Bachelor of Science Degree

Preveterinary Medicine

Preveterinary medicine is not really a major, but rather is a collection of prerequisites for admission to Purdue's vet school.  Students may enter the College of Agriculture in this category, but later must pick a major to pursue.  Students pursuing a wide variety of curricula may apply and be admitted to vet school.

The preveterinary medicine curriculum includes courses that are required for admission to the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree program offered by Purdue School of Veterinary Medicine. This program of study, coordinated by the College of Agriculture Office of Academic Programs, emphasizes the biological and physical sciences that are foundations for successful study of veterinary medicine. Also, the curriculum includes courses in communication and the social sciences.  Click here for a complete list of courses required for admission to Purdue's vet school.

Plan of Study (possible layout of course prerequisites for admission to vet school, but not coursework for a major)

Credit Hours Required

The Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at Purdue

To learn about the D.V.M. degree at Purdue including four-year plans of study, the statistical profile of the most recent entering class, frequently asked questions, etc., go to the vet school website.

Admission Criteria

In addition to courses, students must document animal experience, activities, work/volunteer hours, etc. Click here to read what the vet school considers when choosing students.

As you prepare for application to Purdue's vet school, we want you to consider the following information.

Please consult the list of required courses for admission into Purdue's School of Veterinary Medicine (see below).

•  Don't necessarily settle for the minimum .   The list below indicates minimum criteria for consideration.  Vet schools are looking for outstanding students.  If you choose to do the minimum, it may impact your competitiveness in the selection process.

•  Choose a major that matches your interests and skills.  While striving for admission to vet school, choose to study something that leads you in a direction you wish to pursue.  You will work toward a Bachelor's degree, an important path in case you decide not to apply or you are not admitted to vet school.

•  Follow your undergraduate program of study regardless of minimums indicated.   This means that, if your major requires two semesters of calculus, you should take two semesters of calculus.

•  Consider the rigor of the program.  If you choose to take courses elsewhere (either in summer or for one or more years prior to transfer to Purdue), make sure that it doesn't look like you are trying to avoid rigorous science and math courses at Purdue.

•  Obtain a transcript for each institution.  Whether one or many courses, you will need to document all courses taken elsewhere with an original transcript when applying to the vet school.

•  Understand that all courses count in the overall GPA. The vet school factors all courses into an overall GPA.  If you take courses elsewhere or retake courses at Purdue, all grades comprise this figure.

•  Plan to take a full load of 15-18 hours.  Purdue's vet school admissions personnel want to see that you, as an undergraduate, handled intensive credit loads so that they can presume that you, as a vet school student, will manage credit loads (18plus) of even more rigorous coursework.

•  Work with your undergraduate advisor.  Your advisor will not only know a lot about coursework here and elsewhere, but probably has a history of steering students in appropriate directions.  This person can be a valuable resource!

•  Take a good look at the vet school website.  You'll find a lot of very useful information at this URL http://www.vet.purdue.edu/admissions/college.html

including frequently asked questions, evaluation criteria for admission, DVM plan of study and statistical profile of the most recent entering class.

Comparing Veterinary Schools

If you wish to compare various veterinary medicine schools, the following resource may prove useful.  Veterinary Medical School Admission Requirements (VMSAR) lists all 28 United States vet schools and provides a lot of basic information.  New additions are released annually, in May or June.

Available through Purdue University Press

www.thepress.purdue.edu

Vet Scholars

Exceptionally strong high school students may apply to participate in the Vet Scholars program. 6 or 7 students are selected each year based upon SAT/ACT scores and high school rank. These Vet Scholars are guaranteed slots in the vet school upon graduation from one of three Purdue majors if they have adhered to program guidelines. Click here to read about program requirements.

Applying to Vet School

Students may apply for Purdue's vet school before completing an undergraduate degree.  They must finish the pre-requisite courses and document other required experiences.  Some students admitted to vet school after three years simply bypass the Bachelor's degree.

3+ 1 Degree Program

It is possible to earn a Bachelor of Science degree with an Animal Science or Interdisciplinary Agriculture major and the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) degree in seven years.* This combined 3+1 program includes three years of pre-professional courses in the College of Agriculture and four years in the D.V.M. program. The Bachelor of Science degree is awarded when the student has successfully completed all first-year curricular requirements at an accredited school of veterinary medicine. To qualify for the Bachelor of Science degree under the 3+1 program, at least 100 pre-professional credits must be earned and specified course requirements must be fulfilled in either the Animal Science or Interdisciplinary Agriculture major. Contact an academic advisor in these programs for specific requirements.

* Although it is possible to enter after three years, the number of students entering vet school early under this program is relatively small.  The majority of students enter vet school after completing four years of undergraduate study.

Residency

Attending school full time at Purdue does not establish you as an Indiana resident. Thus, out-of-state students attending Purdue and applying to Purdue's vet school will still be considered in the out-of-state candidate pool. To learn about establishing residency, contact Admissions at 765.494.1776 or click here.

Advisor Contact Information (pre-veterinary medicine)

Tim Kerr

(765) 494-8470

kerrtp@purdue.edu

Purdue Agriculture Academic Programs
1140 Ag Admin Building, Room 7
West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-1140

Phone: (765) 494-8481
Fax: (765) 494-8469
E-mail: goecker@purdue.edu