Practical Experience & Research

The Department of Veterinary & Animal Sciences encourages students to pursue work outside the conventional lecture or class-associated lab environment and to undertake research projects under the direction of a UMass faculty member or as outside internship experiences.  Classes are taken pass/fail or for a letter grade, and range from significant discovery-based research projects (‘91C/M courses), independent literature or data review and analysis (’96 courses), or an internship/practicum experience (’98 courses). NOTE:  No more than 18 credits of ’98 courses can be applied to the 120 credits required for graduation, and no more than 15 credits of ’98 courses can be applied to the 45 credit residence requirement.

Faculty sponsors must email completed contracts to mjschnei [at] umass.edu (Mary Schneider) for enrollment.

Biotechnology Research Experience

Biotechnology Research Experience Contract.

ANIMLSCI 291C - Biotech Research -Cellular & Molecular I         1 credit
     Science Day Requirement: abstract to be posted or submitted to PI
ANIMLSCI 291M - Biotech Research-Animal Models I      1 credit
     Science Day Requirement: abstract to be posted or submitted to PI
ANIMLSCI 391C - Biotech Research-Cellular & Molecular II        2 credits
     Science Day Requirement: poster or oral presentation
ANIMLSCI 391M - Biotech Research-Animal Models II     2 credits
     Science Day Requirement: poster or oral presentation
ANIMLSCI 491C - Biotech Research-Cellular & Molecular III     3 credits
     Science Day Requirement: poster or oral presentation
ANIMLSCI 491M - Biotech Research-Animal Models III   3 credits
     Science Day Requirement: poster or oral presentation

Biotechnology Research Experience courses are letter-graded discovery-based tutorial research experiences with a UMass faculty sponsor that emphasize cellular and molecular approaches (ANIMLSCI 291C, 391C, or 491C) or animal models (ANIMLSCI 291M, 391M, or 491M) in research related to biotechnology. Research projects can be focused on optimization of a research technique, the development of a research tool, or experimental testing of a hypothesis. The course title “Biotech Research- Cell & Molec I, II, or III” or “Biotech Research- Animal Models I, II, or III” will be visible on the transcript to potential employers or graduate/professional schools. Course levels are based on the number of credits taken, with 1 credit averaging 3 hours of work per week over 15 weeks of the fall or spring semester (i.e. 291= 1 credit; 391= 2 credits; 491= 3 credits). Hours may include time spent in lab, in group meetings, or on background reading, and will be agreed upon in advance between the student and the faculty sponsor. Courses can be taken multiple times for credit.

Students wishing to enroll in a biotechnology research experience course should identify a potential faculty sponsor at UMass, preferably by their junior year, and contact that faculty sponsor to inquire whether he or she has available spots in his or her research projects and if so, to discuss the project and expectations. The faculty sponsor and student match the time to be committed by the student to the number of credits to be enrolled in and agree on the reporting requirement of a poster at Science Day in the spring semester or an oral presentation in a group meeting. Faculty sponsors for the ‘91C/M courses can be from any department at UMass. In addition to the VASCI department, faculty in the Psychology and Brain Sciences, Biology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Microbiology departments have sponsored students. VASCI faculty have also sponsored students from majors other than Animal Science or Pre-Veterinary Science. 

Form of posters or oral presentations for Biotechnology Research Experience classes
1. All reports should contain the following information:
       a. Title and names of student, any collaborators, and faculty sponsors
       b. Abstract of 200-300 words summarizing the project and conclusions (poster)
       c. Introduction- What is known thus far, significance of research question and   hypothesis to be tested or goal of project
       d. Materials and Methods
       e. Results- quantitation of data and statistical analysis is encouraged
       f. Conclusions- interpretation of findings and suggestions for further research
       g. References (poster)
2. Presentation of background, hypothesis, and data interpretation are integral to scientific research. Students will be supported in this endeavor by their sponsoring faculty and faculty in charge of the ’91 courses (e.g. how to use PowerPoint and Photoshop software for posters and oral presentations, how to run statistical analyses). Students are also encouraged to participate in the annual Massachusetts Statewide Undergraduate Research Conference.

Independent Study Courses (’96 courses)

Please use the Biotechnology Research Contract above to register for lab based independent research. 

Please use the Independent Study Form for literature or data review and analysis or other projects that do not fit in the ’91 Biotechnology Research course structure. ANIMLSCI 296, 396 and 496 courses may be taken under the direct supervision of a UMass faculty sponsor.  A letter grade and course title “Independent study” is listed on the student’s transcript. ANIMLSCI 596 is a graduate-level course; generally this level is used by upper level undergraduates but can be used by beginning graduate students. Products to be generated in the 296, 396 and 496 courses are determined by the sponsoring faculty and agreed to by the student. Examples of appropriate independent study outputs include: papers, posters, oral reports or a portfolio of work. A 1 credit independent study course averages 3 hours of work per week over 15 weeks of the fall or spring semester, or 45 hours total per semester. Credits may vary from 1 to 6, or 3 (1 credit) to 18 (6 credits) hours of work per week. Faculty Sponsor must email the completed Independent Study Form to mjschnei [at] umass.edu (Mary Schneider)  to enroll student.

