General
Do I have to apply to CVM programs in addition to MSU?
Yes. The Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), Doctor of Veterinary Medicine-PhD program (DVM/PhD) and the Veterinary Nursing Program (VNP) all require additional applications. Follow the links below to find the requirements for application.
DVM Admissions: DVM Program | College of Veterinary Medicine at MSU
Vet Nursing Admissions: Admissions | College of Veterinary Medicine at MSU
Will my "MTA-satisfied" transcripts from my community college satisfy MSU requirements?
For the most part, yes. However, you need to be careful when it comes to your math and science courses. If you took math and science courses that helped to satisfy the MTA, but are not the appropriate courses for your chosen program's required courses, you may need to take additional math and science courses. It's always best to check with a College of Veterinary Medicine advisor to assure that what you're taking will satisfy the requirements for the programs.
Can I tour the Veterinary Medical Center?
We do not offer tours to the Veterinary Medical Center, in part to protect biosecurity and patient safety/client privacy.
In-person academic appointments are limited and classroom spaces are not viewable while students are in session. If you want to meet with someone about College of Veterinary Medicine programs, please contact cvm.futurestudents@msu.edu.
What is FERPA?
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that gives students who enter a post-secondary institution the right to have access to their education records, the right to seek to have the records amended, and the right to have some control over the disclosure of personally-identifiable information from their education records.
This means staff and faculty of the College cannot directly discuss anything relating to the student without their presence. Learn more here: Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) | Office of Accreditation, Assessment, Curriculum, and Compliance | Michigan State University
What if I don’t know if I want to become a Vet Nurse or a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine?
The best way to determine which career pathway to follow is to shadow at a local veterinary hospital. Watch how each role interacts with the animal, each other, the veterinary team and the client. Ask the veterinarian why they chose the career path they did; same with the vet nurse.
Contact your local veterinary hospitals to ask if there are shadowing or job opportunities available. If a veterinary professional (doctor or credentialed veterinary technician) is present, then it will count for veterinary-related experience on your application.
Learn more here: Taking the Next Step | College of Veterinary Medicine at MSU
Pre-Vet and Building Your DVM Application
What major(s) do veterinary schools prefer when being considered for admission?
There is no preference based on the major an applicant has selected when being considered for admission to veterinary school.
Is there an advantage to attending MSU to complete my pre-requisites when applying to MSU's veterinary school?
There is no advantage to attending MSU to complete the pre-requisite requirements for admission to veterinary school. When being considered for admission, there is no preference based on the college an applicant has attended.
I plan on attending a community college for two years, then transferring to MSU complete the remaining admission requirements for veterinary school. How do I know what courses will transfer to MSU?
The best website to determine transferability of courses to MSU is transfer.msu.edu.
Are vet school admission requirements the same as the requirements to earn a bachelor's degree from MSU?
Vet school admission requirements are NOT the same as the requirements to earn a bachelor's degree from MSU. They are similar but NOT the same.
If I complete the requirements for admission to the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine, and then decide to earn a bachelor's degree from MSU, will all the courses I took at the school I attended transfer and meet the requirements for a bachelor's degree?
Courses taken at another school may meet the requirements to earn a bachelor's degree at MSU. However, additional courses may be required. Visit transfer.msu.edu to determine transferability of courses.
There is also a limit to how many credits you can transfer from a different institution. You are only allowed 60 transferred credits from a community college.
What is the difference between vet school admission requirements and transfer credits?
Vet school admission requirements are related to the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine. These courses do not need to transfer to MSU; they only need to meet the requirements for admissions to the College.
Transfer credits are courses which will transfer into an MSU undergraduate degree program.
Do I have to be a pre-vet major in order to apply to vet school? Does being a pre-vet major increase my chances of being admitted to vet school?
No, you do not need to be a pre-vet major to apply to veterinary school. There is no preference when being considered for admission based on the major an applicant has chosen. Being a pre-vet major does not increase your chances of being admitted to vet school.
Do I have to earn a bachelor’s degree to apply and be admitted to veterinary school
A bachelor degree is not required to apply to the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine.
What colleges have the highest rate of acceptance to the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine?
The College does not track which institutions have the highest acceptance rate.
What if I repeat a required science course? Will MSU average the two grades earned, or do they use the highest grade earned when a pre-requisite science course is repeated?
When an applicant repeats a required science course, only the highest grade earned will be used in the pre-requisite science grade point calculation for the veterinary school application.
How do I record my veterinary-related experiences?
You can keep a digital or physical journal of your experiences. Log the location, number of hours, and what you learned during the experience. Do this every time you gain veterinary experience. If you are job shadowing daily, record your daily hours and learning.
How many hours of veterinary related experience do I need?
The MSU College of Veterinary Medicine recommends 150 hours of veterinary-related experience.
What is the difference between animal-related experience and veterinary-related experience?
Animal-related experience is any activity pertaining to work and care for animals — it does not include owning an animal that resides in home, such as a pet. Experiences may include, but are not limited to: showing cattle, pigs, and horses; training or showing dogs; working on a dairy or horse farm; etc.
