Comparative Biomedical Sciences: Ph.D. Program

The College of Veterinary Medicine launched the Comparative Biomedical Sciences (CBS) degree programs in Fall 2025. Both the MS and the PhD are STEM programs and fall under the CIP 26-0102 national education category for general biomedical sciences. This new program offers a distinctive academic experience grounded in the One Health paradigm—the scientific convergence of animal, human, and environmental health. What sets it apart is a transdisciplinary framework that integrates biomedical, environmental, and veterinary sciences to address today’s most complex health challenges. Anchored in comparative biomedical sciences, the program provides a unique lens to study host-pathogen interactions, translational animal models, disease transmission models, diagnostics research, and disease risk management approaches in animal and human populations, and the environment. Students work across scientific disciplines and leverage big data, AI, and advanced analytics to drive discovery and innovation. This program is more than a degree—it’s a launchpad for scientific innovation, equipping graduates to be future thought leaders instilled with 21^st century core competencies to tackle real-world health problems. 

Program Structure

The CBS PhD is a 90-credit-minimum program. Most students take a 9-credit course load in the Fall and Spring semesters, along with 6 credit hours (usually of research) over the Summer semester. Students are expected to complete this degree within 4 years. Students may choose, with the approval of their committee and of the Office of Research and Graduate Studies (ORGS), to transfer up to 30 credits of relevant coursework from a MS degree taken at UF or elsewhere. Transferred credits, unless taken as part of the CBS MS program, cannot take the place of required courses. Such transfers must meet the approval of the UF graduate school, and that approval is contingent upon relevance, timeliness, and the evaluation of an international degree and coursework, if applicable. Much more information on the transfer of credits can be found on our Applications and Admissions page.

Curriculum

Required Courses

Elective Courses

CBS Ph.D. Program: Handbook and Forms

Policy compliance is an essential component of your successful PhD experience. Students who have not paid proper attention to UF and CVM policies have found themselves with an unenviable set of options. You can avoid this by reading your program handbook, thereby understanding the program’s requirements, timelines and policies and by asking for help from your PI, department graduate coordinators, peer mentors, the Office of Research and Graduate Studies (ORGS) and the Veterinary Graduate Student Association (VGSA). Contact information for all can be found on our Help from Humans page.