M.S. in Conservation Medicine

The Master of Science in Conservation Medicine (MCM) program at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University prepares scientists and professionals to address complex challenges in animal and human health—challenges that are increasingly shaped by interactions among biological systems, the environment, and global society.

The first graduate program of its kind in the country, the one-year, in-person, interdisciplinary MCM program fully integrates One Health, a concept pioneered by Tufts, to address global health issues through the interconnection of animal and human health and the environment. 

Through small group learning, faculty mentorship, capstone project work, and hands-on externship experiences, MCM students gain the practical knowledge and skills to address urgent and complex issues affecting the world today, including emerging and resurging diseases, habit use conflicts, environmental contamination, ecosystem and climate change, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem function degradation. 

MCM students build a strong network of connections, learning from global health experts from across Tufts University and around the world—and within a tight cohort of peers. MCM students bring diverse professional and academic backgrounds to the program, with a common dedication to making a difference in broad areas of conservation.

MCM students are trained to take on a variety of leadership roles in conservation medicine to tackle urgent environmental issues worldwide through a One Health approach. Students acquire interdisciplinary skill sets, hands-on experience, and the credentials to launch their careers, open new professional pathways in conservation medicine, advance to higher degrees, or pursue research. MCM graduates are uniquely prepared for doctoral-level programs, fellowships, and internships. 

MCM graduates move into fulfilling careers in government, NGOs, the private sector, and academia, including:

• Conservation and health research scientists
• Communication and advocacy specialists
• Wildlife managers and veterinarians
• Environmental engineers
• Plant ecologists
• Professors and educators
• Policy advisors
• Scientific consultants

• Immersive, individualized, in-person experience—The small size of the MCM cohort enables students to build strong connections with a peer set dedicated to conservation in a supportive learning environment focused on collaboration and teamwork. 
• Faculty mentorship—Deeply invested in students’ success, MCM faculty provide personalized attention to help students develop expertise in their area of interest, mentoring students throughout their case study projects and externships.
• Worldwide network of conservation experts—Students learn from accomplished faculty across Tufts schools and conservation leaders from around the world.
• Interdisciplinary curriculum—MCM’s dynamic, multidisciplinary curriculum trains students in multiple fields to generate science-based solutions to complex health problems at the nexus of human, animal, and environmental health. The program integrates political, social, cultural, economic, and other factors to help solve global health issues.
• Practical, applied training—From research to data analysis, students acquire the technical skills and leadership and communication skills needed to be successful in developing solutions to pressing conservation issues. 
• Real-world experience—MCM students put their training into practice through field and lab work, research opportunities on campus or abroad, and on externship in a conservation setting.
• Vast resources of Tufts University—Drawing on the faculty and resources of a tier-one research university and embedded within a leading veterinary institution, MCM students benefit from direct access to wildlife and habitat areas, and conservation and research facilities, and a network of partners across New England in wildlife, conservation, agriculture, policy, and nonprofit sectors.

The breadth and depth of the MCM curriculum provides a broad perspective on the diversity of fields that address environmental and global health issues. With hands-on, experiential learning opportunities to master essential skills and a focus on professional development, courses are designed to prepare students for a wide array of careers in conservation medicine. The interdisciplinary, team-taught courses impart foundational knowledge and incorporate lab and fieldwork, where students acquire practical conservation skills in a small group setting alongside faculty and peers. Research opportunities focus on advancing human and animal health through a One Health approach.

Every student gains real-world experience in their chosen area of study on externship in a conservation setting. Tufts’ faculty help connect students with transformational and career-building externships at conservation organizations, aquariums, zoos, and wildlife centers, and within Tufts and partner universities. From studying the health of humpback whales in Alaska to rehabilitating black howler monkeys for release back into the wild in Belize, MCM students have externed at hundreds of programs, organizations, and institutions throughout the United States and on five continents. Students immerse themselves in their career field of interest, putting theory into practice while training under the guidance of academic and field mentors.

Every MCM student undertakes an intensive case study project to comprehensively analyze a challenging conservation medicine issue, from fire and infectious disease to the effects of rodenticides on New England fishers. MCM students are publishing, presenting, and receiving awards and grants for their research advancing global health initiatives.

MCM students enter into a worldwide network of conservation experts. 

MCM’s multidisciplinary team of professors and mentors includes wildlife veterinarians, epidemiologists, ecologists, policy experts, and environmental engineers. MCM faculty conduct research worldwide in wildlife conservation, infectious diseases, environmental toxicants, humane animal population control, and environmental monitoring.

Faculty and resources are drawn broadly from all Tufts schools, including Cummings School, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, School of Engineering, Fletcher School, School of Medicine, and Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, to present students with a broad perspective of social, cultural, political, and economic factors in helping solve global health issues.

More than 50 global health experts from the private sector, government, and other universities guest lecture throughout the year, providing an invaluable resource for MCM students to learn from and network with a cadre of leaders in the field.