Once a student has completed the prerequisite courses and been formally admitted into the Program, they are then eligible to begin the core veterinary nursing coursework. The Veterinary Nursing Program is a prescribed curriculum that has limited course offerings. As a result, students are only able to begin the Program during fall semester.

The clinical clerkship educational portion is a unique feature of our Program. These clerkships provide an opportunity for students to work in the MSU Veterinary Medical Center with licensed veterinary technicians and veterinary nurses, clinicians, technician specialists, and veterinary students. This prepares our students for the various types of clinical settings in which they may find employment and exposes them to a multitude of veterinary medical experiences.

The Certificate of Completion is a 5-semester program, designed for individuals that have already completed a degree in another discipline, or those that wish to pursue an associate’s degree in conjunction with the Certificate of Completion. To be eligible to apply for the Certificate, a student must complete the Program’s required 12 credits of prerequisite courses prior to matriculating into the Program. Graduates of the Program receive a Certificate of Completion in Veterinary Nursing.

The College also partners with Lansing Community College to offer an opportunity for Certificate students to complete an associate’s degree if they wish to do so. By completing the veterinary nursing core curriculum at MSU, and completing additional coursework at LCC, students can receive an Associate’s Degree in Applied Science along with their Certificate of Completion in Veterinary Nursing.

The veterinary nursing core curriculum is comprised of classes listed here.

The Bachelor of Science degree is a 4-year program designed for individuals that would like to pursue a bachelor’s degree. To be eligible to apply for the Bachelor's degree, a student must complete the Program’s required 12 credits of prerequisite courses prior to matriculating into the Program.

In addition, students must complete a total of 120 credit hours, including all the Veterinary Nursing Program course requirements, to be eligible for graduation with a Bachelor's degree. Any students beginning MSU as freshmen must take at least two credits of non-veterinary nursing related electives during their education.

Two elective tracks exist for Bachelor Degree students to pursue while in the Program, known as Option 1 and Option 2.

Veterinary Nursing Bachelor students take an additional 15 credit hours of Veterinary Nursing Clinical Clerkship electives. Examples of these elective choices are dermatology, oncology, ophthalmology, food animal medicine, large animal anesthesia, critical care, emergency, physical rehabilitation, and animal behavior.

Students complete only the first semester of required clinical clerkships. The student replaces the 15 credits of elective clinical clerkships with a variety of electives that have been pre-approved by the Program’s academic advisor and Program Director. Option 2 provides opportunities for students to study abroad and diversify their education by taking courses in subject areas such as zoology, animal science, agribusiness, and communication.

The veterinary nursing core curriculum is comprised of classes listed here.

For an in-depth comparison of the two programs, take a look at this presentation: