Pre-Veterinarian

Veterinarians care for the health of pets, livestock, and animals in zoos, racetracks, and laboratories. Some specialize in small animals like cats, dogs, birds, and fish, while others specialize in large animals like horses, cows, pigs and sheep. Veterinarians also advise owners about animal feeding, behavior, breeding, and issues like fleas and ticks.

Major Selection

As an undergraduate student, you may choose any major in preparation for applying to veterinary schools. There is not a specific preference on a particular major, so you are encouraged to choose a major based on your own personal interests and strengths. What’s important is that you have completed the prerequisite courses required by the institution you are applying to.

Prerequisite Courses

Requirements may vary from school to school, so you will want to research different program requirements. In general, most veterinary schools will expect applicants to have completed the following types of courses:

Course Course Title Required or Recommended
CHEMISTRY
CHEM 150 General Chemistry I Required
CHEM 150L General Chemistry I Lab Required
CHEM 210 General Chemistry II Required
CHEM 210L General Chemistry II Lab Required
CHEM 350 Organic Chemistry I Required
CHEM 355 Organic Chemistry I Lab Required
CHEM 360 Organic Chemistry II Required
CHEM 365 Organic Chemistry II Lab Required
CHEM 400 Biochemistry I Required
CHEM 405 Biochemistry I Lab Required
CHEM 410 Biochemistry II Recommended
BIOLOGY
BIOL 111 Cell Biology Required
BIOL 111L Cell Biology Lab Required
BIOL 115 Organismal Biology Required
BIOL 115L Organismal Biology Lab Required
BIOL 323 Human Anatomy Recommended
BIOL 323L Human Anatomy Lab Recommended
BIOL 341 Genetics Recommended
BIOL 341L Genetics Lab Recommended
BIOL 349 Human Physiology Required
BIOL 349L Human Physiology Lab Required
BIOL 350 Microbiology Recommended
BIOL 350L Microbiology Lab Recommended
ENGLISH
ENGL 6 credits Required
MATH
MATH 261 Calculus I Required
BIOL 275, MATH 234, PSY 230L Statistics Required
PHYSICS
PHYS 160/L or PHYS 200/L College/General Physics I & Lab or Physics I with Calculus & Lab Required
PHYS 161/L or PHYS 201/L College/General Physics II & Lab or Physics II with Calculus & Lab Required
OTHER
BIOL 322 Vertebrate Zoology Required
BIOL 322L Vertebrate Zoology Lab Required

*Other courses may be required/recommended by specific programs. You are responsible for knowing the requirements for each individual program. Policies on AP, IB and community college credits vary by institution.

Complete listing of veterinary programs and their admission requirements.

Admissions Test

GRE: Graduate Record Examination

The GRE is compromised of the following sections:

  • Verbal Reasoning
  • Quantitative Reasoning
  • Analytical Writing

Test deadlines for accredited veterinarian schools.

Resources