Veterinary medicine programs generally expect students to have completed an undergraduate degree, and may specifically require a Bachelor of Science. Students must take introductory courses in chemistry, biology, physics, mathematics and animal science.
Consult our Pre-Veterinary Curriculum, a general guide to undergraduate preparation for pre-veterinary students.
*It is the responsibility of the student to check in with the various program applications for exact required coursework*
Typically accepted students complete their degree with a GPA of 3.2 (overall and in science courses). Use our GPA Calculator Spreadsheet to see where you stand.
For the most up to date information, students are encouraged to review the Veterinary Medical School Admissions Requirements (VMSAR)
Students are also encouraged to begin thinking about their application timeline:
Most Veterinary Programs will not have a minimum requirement for experience. Competitive applicants are encouraged to include a variety of experiences with varying responsibilities on their application. It is highly suggested experiences are under the supervision of veterinarians which gives students the ability to shadow and eventually obtain a letter of recommendation.
This can include experience with large animals, small animals, exotic animals, marine animals, or endangered species.
Research is also a valuable form of experience to develop skills needed for the field of veterinary medicine.
Start here with our Experiences Resources Guide
These FIU organizations may provide resources or networking opportunities for current students:
For an extensive list, please refer to Panther Connect.
Other Networking Opportunities:
Currently, there are only six schools that require the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and one
school that is optional Most schools requiring the GRE expect the exam to be taken within the past 5 years and the official scores be available through the Educational Testing System. Please check with each program to determine their GRE requirements.
It is the responsibility of the student to verify if the GRE test is needed for admissions.
Test Preparation
Pre-veterinary students apply through the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges Application Service (VMCAS). A competitive application includes recommendation letters from faculty members and a veterinarian and experience with both large and small animals.
Students seeking a degree and career in veterinary medicine will find that admission requirements are highly competitive, comparable to those for admission to other pre-health professions. In part, the competitive environment is the result of the small number of programs.
The University of Florida in Gainesville, FL has a veterinary program. Some FIU alumni attend veterinary school at St. George's University, Grenada, which has an articulation agreement with the University of Florida.
Application Resources
