The specialization consists of a variety of courses and activities. The details are available on Canvas, as modules in VET328. A brief description of each module follows:

Ambulatory clinic 

Three weeks practical clinical work with cattle and pigs, as well as some sheep and equine practice. A total of 1 week practical work with a minimum of three herd health visits included in the program "My farm".

Clinical reproduction 

The course is a week-long and includes clinical work at the reproduction clinic and in cattle herds. The students will get practical training in clinical examination of cattle genitalia as well as theoretical reviews.

Stationary clinic for medicine/surgery/obstetrics 

The specialization week will offer active duty with the clinical care of cattle, pigs and some sheep/goats. Students will be given greater responsibility relative to previous clinic periods and they will partially participate in the supervision of younger students.

Small ruminant practice and diseases around lambing 

The course focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of conditions and diseases of the ewe and lamb around lambing. Duration: two weeks.

Herd health and advisory service

The teaching takes place at NMBU Veterinary school's section in Sandnes. The herd health teaching in swine livestock and poultry farms (broiler and egg production) will focus on management factors, handling of animals, review of health records, animal environment in different departments and feeding related issues. Students will participate in realistic situations with the food inspection agency inspections in herds of sheep, fur animals, cattle, poultry and swine. The course duration is 10 days.

Dairy herd health 

Dairy herd health has a total length of 10 days. The teaching methods are a combination of lectures, group assignments and practical work in the field. There will be a one-day visit to Geno at Hamar and Tine at Ås. There are two herd visits from which the students will produce reports, focusing on reproduction and calf health, respectively. A one-day herd visit focusing on automated milking systems is included. In addition, the course will include a day devoted to beef cattle production. Other relevant subjects like feeding, biosecurity, claw health will be covered depending on relevance. One day will be devoted to a review of the reports from the herd visits.

Specialization sheep

Make an in-dept review of 1-2 sheep flocks with records of herd data, examinations of individual animals, sampling, analysis and evaluation of results, assessments of risk factors for disease, cost-benefit analysis of preventive measures, and drafting of a report with advice on practical disease prevention in the herd.

Porcine herd health

Teaching is at NMBU Veterinary school at Adamstuen and in Sandnes. Lecturers in the theory section are from NMBU Veterinary school, VI, Animalia and Norsvin.  Herd health visits cover relevant problems such as suckling pig or weaning diarrhea, respiratory or reproductive problems. Students receive background data for the herds and shall during visits collect more data and information about the herds and the disease complex and perform herd review as independently as possible. Student groups of approximately 3 will be responsible for the herd health report on preventive measures. The course includes the writing and approval of reports which shall be of such quality that they can be sent to the herd owner and practicing veterinarian/health service veterinarian.

Specialization in surgery

This is a 5-day course of surgery on production animals. Integration of theoretical and practical lessons.

 Veterinary public health 

The course lasts two weeks. Topics include complementary education to meet the competence requirements of the "official veterinarian" in the Food Safety Authority. Students in the ProdMat specialization receive this documentation as part of the certificate. The so-called "Hygiene Package" is central to this part of the course. In addition, the term "risk-based food safety" and the use of risk analysis as a tool in the interaction between the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, animal nutrition and the veterinarian's role in this interaction are emphasized. The course also provides a more detailed training in disease monitoring and disease control for our most important production animals, where epidemiological methods are used in population-based disease control.

Production Hygiene

The course lasts two weeks and focuses on aspects of industrial food production, waterworks and how HACCP systems work. visits to enterprises, waterworks and import control stations give insight into key areas of the food production chain

Optional specialization food safety

Students can immerse themselves in issues related to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, industry, technology, epidemiology, microbiology, toxicology or risk assessments.

Department of production animal clinical sciences

The courses, excursions and clinics are mandatory. In the clinic, a maximum of one day of documented absence is allowed per week. Group assignments and reports for the different courses are mandatory, as specified on Canvas. Additionally, the following applies:

Weekend and night shifts are mandatory (minimum 4 evenings and 1 weekend-day). Any absence from weekend and night shifts must be retaken. Approval is required of 2 medical records for individual animals and 3 herd-health reports. 

All students must participate in after-hours shifts. Long days in the barn must be expected. 

Department of food safety and infection biology

In general, lectures are not mandatory. However, certain lectures that are essential for excursions, farm visits, etc. can be mandatory. This is stated on Canvas. All excursions and field work are mandatory. The same applies to the submission of the reports and assignments that are a part of the specialization.

1. Optional part

The presence and activities is required to be completed to receive credit. It is the student¿s responsibility to ensure that the optional part is carried out, and there will be no reimbursement of tuition for this unless the student can demonstrate legitimate absence.

Responsible for the course gives a diploma/certificate and/or acknowledge the evaluation form in which the optional part is listed. Only 100 % completed elective program is approved. 

2. Student thesis

To pass the differentiation direction in production animal medicine and food safety, the following two parts must be passed:

• Thesis (15.0 ECTS): Passed (Norwegian and English names should be applied the diploma)
• Specialization in Production animal clinical sciences and food safety:
  • Either: Mandatory part (clinic and topics)  and elective part: Passed
  • Or: Specialization in production animal clinical sciences and food safety with extra emphasis on food safety: Passed

Grading form and 2 copies of the thesis must be delivered SFA no later than two weeks before the end of the term for the certificate to be issued by the exam completion.

Requirements for own equipment

In the clinics: Work clothes, hard-toe shoe, clock, stethoscope and scissors