Animal nutrition course that will still allow me to buy food?

March 28, 2011 7:34 AM

How can I take a course in animal nutrition in St. Louis?

Does anyone on Metafilter know of any college in or near St. Louis that offers a summer course in animal nutrition? The course is required or recommended for application to a few veterinary schools, and I'd like to take it, but it needs to be this summer, and I'll be in St. Louis. I can't find any colleges around here that offer it, although I'll admit I haven't searched the course webpage of every single school around here.

It seems like very few schools actually offer animal nutrition courses, and most pre-vet students have to take it online at one of about four schools. This amounts to a hefty sum of cash--the cheapest I've found is $705 for an online course through OSU. Basically, I'm looking for either a cheaper online course or a cheaper physical course near enough to St. Louis that I can come back every day.

Bonus points if it's through an accredited four-year university--they like that.

posted by hoperaiseshell to education (5 answers total)

It looks like there's an internship you can do through the zoo that might potentially cover this, though of course you'd have to see whether there's a way to take it through, say, Wash. U. (which, if you look at the link, is where this PDF was originally posted, as a Bio 500 course).

There's also a Zoo outreach program listed here, Zoo Nutrition 101, that might be of use, although the scheduling info says you need to have a group of 10 or more to take part in it.
posted by limeonaire at 10:01 AM on March 28, 2011

You might also contact MU Extension and/or University of Illinois Extension to see if they could recommend courses in the area.
posted by limeonaire at 10:04 AM on March 28, 2011

Also, SLU's preveterinary program might be able to give you some recommendations; see the contact info at the bottom of this page.
posted by limeonaire at 10:07 AM on March 28, 2011

I have disheartening news: the internship suggested would not meet the criteria of the veterinary school I'm most familiar with. It requires covering nutritional requirements for both large and small domestic animals, not necessarily exotic species. This is pretty standard at vet schools that require nutrition coursework for entering students.

Most of the courses that will grant sufficient credits at a sufficiently high level will be offered at the agricultural universities/universities with veterinary schools (not all ag schools have veterinary schools, as I'm sure you know). Guelph might offer something--but Guelph will charge international tuition, so...that's double-ouch, from what I've been told by students who've taken other requirements online there.

Most university extension coursework won't cover the requirements, either. Extension facilities and programs are designed for practical agricultural training and management, and they're community-oriented. If you find an extension--as opposed to a satellite campus--course that you think might qualify, you need to clear that specific course with the admissions people at each of the veterinary schools you want to apply to. (You should probably do this for any course that doesn't explicitly state that it at least fills the requirement for animal nutrition at the local/"in-state"* veterinary medical school, actually. No matter where it's offered. I would check even if they're covered by the in-state option anyway.)

I sucked it up and took it online from Purdue. I just couldn't work the on-campus option around my work/class schedule. And yeah...ouch. I know, I sound like a downer. I'm sorry.

*although Missouri has a veterinary school in Columbia, this is in quotes for readers who may not realize that states without a veterinary school have a certain number of contract admission slots at another veterinary school in the country. For example, Virginia 'Tech' is really 'Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine.' Students from Maryland are considered in-state.
posted by Uniformitarianism Now! at 1:21 PM on March 28, 2011

Thanks for the answers guys! And yeah, I was pretty sure I'd have to suck it up and take it online; I just wanted to be sure I'd covered all possible bases before I shelled out $700. And you don't sound like a downer, Uniformitarianism. You were very helpful.
posted by hoperaiseshell at 7:02 PM on March 28, 2011