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.

This program is coming in Fall of 2027! Learn more about how and why this program was created.

Michigan State University’s Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Veterinary Nursing is designed to expand access to veterinary nursing education and help meet the growing need for credentialed veterinary professionals in Michigan and beyond.

Veterinary practices continue to experience a significant need for highly trained veterinary nurses, particularly in rural and underserved areas. At the same time, many individuals who are already working in veterinary practices, or who are interested in entering the profession, are unable to relocate or attend a traditional, campus-based program.

The AAS in Veterinary Nursing is designed to address both needs: preparing more highly skilled veterinary nursing professionals who are eligible to pursue professional credentialing while creating a more flexible pathway to an MSU education. The program combines online academic coursework with structured, hands-on clinical training. Students will build a strong foundation in veterinary nursing through rigorous academic coursework while completing required clinical skills through flexible, hands-on training experiences.

Because veterinary nursing is a hands-on profession, developing and demonstrating clinical skills is a central part of the program. Students will have two pathways for completing the required hands-on skills portion of the curriculum:

Students complete hands-on skills training at approved veterinary clinical sites while enrolled in practicum courses during the fall and spring semesters. This option allows students to integrate their coursework with supervised clinical experiences in an approved veterinary practice.

Students complete their hands-on skills through intensive summer laboratory experiences on the MSU campus. These concentrated laboratory courses provide instruction, practice, and assessment in the same major clinical skill areas addressed through the distributive practicum pathway.

Both pathways are designed to lead to the same required veterinary nursing competencies. The difference is where and how students complete the structured hands-on portion of the curriculum.

The curriculum for this program is 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: