A decade of bioveterinary science

The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its bioveterinary science programme this month.

Furthermore, the degree has just been accredited in the Whole Organism Biology category of the Society of Biology.

While the programme is one of the highest ranked biosciences degrees in the UK, it is also number one for graduate employability on the influential Guardian University Guide.

Within six months of graduating, 85 per cent of students gain industry-relevant employment.

Placing emphasis on students applying science, developing hands-on laboratory skills and developing their knowledge of research processes, the degree has gone from strength to strength in the past decade.

Course graduates have entered a variety of fields, including PhD programmes, disease control and surveillance for the government and the pharmaceutical sector.

In celebration of the milestone, the college invited past graduates back to meet current students of the course.

Stephen May, deputy principal of the RVC, said at the event: "Our philosophy in developing the course was about learning and education for science rather than learning and education about science.

"We wanted students to see the big picture – how science works, how to frame questions and how you can develop methods that answer those questions."

Image courtesy of RVC

(Left-right) Stephen May, past lecturer Gary Baxter, The Apprentice Winner 2012 Ricky Martin and course director Donald Palmer