Students having the prerequisite undergraduate training are selected for the professional or graduate programs from a large number of applicants. Continuing education courses are offered to veterinarians, animal owners, and producers. The research mission is to provide new knowledge for clinical applications on companion animals, farm animals, laboratory animals, and humans.
Research projects involve basic biomedical science, applied clinical problems, and disease.
The UT Medical Center at Knoxville, the UTK College of Arts and Sciences, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Oak Ridge Associated Universities also participate in this graduate program. The deans have responsibility for promoting the development of research and graduate studies. The college has a Center of Excellence in Livestock Diseases and Human Health directed by the dean and an assistant director. The dean actively participates in fund-raising in concert with the UTIA development office.