Veterinary Medicine and Surgery
Entry requirements
A level
including grade A in Chemistry and Biology and grade B in a third subject (excluding General Studies and Critical Thinking) at A level. A pass is required in science practical tests, if assessed separately
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
including grade D3 in Chemistry and Biology
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
including 6 in Biology and Chemistry, and 5 in any third subject at Higher Level.
Scottish Advanced Higher
in Biology and Chemistry. This qualification is acceptable when combined with Scottish Higher grades AABBB, to include Biology and Chemistry.
Scottish Higher
including Biology and Chemistry. This qualification is acceptable when combined with Advanced Higher grades AA in Biology and Chemistry.
Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015)
This qualification is acceptable when combined with A level grades AA in Biology and Chemistry.
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About this course
Choose to start your studies in September or April.
Benefit from dual-accreditation and an exceptional student experience - with the highest overall student satisfaction in the National Student Servey (NSS) for 10 consecutive years.
Our veterinary courses are accredited by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS). We're also one of only two UK veterinary schools that are accredited by the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE).
Your learning will be hands-on from day one. You'll start to develop your clinical skills early on, while also gaining an understanding of key scientific concepts and the latest veterinary developments. There's also a focus on personal and professional skills, to ensure you're fully prepared for your future career.
Uniquely, our course has an integrated BVMedSci. This extra qualification will help enhance your ability for learning and development in veterinary medicine through research.
Most of your learning will take place in our purpose-built veterinary school, where you'll have access to:
- anatomy and clinical labs
- a surgery and dissection suite
- lecture theatre and small-group teaching rooms
- research facilities
- animal facilities such as kennels, stables, exotic pet rooms and sheep and pig housing
You will also use specialist facilities on our Sutton Bonington Campus, including:
- University Farm
- Centre for Dairy Science Innovation (CDSI)
- paperless Super Lab
Additionally, you will a broad experience of animals and veterinary medicine through placements in veterinary surgeries, farms, zoos, and specialist animal centres.
Modules
Theory and practical learning are integrated through body-system based modules. Each covering all the common domestic, wildlife, and exotic species. These modules are covered twice – in year one and two as a veterinary subject, and again in year three and four as a clinical subject.
During your first two years, you will learn the basic science which underpins veterinary medicine. This will include circulatory, respiratory, neuromuscular, endocrine, gastrointestinal and urogenital systems, as well as animal health and welfare. Teaching will be practical to help develop your clinical skills.
You will also develop animal handling skills, and an understanding of animal husbandry, relevant industries, and the role of animals in society.
Professional skills such as teamwork, communication, decision-making and the professional role of the veterinary surgeon will also be covered.
In total you will study eight modules over years one and two.
In your third year there is the opportunity to focus on a research project of your choice. You will further develop your understanding of scientific principles and enhance your skills learnt from years one and two, in preparation for the clinical phase. You will also gain insight into veterinary public health.
You will study a total of four modules in year three.
At the end of year three, you will graduate with a BVMedSci Veterinary Medical Sciences degree.
Year four develops your knowledge of animal production, trauma management and disease processes, as well as focusing on the diagnosis, management, and prevention of disease. You will also gain skills and knowledge of business and entrepreneurship.
You will study a total of nine modules in year three.
The final year consists of a series of rotated placements and clinical teaching with our Clinical Associates. These placements happen in veterinary hospitals or practices, farms, zoos and labs. Teaching and assessment uses observation, discussion, and practical experience. At each placement you will be under the supervision of University academic staff who are placed at, and working within, the Clinical Associate.
You will study a total of four modules in year five and undertake 25 weeks of placements.
Extra Mural Studies (EMS):
A total of 12 weeks of Animal Husbandry Extra Mural Studies (AHEMS) and 26 weeks of Clinical Extra Mural Studies (CEMS) are also undertaken throughout the course. EMS and CEMS follow recommendations defined by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS). EMS exposes you to the practical, ethical, financial, managerial, and interpersonal aspects of professional practice. EMS placements take place during University holidays as well as during timetabled weeks in years one and two. Up to four weeks of AHEMS and 12 weeks of CEMS may be undertaken abroad.
For the most up-to-date module information and full details, please visit the course page on our website.
Tuition fees
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The Uni
University Park Campus
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Veterinary medicine and dentistry
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Veterinary medicine and dentistry
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
Good news for would-be vets! Almost all graduates get jobs as vets on finishing their courses, and salaries are much better than the average for graduates. In fact, we produce the same number of vets every year than we did 10 years ago (a few hundred) and that means there are signs of shortages in the profession as the population increases. Not surprisingly, many jobs are in rural areas, and vets are much less likely than most other graduates to work in large cities.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Veterinary medicine and dentistry
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£32k
£33k
£37k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).
This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
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You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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