Career Paths for V&I Students

A MA, MSc or PhD degree in vaccinology and immunotherapeutics emphasizes the use of academic knowledge and research as the basis for developing cutting-edge advances in vaccines, immunizations and immunotherapy. The program is thesis-based and provides students with opportunities to learn from leading researchers from world-class facilities such as the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM), the Canadian Light Source (CLS), the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) and the International Vaccine Centre (InterVac).

Graduates with a MSc or PhD in vaccinology and immunotherapeutics undertake a variety of roles which include:

• Studying diseases and developing ways of treating and preventing their occurrence
• Researching and developing vaccine and immunity-enhancing technologies for humans and animals
• Communicating the risks and benefits of immunization and immunotherapy
• Analyzing the ethical and legal issues involved with voluntary and mandatory vaccination
• Understanding how to design effective clinical trials
• Identifying the cost-effectiveness of vaccines and their accessibility
• Developing national and regional vaccination programs for public health purposes
• Managing intellectual property of products delivered into the marketplace
• Monitoring regulatory issues, such as good laboratory practices
• Working with commercial R&D facilities on aspects of production of vaccines

The MA, MSc or PhD degree in vaccinology and immunotherapeutics prepares graduates for careers in the public, not-for-profit and private health sectors, government, academia, and industry.