Best institutions to study Small/Companion Animal Surgery and Medicine
A program that focuses on the scientific study of the internal medicine and invasive and noninvasive treatment of companion and household animals.
1 U.S. institutions graduated 11 Small/Companion Animal Surgery and Medicine students in 2024–25 (IPEDS). It is CIP 01.8104, a specialization of Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences (CIP 01.81), and leads most directly to the Veterinarians occupation (BLS SOC 29-1131).
About Small/Companion Animal Surgery and Medicine programs
A program that focuses on the scientific study of the internal medicine and invasive and noninvasive treatment of companion and household animals. Includes instruction in avian medicine, pet care, companion animal medicine, pathophysiology, small animal diseases, small animal anesthesiology and surgical procedures, preoperative and postoperative care, and specific medical specialties such as dentistry, ophthalmology, oncology, obstetrics/theriogenology, and orthopedics.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020).
The Small/Companion Animal Surgery and Medicine program, part of Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, focuses on the scientific study and treatment of companion and household animals. This program is designed for individuals passionate about animal health and welfare, providing the knowledge and skills necessary for a career in veterinary medicine.
Students will gain expertise in areas such as avian medicine, small animal diseases, anesthesiology, surgical procedures, and postoperative care. Core coursework emphasizes critical skills like active listening, science, and critical thinking, ensuring graduates are well-prepared for the challenges of veterinary practice.
Credentials awarded
What Small/Companion Animal Surgery and Medicine graduates earned in 2024–25, by award level (IPEDS completions).
- Master's degree7 graduates / yr · 1 institution64%
- Postbaccalaureate certificate4 graduates / yr · 1 institution36%
Graduates over time
Small/Companion Animal Surgery and Medicine completions reported to IPEDS each year, all award levels combined.
| Year | Graduates |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 7 |
| 2021 | 12 |
| 2022 | 5 |
| 2023 | 11 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 11 |
Top 1 institutions for Small/Companion Animal Surgery and Medicine, ranked by graduates
Graduates (IPEDS completions), 2024–25. Award levels show which credentials each institution confers in this specialization.
| # | Institution | Graduates / yr | Grad rate | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Georgia Athens, GAPublicMaster'sPost-degree cert. | 11 | 90% | — |
Offered in 1 states
Where Small/Companion Animal Surgery and Medicine graduates come from. Each state links to all Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences programs offered there.
| State | Institutions | Graduates / yr | Top institution by graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | 1 | 11 | University of Georgia11 / yr |
Careers & outlook
The payoff after graduation: occupation 29-1131, Veterinarians, and its national outlook.
Graduates of this program can pursue careers as veterinarians or health specialties teachers. With an annual growth rate of 9.6% and approximately 3,000 job openings each year, the median wage for veterinarians is $125,510, typically requiring a doctoral or professional degree.
Top-paying metros
Career pathways for CIP 01.8104
The occupations the NCES crosswalk maps this 6-digit code to, with BLS pay and 10-year outlook.
| Occupation | US median pay | Growth | Openings / yr | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Veterinariansprimary SOC 29-1131 | $130,100 | +9.6% Much faster than average | ~3,000 | Doctoral or professional degree |
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary SOC 25-1071 | $107,310 | +17.3% Much faster than average | ~27,400 | Doctoral or professional degree |
Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
- Education
- Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
- Experience
- Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
- Training
- Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Related careers
Skills & knowledge in Small/Companion Animal Surgery and Medicine programs
From the U.S. Dept. of Labor for the occupation this specialization most leads to.
Skills you'll build
Knowledge areas
Abilities that matter most
Day-to-day work activities
What graduates do on the job
- Treat sick or injured animals by prescribing medication, setting bones, dressing wounds, or performing surgery.
- Inoculate animals against various diseases, such as rabies or distemper.
- Examine animals to detect and determine the nature of diseases or injuries.
- Collect body tissue, feces, blood, urine, or other body fluids for examination and analysis.
- Operate diagnostic equipment, such as radiographic or ultrasound equipment, and interpret the resulting images.
- Educate the public about diseases that can be spread from animals to humans.
Tools and technology used
Other Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences specializations
The 11 other 6-digit CIP codes under Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences (CIP 01.81).
- Veterinary Sciences/CIP 01.8101
Veterinary Clinical Sciences 740 graduates / yr23 institutions - Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Epidemiology, and Public HealthCIP 01.8110partial data63 graduates / yr6 institutions
- Comparative and Laboratory Animal MedicineCIP 01.8102partial data47 graduates / yr6 institutions
- Veterinary Pathology and PathobiologyCIP 01.8108partial data46 graduates / yr6 institutions
- Veterinary Microbiology and ImmunobiologyCIP 01.8107partial data30 graduates / yr4 institutions
- Veterinary Infectious DiseasesCIP 01.8106partial data29 graduates / yr4 institutions
- Veterinary PhysiologyCIP 01.8109limited data3 graduates / yr2 institutions
- Large Animal/CIP 01.8103
Food Animal and Equine Surgery and Medicine limited data1 graduates / yr1 institutions - Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical SciencesCIP 01.8199limited data1 graduates / yr1 institutions
Show 2 more CIP codes with no U.S. programs reported+
- Veterinary Anatomy01.8105
- Veterinary Toxicology and Pharmacology01.8111
No institution reported completions for these codes in the latest IPEDS year, so they have no page.
See all Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences programs →
Common questions
What degrees are offered in this program?+
The program offers a Master's degree and a Postbaccalaureate certificate.
What skills will I develop?+
You will develop skills in active listening, critical thinking, science, and effective communication.
What is the job outlook for veterinarians?+
The job outlook for veterinarians is much faster than average, with a growth rate of 9.6%.
How many colleges offer this program in the U.S.?+
Currently, there is one college offering this program in the U.S.
What is the CIP code for Small/Companion Animal Surgery and Medicine?+
Small/Companion Animal Surgery and Medicine is CIP 01.8104 in the NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020), a 6-digit specialization within Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences (CIP 01.81). NCES defines it as: A program that focuses on the scientific study of the internal medicine and invasive and noninvasive treatment of companion and household animals. Includes instruction in avian medicine, pet care, companion animal medicine, pathophysiology, small animal diseases, small animal anesthesiology and surgical procedures, preoperative and postoperative care, and specific medical specialties such as dentistry, ophthalmology, oncology, obstetrics/theriogenology, and orthopedics.
How many institutions offer Small/Companion Animal Surgery and Medicine programs?+
1 U.S. institutions reported Small/Companion Animal Surgery and Medicine graduates in IPEDS 2024–25, across 1 states, awarding 11 credentials in the year. That is 1.1% of all Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences graduates.
How much do Small/Companion Animal Surgery and Medicine graduates earn?+
Earnings are not published at the 6-digit CIP level by any federal source. The Veterinarians occupation, which Small/Companion Animal Surgery and Medicine most directly leads to, pays a median of $130,100 a year nationally (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
Program definitions are from the NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020). Skills, knowledge, abilities, work activities, tools, and job zones are from the O*NET database by the U.S. Department of Labor, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Explore every U.S. college in one conversation
Clema turns plain-language questions into sourced answers across every U.S. institution — earnings, aid, acceptance, graduation, safety, and athletics from IPEDS, College Scorecard, and 10+ federal datasets, built in.
Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card