Navigating the Path: Undergraduate Degree Requirements for Aspiring Veterinarians

Introduction

A career in veterinary medicine is a fulfilling path for individuals passionate about animal care and health. While there's no single "best" undergraduate major for aspiring veterinarians, understanding the requirements and strategically planning your education is crucial. This article outlines the key undergraduate degree requirements for veterinary school, providing a roadmap for prospective students.

Academic Preparation & Prerequisites

The Importance of Prerequisites

Veterinary schools prioritize applicants who have a strong foundation in science. Therefore, completing specific prerequisite courses is essential for admission. These courses demonstrate your ability to handle the rigorous scientific curriculum of a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program.

Flexibility in Major Choice

Notably, there isn't a specific undergraduate program or major that is required or preferred for admission into a DVM program. You can select majors and schools based on your interests and aptitude, as long as the necessary prerequisites are fulfilled. It's also possible to complete prerequisites after earning a bachelor's degree.

Strategic Course Selection

While you have the freedom to choose a major you're passionate about, ensure that you work closely with an academic advisor to select courses that will also prepare you for veterinary school. This involves incorporating the necessary prerequisite coursework into your degree plan.

Common Prerequisite Subjects

While the specific course requirements may vary slightly between veterinary schools, core subject areas are generally required. These typically include coursework in:

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Biology
General Chemistry
Organic Chemistry
Biochemistry
Physics
Mathematics (Statistics/Calculus)
Behavioral Science
Humanities
English Composition, Writing or Public Speaking or Communications

Specific Course Requirements and Guidelines

To ensure your coursework meets the requirements, pay close attention to specific guidelines. For example, some institutions may have specific requirements for:

Biochemistry: The equivalent course must be considered upper division, require organic chemistry as a prerequisite (either one semester or two), have a title that indicates it is primarily a biochemistry course, and be the equivalent of 3 semester credits or more.
Cell Biology: The equivalent course must have a title that indicates it is primarily a cell biology course and be the equivalent of 3 semester credits or more. It must cover the following topics: organelles, organelle function, cell signaling, cell energy use, cell division, cell adaptation, cell mutation and environmental response, membrane structures and transport. Note that introductory/general biology courses that include a segment on cell biology nor microbiology courses will meet the requirements for this course.
Genetics: The equivalent course must have a title that indicates it is primarily a genetics course, and it must be the equivalent of 3 semester credits or more.
Physics: The equivalent course must have a title that indicates it is primarily a physics course, have a laboratory component, and be the equivalent of 4 semester credits or more including the lab. Only one physics course with lab is required.
Statistics: The equivalent course must have a title that indicates it is primarily a statistics course and it must be the equivalent of 3 semester credits.
Systems Physiology: The equivalent course must have a title that indicates it is primarily a physiology course covering normal physiologic function of animals or humans, and it must be the equivalent of 3 semester credits or more. Physiology can be awarded for a single general human physiology or animal physiology course that is comprehensive and includes the following body systems: cardiovascular, digestive, endocrine, musculoskeletal, neurological, renal, reproductive, and respiratory. Your institution may require that you take two general physiology courses to cover all systems. Alternatively, you may take a two-part, combined anatomy and physiology series (two quarters/semesters; must complete both courses to fulfill the requirement. Lab is not required).
English Composition: Completion of a four-year degree (i.e. a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts) will fulfill the English composition requirement. No course evaluation request form is required for this substitution. English Literature does not qualify.

Grade Requirements

All prerequisite courses typically need a grade of C or higher to be accepted (a C- is generally not accepted). Some universities require all prerequisite courses to be completed with a letter grade.

AP Courses and Online Courses

AP courses may be used to fulfill prerequisites if your undergraduate institution lists the AP course by name on its transcript, indicating the number of credits granted. Online courses are generally accepted if they are taken for credit with a grade and appear as completed on an official transcript.

Timing of Prerequisites

While candidates may apply before completing all required courses, it's crucial to have a plan for completing them. Provisional admission might be possible. Some universities allow students to apply after 75% of the prerequisites have been completed. However, all prerequisite courses must be completed with a letter grade of “C” or above by the end of the spring semester prior to the start of veterinary school in August.

Upper-Division Coursework

Note that some universities require all upper-division prerequisite courses (Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology with lab) to be completed at a four-year degree-granting institution.

Holistic Review

Veterinary schools often employ a holistic approach in reviewing applications, considering various factors beyond academic performance.

Strengthening Your Application

Completing upper-division "biomedical science" courses - beyond the specifically required credits in biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, and systems physiology - is essential to strengthening an application. This demonstrates a strong foundation and can be an indicator of success in veterinary school. "Biomedical science" indicates a general type of foundational science course and does not indicate a specific departmental or college prefix. Includes: Junior-level undergraduate courses or higher-level courses in anatomy, cancer biology, developmental biology, endocrinology, epidemiology, histology, immunology, infectious disease, metabolism, microbiology, molecular biology, necropsy, neurology/neuroscience, nutrition, organ physiology, parasitology, pathology, pharmacology, toxicology, virology.

