore these issues in detail and gain a better understanding of the economic and political ramifications involved in improving husbandry systems.
You can find further information on 35 hour modules on the Royal Veterinary College's website.
