Clinical Internship/Residency Program

Residents and interns in the Department of Clinical Sciences who are enrolled in the thesis MS, non-thesis MS, or PhD programs are part of the Biomedical Sciences graduate program. 

Interns are designated as Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTA), and all must remain enrolled in at least 1 hour of graduate coursework every semester that they are paid as interns (GTAs).  Interns are on a graduate fellowship during the internship year.

• US national or permanent residents can be enrolled in non-degree seeking internships
• Non-degree seeking interns must apply to graduate school and be enrolled in at least 1 hour of coursework each semester. For the first summer mini-mester, the fall semester and the summer mini-mester at the end of the program, interns are enrolled inVBMS 7850: Advanced Veterinary Medical Specialty Training. In the spring semester (when interns present seminars), they are enrolled in VBMS 7750: Graduate Colloquium in Clinical Sciences.  
• Non-thesis MS degree-seeking interns are enrolled in the same courses listed above, but may also take other courses during the internship year, depending on the schedules of the specific program. Non-thesis MS courses are continued beyond the internship year if the intern chooses to remain in the degree-seeking program, but the graduate fellowship may not continue if the intern is no longer participating in a clinical program as a teaching assistant.

Residents are typically designated as either Clinical Residents (non-degree) or Clinical Fellows (degree) throughout their residency program and all must remain enrolled in at least 1 hour of graduate coursework every semester that they are paid as residents.

Non-Degree Seeking Graduate Program Requirements

• US national or permanent residents can be enrolled in a non-degree seeking Clinical Residency if allowed within the specialty.
• Non-degree seeking residents must apply to graduate school and be enrolled in at least 1 hour of coursework each semester. Typical courses include VBMS 7850: Advanced veterinary medical specialty training or VBMS 7750: Graduate colloquium in clinical sciences.
• Non-degree seeking residents are allowed to take additional coursework if appropriate to their residency training.
• Non-degree seeking residents are responsible for payment of graduate enrollment fees each semester, but will receive a tuition waiver for coursework.
• If a non-degree seeking resident applies for research funding from the Department of Clinical Sciences, a resident research proposal much be submitted and approved with the same requirements as a degree-seeking student.
• Requirements for seminar attendance and seminar presentations in the non-degree seeking track are determined by the specialty mentors of the resident.

Graduate Committee Faculty Requirements

To serve on a graduate committee, a faculty member must be enrolled as graduate faculty as outlined by the Graduate School through the following link and meet the DCS requirements as outlined below.

Enrollment Form and Instructions

Requirements for DCS graduate faculty levels when directing students in the Biomedical Sciences Graduate program:

Level 1 (required for chair of master committee or service on PhD committee): DVM or equivalent and specialty board certification (with or without MS) 

Level 2 (required for chair of PhD committee): PhD required or exceptional achievement and support of the Department Head. Additional requirements include:

• At least 3 years of experience regularly participating in a graduate program
• Service on at least 3 examining committees (MS and/or PhD)
• In rare cases, some requirements may be waived based on demonstration of ability to direct graduate students in alternate ways. This will require approval by faculty vote, Department Head support and support of the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies.

Mandatory Annual Review

All graduate students are required to complete an annual review due on or before June 1 each year.

Fees and Insurance

Graduate Health Insurance Program Information

• All graduate students are required to have health insurance.
• All residents enrolled in graduate programs are given tuition remission (graduate program tuition waiver) for up to 33 hours for MS students and up to 66 hours for PhD students.
• Enrollment fees and international student fees (when applicable) are charged to the student.

Graduation Procedures

All biomedical science graduate students are required to complete the following requirements, as well as additional requirements for the specific degree programs as outlined below:

• Committee, Transfers, Exceptions and Candidacy (CTEC) Form
• Complete graduation application one semester prior to graduation (AU Access / My Academics / Grad Application)
• Check graduate school academic calendar for applicable deadlines 
• Register for at least 1 credit hour in your graduation semester (residents often register for VBMS 7850)
• Schedule final oral exam 
• Committee Requirements

PhD Student Additional Requirements

• Doctoral Checklist
• Submit dissertation for a format check by deadline
• Submit First Approval form to graduate school
• University reader will submit dissertation evaluation form 
• Complete application for final oral exam once link is received 
• Submit ETD form
• Submit signed final exam form to the graduate school
• Submit electronic dissertation 
• Submit doctoral defense assessment forms (PDF) to the Office of Research Graduate Studies

MS Thesis Student Additional Requirements 

• Masters Checklist 
• Submit thesis for a format check by deadline thesis@auburn.edu 
• Submit thesis MS final exam form
• Submit electronic thesis and dissertation form (PDF) to the graduate school
• Submit MS defense assessment forms (PDF) to the Office of Research Graduate Studies
• Submit electronic thesis 

MS Non-Thesis Student Additional Requirements

• Submit non-thesis final exam form
• Submit MS defense assessment forms (PDF) to the Office of Research Graduate Studies

Contact