Does not include: Courses in animal disease prevention/management, behavior, biometry, communication, conservation biology, dairy/beef systems, ecology, equine/livestock management, equine science, evolution, herpetology, human-animal interactions, ichthyology, insemination, lab animal science, mammalogy, oceanography, ornithology, poultry science, small animal science, swine science, vet laboratory principles, welfare, and zoology.

Choosing a Major

Science-Related Majors

Many students interested in veterinary medicine choose majors related to animals or science. Common options include:

Animal Science: An animal science degree teaches all branches of science as they relate to domestic animals.
Zoology: Like animal science majors, zoology students study domesticated animals. However, they also gain experience with wild animals.
Wildlife Biology
Biology
Chemistry
Biochemistry
General Agriculture: For future vets hoping to work in farming, an undergraduate degree in general agriculture can provide insight into the world of livestock management.

Non-Science Majors

You are not limited to science majors. You can choose to major in any subject you like, as long as you complete the required prerequisites for veterinary school. If you're not majoring in a science-related field, you may be able to incorporate prerequisite coursework by adding a pre-health or science minor to supplement your major.

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Gaining Relevant Experience

Veterinary and Animal Experience

A minimum number of hours of veterinary experience are often required for admission. The Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS) explains the difference between veterinary experience and animal experience on their VMCAS Helpdesk page in the Experiences Section. Please note that online "experience" will not count toward veterinary or animal experience hours.

Types of Experience

You can gain experience with animals by:

Volunteering at an animal shelter
Interning at a veterinarian's office
Working at a farm or zoo
Working with/shadowing veterinarians in private practice, farms, ranches, animal shelters, zoos, aquaria, etc.

The Importance of "Hands-On" Experience

The admissions committee will be looking for quality “hands-on” experience in the veterinary field. You are expected to have a realistic and appropriate perspective of the responsibilities of the veterinary profession.

Other Avenues for Experience

You can also bolster your experience by joining student clubs and seeking out mentorship opportunities from a faculty member in a related discipline.

Letters of Recommendation

Requirements

Applicants must submit letters of recommendation as part of their application. At least one eLOR must be from a veterinarian.

Choosing Your Recommenders

Ensure the people you choose to write your letters of recommendation really know who you are, and share your educational and career goals with them. Ask them well in advance so they have time to prepare a genuine recommendation. It is highly recommended that two recommendations (2) are submitted by veterinarians or PhD scientists with whom the applicant has worked in a veterinary or research setting. The letters must describe the nature of the work relationship. The third letter can be from an academic advisor, employment supervisor or other evaluator of the applicant’s choosing who has some working knowledge of the applicant. Evaluations should support experiences listed and validate maturity, commitment and work ethic with specific examples. The admissions committee may contact references directly if further information or clarification is required.

The Application Process

VMCAS Application

All applicants must complete the VMCAS application. Once VMCAS receives all your required documentation, VMCAS will then place your application in the verification queue. It can take up to four weeks for us to complete your verification.

Additional Application Requirements

In addition to submitting a verified and complete application, applicants must meet all minimum admission standards.

Multiple Mini Interview (MMI)

Interviews will be conducted using the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) technique. The MMI is a series of short, structured interviews used to assess personal traits/qualities. Each mini interview provides a candidate with a few minutes to read a question/scenario and mentally prepare before entering the virtual interview room. Upon entering, the candidate has several minutes of dialogue with one interviewer/assessor/rater (or, in some cases, a third party as the interviewer/assessor observes).

The MMI does not test knowledge of veterinary medicine, but rather personal attributes such as communication skills and ability to work as part of a team, ethical and critical decision-making abilities, and behaviors important to being a veterinarian such as empathy, honesty, and reliability.

MMI's are mandatory for consideration of admission and cannot be conducted remotely.

Additional Considerations

International Applicants

International applicants have additional requirements, including:

Having a four-year bachelor's degree.
Completing an educational equivalency assessment certification program through the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG).
Submitting proof of English proficiency.
Having all international academic transcripts evaluated by a credential evaluation service.

GPA Requirements

A minimum grade point average is required for admission. Two GPAs are used to calculate an application's initial ranking: Overall science GPA (includes all science courses as deemed by VMCAS) and Most recent 45 semester/68 quarter units GPA (includes any graded courses taken within these parameters including but not limited to undergraduate, graduate, or prerequisite courses).

Veterinary Experience Hours

A minimum number of veterinary experience hours are required by the application deadline to have your application considered for admission. The committee will be looking for quality “hands-on” experience in the veterinary field.

Personal Statement

The admissions committee will give consideration to all prompts in the VMCAS personal statement. The admissions committee also requires essay responses to questions on the NC State supplemental application.

Technical Standards

Students enrolled in Veterinary Medical Education are expected to be able to perform a variety of physical, cognitive and emotional intelligence skills.

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