As a vet you will be responsible for the prevention of disease and for the medical and surgical treatment of animals including household pets, zoo animals, farm animals and horses.

Programme structure

The BVMS programme is based on integration of clinical and science subject areas and has a spiral course structure meaning that you will revisit topics as you progress through the programme, each time with increasing clinical focus. In conjunction, there is a vertical theme of professional and clinical skills development to help you acquire the personal qualities and skills you will need in professional environments.

The programme is delivered over five years and is divided into three phases.

Foundation phase (years 1 and 2)

In the first two years of the programme you will acquire fundamental knowledge and develop the skills and attitudes on which the following years of your training are based. During this initial phase, you will relate the anatomy and physiology of the body systems to health and disease in domestic animals, as well as looking at the underlying cellular process involved. You will gain an insight into common husbandry practice and animal breeding and how these impact on the animals we care for. Your professional training starts at the beginning of year 1 as you begin classes in fundamental animal-handling techniques, learn skills such as suturing, and develop your communication skills, culminating in the art of history taking and clinical examination.

At the end of the foundation phase you will have a sound working knowledge of healthy domestic animals, with an introduction to the mechanisms of disease, and you will have developed the fundamental personal skills you will require as you move towards learning based more in professional environments.

Clinical phase (years 3 and 4)

The aim of the clinical phase is to build on the foundation phase to provide a broad training in key areas of veterinary professional practice, with a focus on common and important problems and presentations encountered in veterinary work. Realistic scenarios and cases form the basis for integrating clinical and scientific perspectives of veterinary practice. The approach will emphasise the role of clinical reasoning and planning, as well as continuing to develop skills and attitudes required to work in the clinical environment and to take a greater responsibility for your learning in the subsequent professional phase of the programme.

At the end of the clinical phase you will be prepared for entering the professional phase, where your professional development will be supported in professional and clinical environments in the final part of your development to being a veterinary professional.

Professional phase (year 5)

In your final year there are no lectures and the primary emphasis is on small group involvement in clinical activity, covering the common species of domestic animals. During this time you will be involved in all aspects of work in our busy hospitals and you will also gain first-hand experience in practices linked to the veterinary school. Though this year of the programme is structured so that you will receive clinical experience in core clinical areas, there is also the opportunity to focus on personal interests or explore the breadth of opportunities in the veterinary profession by choosing two ‘selective’ experiences. Selectives may be used to gain experience in niche veterinary activities (such as aquaculture) or to gain in-depth clinical experience related to core subjects.

Special features

Our international links

Career prospects

Accreditation

Academic entry requirements
for entry in 2014

BVMS

Highers: Applicants are not considered for entry to Veterinary Medicine from S5. Applicants are required to achieve AAAAB by the end of S5, including Chemistry (at Grade A) and Biology, and either Mathematics or Physics. (Applicants must have English at either SG  Grade 2 or an Intermediate 2.) Applicants who have achieved the S5 requirement will be required to achieve a minimum of two Advanced Highers (including Chemistry and Biology) in S6 at Grades A or B.

A-Levels: A*AA including Chemistry and Biology and a third subject which is preferably a science subject. Art, Drama, General Studies, Home Economics, Music or PE are not accepted as third subjects. English GCSE at Grade A or B is required.

IB: 38 points including Chemistry HL 6 and Biology HL 6, and either Mathematics or Physics at SL 5. A minimum of 6 points in English at SL is also required.

Applying

All applications must be received by UCAS by 15 October. If applying to the BVMS programme you must limit your choice to four veterinary schools only. If you apply to more than four veterinary schools, your application will not be forwarded to institutions by UCAS.

The University is unable to offer applicants deferred entry.

Interviews

Candidates seriously considered for admission to the BVMS will normally be interviewed before a final decision is reached. Members of the Admissions Committee carry out these interviews between December and February each year.

English language requirements

For applicants whose first language is not English, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level.

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic module (not General Training):

• overall score 6.5
• no sub-test less than 6.0
• or equivalent scores in another recognised qualification (see below)
   

Common equivalent English language qualifications:

• ibTOEFL: 92; no sub-test less than 20
• CAE (Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English): B minimum
• CPE (Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English): C minimum
• PTE Academic (Person Test of English, Academic test): 60; no sub-test less than 59

Pre-sessional courses
The University of Glasgow accepts evidence of the required language level from the Language Centre Pre-sessional courses. We also consider other BALEAP accredited pre-sessional courses:

• Language Centre, University of Glasgow
• BALEAP guide to accredited courses 

FAQs

Visa requirements and proof of English language level

It is a visa requirement to provide information on your level of English based on an internationally recognised and secure English language test. All test reports must be no more than 2 years old. A list of these can be found on the UK Border Agency website. If you have never taken one of these tests before, you can get an initial idea of your level by using the Common European Framework self-assessment grid which gives you a level for each skill (e.g. listening B1/writing B2 etc.) However, please note that this is not a secure English language test and it is not sufficient evidence of your level of English for visa requirements.

For further information about English language, please contact the Language Centre.

Tuition fees

How and when you pay tuition fees depends on where you’re from: see Tuition fees for details. If you’re from outside the EU, please see International students for more information.

Scholarships

We offer a wide range of scholarships to our undergraduates, including both home/EU and international students. The University is committed to supporting students and rewarding academic excellence. That’s why we’ve invested more than £1m in additional scholarship funding over the last year.
 
For a full list of scholarships including eligibility criteria and how to apply, please see:

• Scholarships