Applied Bioveterinary Research with Placement Year
Applied bioveterinary research with a placement year is an extended degree that combines the scientific study of animal health and disease with a substantial period of professional experience in a research or industry setting. The field sits at the interface of veterinary science, biology, and biomedical research, asking questions about the mechanisms of animal disease and about how that knowledge can be applied to improve animal health and welfare, support public health, and develop new diagnostic and therapeutic tools.
At the Royal Veterinary College, one of the world's leading institutions in veterinary and life sciences, this five-year programme includes a placement year within an extended curriculum alongside a year abroad. The placement year provides an extended period of professional experience in a relevant context, whether in academic research, the pharmaceutical or veterinary pharmaceutical industry, a government agency, or a non-governmental organisation working on animal health. The year abroad places you in a different academic or research environment, giving you exposure to how bioveterinary research is conducted in a different national context.
Together with the academic content of the degree, which covers animal physiology, infectious disease, immunology, comparative medicine, and research methodology, these experiential elements produce graduates with both strong scientific knowledge and genuine professional experience before they complete their studies. The Royal Veterinary College's clinical facilities and research centres provide an outstanding environment for this level of scientific work.
Graduates pursue research careers in academic institutions, government research bodies, and the pharmaceutical and veterinary pharmaceutical industries. The One Health framework, which connects animal, human, and environmental health, creates growing opportunities at the interfaces between these fields, and graduates with bioveterinary research training are well positioned to contribute to work on zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and environmental health. Some graduates continue to postgraduate research degrees, while others move into regulatory affairs, science policy, or science communication.
The placement year and year abroad significantly strengthen the graduate employment profile and often lead directly to roles with partner organisations.