Veterinary-related experience is any related activity done under the supervision of a veterinarian. This experience may take place in any veterinary setting: private practice, specialty practice, research, etc.
What GPAs are considered when applying for admission to the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine?
The College will calculate two GPAs: the pre-requisite science, and the most recent three semesters. Both must be a 3.0 to have your application reviewed for admission.
What is a competitive GPA when applying to the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine?
Each year, the College posts a matriculated class profile. If your GPA is at the average GPA or higher, that would be considered a competitive GPA. See our matriculated class profile.
Is the GRE or a standardized test required to be admitted to the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine?
No, the MSU DVM Program does not require the GRE or any standardized testing for admissions.
What are the pre-requisite courses required for admission to the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine?
Visit the pre-requisite website for a complete list of pre-requisite course requirements
How do I know what courses at my college will meet the pre-requisite courses for admission to the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine?
See the pre-requisite course guide website for a detailed list of specific courses and colleges.
Can I gain veterinary-related experience at MSU’s Veterinary Medical Center?
No, MSU’s Veterinary Medical Center is not open for prospective students to gain veterinary-related experience. Our faculty and staff are focused on teaching students who have been admitted to our Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and Veterinary Nursing Programs. Having prospective applicants job shadowing would take away from the learning experiences of those students.
Does the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine offer any summer programs for prospective DVM applicants?
Yes:
DVM Application and Admissions
When should I apply to the DVM Program?
The application deadline every year is September 15. All pre-requisite science courses must be complete by the application deadline.
Where do I find the application?
All veterinary schools use a centralized application called the Veterinary Medical College Application Service It is found on the AAVMC website.
Where can I learn more about the specific application and selection process?
The College hosts applicant information sessions throughout the academic year for students who are within two years of applying to veterinary school. You can also find more information on the College website.
How many students does the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine admit each year?
115 total: 60 in-state students, 55 out of state students
How many people apply to the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine each year?
On average, approximately 1,900 people apply each year. Of these applicants, approximately 300 are in-state residents and 1,600 are out-of-state residents.
Veterinary Nursing
I got into MSU, do I still need to apply to Vet Nursing?
Yes, the Veterinary Nursing program has a secondary application with more specific requirements. The general admission application is just for Michigan State University and has different requirements than the application to the MSU Veterinary Nursing Program.
For a certificate of completion, the student only needs to complete the secondary application for the Veterinary Nursing Program.
What is the difference between major code Vet Nursing Preference and Vet Nursing?
If you have not met the application requirements to apply to the MSU Veterinary Nursing Program but are planning to start the process of preparing to apply to the program, you will apply as a Vet Nursing Preference code.
You will meet with an academic advisor the summer before you start at MSU to plan your timeline of when it is appropriate to apply.
Veterinary Nursing Preference code means you are preparing for admission to the veterinary nursing program. Because it is a non-degree-granting major, students are only permitted to be a Vet Nursing Preference until they reach 56 credits. If you are a transfer student interested in vet nursing but are close to or over the limit, you may need to choose a different degree-granting major. That is OK. Once you're admitted to the Vet Nursing Program, your major will be changed to the Veterinary Nursing bachelor's degree. Veterinary Nursing code means you are currently studying/admitted into the Vet Nursing program.
I want to go back to school to be a vet tech, will my classes transfer?
This depends on where and when your classes were taken. Utilize the transfer.msu.edu tool to see what classes transfer to MSU. You can also reach out to discuss further with an academic advisor: CVM.VetNursing@msu.edu
If you received an associate's degree through a different vet tech program (at a different college) and want to earn a bachelor's degree, unfortunately, your credits from the other program will not be transferrable to MSU's Vet Nursing Program due to accreditation guidelines.
What is the difference between the Vet Nursing Certificate of Completion and the Bachelor of Science in Veterinary Nursing?
Please view this brief presentation discussing the differences between the two programs. Curriculum | College of Veterinary Medicine at MSU.
Both tracks prepare students for the VTNE (National Board Exam for Veterinary Technicians) and to become licensed. The BS in Veterinary Nursing broadens the range of career opportunities available after graduation.
Does the Vet Nursing Program increase my chances of getting into vet school?
No. The Veterinary Nursing program prepares students for the career of Veterinary Nursing (Licensed Veterinary Technician). The courses a student needs to take for vet school preparation are not compatible with the schedule for the veterinary nursing program. It is recommended that students explore both careers in high school or during early college to pick a pathway.
If you choose vet nursing and then want to apply to vet school, it takes, on average, 2-3 additional years in undergraduate studies to complete the needed courses for application to vet school.
What is the difference between a Veterinary Nurse and a Licensed Veterinary Technician/ Certified Veterinary Technician?
The name change from MSU Veterinary Technology to the MSU Veterinary Nursing Program was made in 2020 and was done to elevate the program, and help the public understand what role of the veterinary technician.
It was also done in support of the National Veterinary Nursing Initiative, which has goals to provide title protection and uniformity for vet techs across all 50 states.
When does the secondary application to the MSU Vet Nursing Program open every year?
The application opens every October 1 and closes around February 10 of the year you plan to start. Cohorts matriculate every fall.