The Diploma in Bovine Reproduction (DBR) is a two-year part-time Masters level course for cattle veterinarians. To enrol, you must hold a veterinary degree registerable with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS)(UK) or having successfully completed the RCVS Statutory Membership Examination and be a member of the college. You must also have at least three years experience working as a practising veterinary surgeon in an academic environment or five years in general cattle practice. At least 20% of your time must be spent working with cattle.

Overview

This two year part-time Masters level programme is known as the Diploma in Bovine Reproduction continuing the tradition started when the programme commenced in the 1980s and reflects the academic comparability to Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Diploma qualifications. The qualification is recognised by both the RCVS and European College of Animal Reproduction (ECAR). It provides postgraduate education in an important aspect of the bovine health. The overall aims of the programme are to enable veterinary surgeons in regular contact with cattle to:

• achieve a widely-based and deep understanding of bovine reproduction, which will enable them to provide sound scientific advice to the cattle industry
• develop appropriate skills and,
• maintain a critical approach to their own work.

The programme is modular in structure, with eight residential weeks spaced over two years. Learning methods include lectures, demonstrations, videos, practical work, discussions, field visits and directed reading. Participants will be expected to satisfy essay and work based continual assessments for each module during the course to pass written, practical and oral examinations of the final module at the end of the programme and to present a dissertation, not exceeding 8,000 words, before the award of the Diploma.

Guidance is given by staff of the University of Liverpool and by invited contributors, each a recognised authority in a specialised field. Teaching takes place mainly at Leahurst, the University of Liverpools rural campus.

Although mainly restricted to the study of reproduction in cattle, the programme includes reference to other species to establish biological principles or to illustrate concepts for which information is not available in cattle and also covers key areas impinging on fertility such as nutrition and infectious disease.