DVM Application & Requirements

Lab Student

General Requirements

This page includes information on all admissions requirements for the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, including:

Important Application Notes

Course Requirements

Required courses

Required courses (in semester hours) must be completed by the end of spring term with a grade of C (2.00) or better prior to fall matriculation.

  • 6 hours of English;
  • 14 hours of humanities or social studies;
  • 8 hours of inorganic chemistry (full year with laboratory);
  • 8 hours of organic chemistry (full year with laboratory);
  • 8 hours of physics (full year with laboratory);
  • 3 hours of biochemistry;
  • 8 hours of general biology (for science majors; full year with laboratory — please note that BIOL 1103 and BIOL 1104 taken at UGA will NOT count toward our general biology requirement);
  • 8 hours of advanced biology courses (recommended: comparative anatomy, microbiology, cell biology, genetics).

Online Courses

In general, meeting science requirements for admission to a college of veterinary medicine requires rigorous coursework supplemented with hands-on laboratory experiences and proctored examinations. Hence, prerequisite requirements cannot usually be met by online courses, and laboratory requirements cannot be met via online experiences.

On occasion a prospective applicant may request that an online course from an accredited university be considered for credit toward a requirement for admission. In this case, the applicant should provide detailed published information and course materials to the Admissions Counselor which includes a course description, course syllabus, description of examination procedures, and contact information for the course instructor(s). Additional information may be required by the Admissions Counselor before conveying a written decision to the prospective applicant.

It is important to realize that online courses change from year to year and that there is no guarantee that any online course will be approved. Thus it is advised that approval be sought prior to taking an online course intended to meet a prerequisite requirement.

Your request must be received by September 15.

AP Credit Policy

AP credits must appear on official college transcripts and be equivalent to the appropriate college-level coursework.

Test Requirements

  • Take the Graduate Record Exam with the Analytical Writing portion. The Analytical Writing test will be required.
  • Tests must be taken in time for the official results to be received (not postmarked) by the College by October 2 of the year you apply.
    Have the ETS (Educational Testing Service) send your GRE scores directly to the College of Veterinary Medicine (institutional code 5752).
  • The University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine no longer requires applicants to take the GRE Biology Subject Test.
  • Applicants who have previously applied must have their scores resubmitted each application cycle to the College by the Educational Testing Service (ETS).
  • GRE scores are only valid for 5 years.
  • If you take the GRE more than once, the highest scores you achieved will be considered.

GRE website (www.ets.org/gre)

Minimum Requirement to be Considered for Admission

In order to be considered for admission, you must have either a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or greater, or a combined score on the verbal and quantitative portions of the GRE of 308 or greater (or, 1200 or greater on the old GRE scale). Applicants must meet one or the other of these two criteria to be considered; it is not required to meet both.

Transcripts

Transcripts are to be submitted directly to VMCAS. Sending transcripts to UGA CVM will void said transcript and the applicant will be responsible for resubmitting to the proper location. The deadline for submission is September 1, 2013, in order to allow time for verification. Applicants are required to submit official transcripts from every institution of higher education attended by the applicant (including transient courses and joint enrollment courses taken during high school, even if the courses are listed as transfer credits on another transcript).

Failure to submit transcripts from each institution you have attended will result in an incomplete application that cannot be considered for admission.

Letters of Recommendations

Three VMCAS electronic letters of recommendation are required with your application. The completed letters of recommendation must be submitted electronically to VMCAS by 1 p.m., EDT, on October 2.

  • At least one electronic letter of recommendation should be completed by a veterinarian you have been employed by or for whom you have done volunteer work.
  • The other electronic letters of recommendation should be completed by people who can evaluate your background fairly and judge your potential for entering the veterinary profession.

250 Hours of Veterinary Experience

A minimum of 250 veterinary experience hours is required for all applicants. The 250 hours must be completed at the time the VMCAS application is submitted. To count toward veterinary experience, you must be under the direct supervision of a veterinarian. If you are not under the supervision of a veterinarian, the experience is considered animal experience.