Internships/Practicum Courses ('98 courses)

Note: UMass requires students to sign a Field Experience Risk Acknowledgement Form.  This form is housed in the Field Experience Section on Handshake, and students can access the form in the Resources section and then upload the signed form.

The Veterinary & Animal Sciences Department strongly encourages students to participate in internships in order to achieve the diverse veterinary medical related experience required for a competitive veterinary medical school or graduate school application and to explore career options. The 298, 398, and 498 practicum courses are a mechanism for students to earn credit for these internship experiences. Each course is graded pass/fail and can be taken for 1-18 credits; the total amount of internship credits applied toward the 120 credits required for graduation is limited to 18 credits. The department maintains a list of local and state-wide veterinary clinics, biotech companies, farms, zoos, animal shelters, animal trainers and behaviorists, and wildlife centers where Animal Science and Pre-Veterinary Science students have interned in the past. The College of Natural Sciences maintains a database of completed internships so you can see where other students have already interned.

Students interested in working in a Massachusetts life sciences company may pursue the Life Sciences Internship Challenge from the end of their sophomore year to one year after their graduation with a B.S. or M.S. degree. The Life Sciences Internship Challenge is a workforce development program focused on enhancing the talent pipeline for life sciences companies in Massachusetts and offers part-time or full-time paid internships all year long.

Students enrolled in a ’98 course are covered for liability by the UMass Amherst General Liability (GL) plan. Liability insurance covers any accidental damage a student may cause at an internship site, such as damage to property or to another person at the internship site. It does not cover injury to the student, which is covered by the student’s health insurance policy. Some human direct care internships (e.g. nursing or psychology) may require additional Direct Care coverage or malpractice coverage. If an internship sponsor requires evidence of liability insurance coverage, the student enrolled in a ’98 course should send the name, email address, company name and mailing address of the internship sponsor to Mary Lysakowski (mklysako [at] umass.edu), the Field Experience Program Manager at UMass Amherst’s Career Development Hub. The UMass Treasurer’s Office will then generate a certificate of liability coverage and email it directly to the internship sponsor.

In order to enroll in a ’98 practicum course, students should:

1. Identify an internship sponsor and a faculty sponsor. The student and sponsoring faculty member discuss the project, the appropriate number of credits (1credit= minimum 45 hours) and the required academic product to be produced, which is usually a journal or PowerPoint documenting the hours worked and what was learned, or a paper on a related topic.

2. Log into Handshake.

3. Click on Career Center, then Experiences, and then Request an Experience to create an Internship Experience form with internship sponsor information, number of credits and class number 298, 398, or 498, faculty sponsor, 1-3 learning objectives and academic product component (this is required).  (Contact mklysako [at] umass.edu (Mary Lysakowski) in the Career Development Hub with any questions.)

4. UMass requires students to sign a Field Experience Risk Acknowledgement Form.  This form is housed in the Field Experience Section on Handshake, and students can access the form in the Resources section and then upload the signed form.

5. Career Development Hub staff emails the faculty sponsor for contract approval and sends a pdf of the contract to department staff member for manual enrollment for fall and spring internships or requests enrollment by the UWW Registration Office for summer internships.

6. Enjoy your internship!

7. Submit your academic project to your faculty sponsor at the end of the semester, or at the end of the second summer session, in time for the faculty sponsor to assign the final grade.

During the fall and spring semesters, students can register for up to 19 credits and can apply to the CNS academic dean for a credit overload approval based on their GPA. We encourage students to register for at least 1 credit for their internships so that they are covered for liability by the UMass Amherst General Liability (GL) plan.

Teaching Assistant

ANIML SCI 296T - Introduction to Teaching in Animal Science, 1-2 credits. Repeatable once for credit. Students gain experience in teaching all aspects of  Animal Science courses. Students will be expected to demonstrate specific competencies related to labs and assisting students; and lead review sessions. No contract required. Instructors send list of TA's to Undergraduate Program Office to add course to student's schedule. For Moodle access, a FERPA form must be completed by TA and submitted to instructor.

ANIML SCI 396T - Intermediate Teaching in Animal Science, 1-2 credits. Repeatable once for credit. Students gain further experience in teaching all aspects of  Animal Science courses. Students will be expected to demonstrate specific competencies related to labs and assisting students; and lead review sessions. No contract required. Instructors send list of TA's to Undergraduate Program Office to add course to student's schedule. For Moodle access, a FERPA form must be completed by TA and submitted to instructor.

ANIML SCI 496T - Advanced Teaching in Animal Science, 1-2 credits. Repeatable once for credit. Students gain advanced experience in teaching all aspects of Animal Science courses.

Students must complete the two part FERPA for Moodle access to the course in which they are a TA.