Department of Veterinary Science and Microbiology
Instructional and Student Resource Center

Veterinary Science Major

The undergraduate program in Veterinary Science is a cutting-edge life sciences major with an applied focus in the health and welfare of animals and humans. While the major coursework is geared towards animal welfare and animal health, it's broad foundation in biology, chemistry, physics, biochemistry, genetics, microbiology, and other fields, prepare it's graduates for veterinary, medical and graduate schools, and for a wide variety of careers. Examples are research, medical or veterinary assistants and technicians, counseling and consulting, teaching and instruction, product development, food, environmental or occupational safety, management and sales, etc.

Please contact the department at (520) 621-6903 or evm@u.arizona.edu to learn more about its program in veterinary science, employment opportunities and pre-vet track!

THE MAJOR

The Bachelor of Science degree in Veterinary Science is offered through the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. There are no absolute prerequisites for admission to this degree program, although high school biology, chemistry, and algebra (11/2 years) are recommended. This degree will prepare you to apply to Veterinary Medical School, which is an additional 4 years of schooling. If Vet School is not your final destination, our program will also prepare you for one of the many careers of working with animals or in the animal industry.

Student Resource Center

• The Student Resource Center in Room 202 in Vet Sci/Microbiology provides
• Curriculum advising and course information
• Information regarding undergraduate programs
• Help with University and College procedures
• Peer advising
• Space for small group meetings
• Computers for use by majors
• Library of relevant and supplementary textbooks
• Old exams for review
• Information regarding careers, jobs, and graduate train

Fast Facts About Veterinary School

Pre-Veterinary School Course Requirements

1. No particular major needs to be followed; in fact, it is possible to get accepted into veterinary medical colleges without completing a Bachelor's Degree.
2. Each veterinary medical college has their own pre-admission requirements that must be completed prior to your acceptance. The best plan is to decide which schools you are going to apply to and check their pre-requirements. Then, you can design your schedule to meet those requirements.
3. In general, students work toward degrees in Veterinary Science, Animal Science, Biochemistry, Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Microbiology, Biological Sciences, and the like. In doing this, students have alternative areas in which to have careers, as not all will get into vet school.
4. Extracurricular work such as working with a veterinarian, in a veterinary hospital, or with animals in others areas will give you a definite advantage on your application for vet school.
5. You will also have to take the GRE, Graduate Record Exam, prior to applying to vet school. Some schools require the VCAT, which is a veterinary aptitude test.

Selection Criteria for Veterinary Medical College

The main selection criteria and their approximate weight are

1. Grades 30-40%
2. Test Scores 10-30%
3. Interview 20%
4. Animal/veterinary experience 15%
5. Personal development and Letters of recommendation 10%
6. Application evaluation 8%
7. Academic Index (based on Entire academic record) 8%

WICHE

WICHE stands for the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education.

• It was formed in the 1950's as a non-profit organization made up of the 13 western states, including Hawaii and Alaska, to increase the availability of higher educational opportunities for residents of those states.
• It allows students that are accepted into the program to attend participating out-of-state schools for in-state tuition.
• For example, Arizona residents that are accepted into the WICHE program can attend one of the veterinary medical schools listed below for the in-state tuition of the respective state. WICHE pays the difference between the in-state tuition and the actual cost of the education.

Students should apply for certification of eligibility between March 15 and October 15 of the year before they plan to begin their professional training. Applications may be obtained in the Student Resource Center, or by writing to:

WICHE-Professional Student Exchange Program, Arizona Board of Regents, 2020 N. Central, suite 230, Phoenix, AZ 85004, Phone: (602) 229-2563

Students will receive notification regarding their certification as an eligible Arizona candidate after action of their applications in November. These students are then eligible for financial support, based on the amount of funds appropriated by the Legislature. Usually by late spring, all students are notified of their funded or non-funded status based on academic rankings.

In order to qualify for WICHE, you must meet the following criteria:

1. Be a resident of Arizona for 5 or more years
2. Be accepted into one of the WICHE schools
3. Upon completion of a DVM, you must return to Arizona and provide 4 years (or 2 years in under served regions) of professional service or reimburse the state half of the money (plus interest) it provided for your education

WICHE Veterinary Medical Colleges:

* Colorado State University, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biological Sciences, Fort Collins, CO
* Washington State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Pullman, WA
* Oregon State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Corvallis, OR
* The University of California, School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, CA