The current Graduate Program in Veterinary Medicine (Animal Clinics and Reproduction) was created in 1973 under the name of the Graduate Program in Veterinary Surgery and initially only offered a master’s degree.
In 1994, with the approval of CAPES (Brazilian Federal Agency for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education), it was renamed as Master’s Course in Veterinary Medicine (Veterinary Surgery and Clinics). Its proposal was to qualify students to perform as Higher Education staff and to develop research through regular, theoretical and practical studies, covering areas not only of Surgery, but also of Clinical Medicine.
Eleven years later, in 2005, to meet the needs of the region’s job market and on the advice of the CAPES Veterinary Medicine committee, the course incorporated the Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology research line, originating from the extinct Veterinary Sciences Course at UFF’s Veterinary School. On this occasion, the doctoral course was created. At the time, in the State of Rio de Janeiro, no other University offered a Stricto Sensu Graduate program (master’s and doctorate degrees) in areas of concentration specifically focused on Animal Clinics and Reproduction.
After approval by CAPES, from 2006 onwards the course was renamed as Graduate Program (Master’s and Doctorate degrees) in Veterinary Medicine (Animal Clinics and Reproduction).
The course currently has Concept 5 in the Veterinary area from Capes.
The Master’s Degree in Veterinary Medicine (Animal Clinics and Reproduction) aims to train teachers for higher education in Veterinary Medicine and specialized professionals with in-depth knowledge in the Program’s research lines, in addition to theoretical and practical learning of the scientific method through the development of the final work (Dissertation). In this context, the Master’s degree qualifies the student for university life and for the commitment to teaching, research and extension, in addition to preparing them for the next stage of their academic training – the Doctorate – familiarizing the student with the methods and techniques used in scientific work; thus contributing to the improvement of their professional activities.
The Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine (Animal Clinics and Reproduction) aims to train high-level researchers capable of meeting the qualitative expansion of university education, as well as serving research centers and specialized companies and services. At this stage, the student can develop their knowledge within the Program’s research lines and take advantage of the interdisciplinarity provided by a curricular structure with integration of the areas of Veterinary Medicine. The development of specific work, dedication, and in-depth study of the topic chosen for their final assignment (Dissertation) is prioritized in the Doctorate.
Therefore, in these 51 years of existence, the Graduate Program in Veterinary Medicine (Animal Clinics and Reproduction) of the Veterinary School of the Fluminense Federal University aims to train highly qualified workers to meet the needs of research centers, universities, companies, and specialized services in veterinary medicine.