The preclinical phase of the DVM curriculum is defined as semesters one (1), two (2), three (3), four (4), five (5), and the first eight (8) weeks of semester six (6).

The clinical phase of the curriculum is defined as the last nine (9) weeks of semester six (6), and the entirety of semesters seven (7), eight (8), and nine (9) (the following summer, fall, and spring semesters).

There are nine domains of competence of the veterinary profession:

• Clinical Reasoning and Decision-Making
• Individual Animal Care and Management
• Animal Population Care and Management
• Public Health
• Communication
• Collaboration
• Professionalism and Professional Identity
• Financial and Practice Management
• Scholarship

The CVM Graduate Professional (DVM) curriculum provides education, training and assessment to ensure students develop competency in these domains.

Self-directed learning (SDL) is where individuals take primary charge of planning, continuing, and evaluating their learning experience. Another term closely associated with SDL is life-long learner. As a future veterinarian, your knowledge and skills will evolve as science advances.

The College of Veterinary Medicine curriculum is designed with the above concept. As you move through the curriculum, your SDL ability will also grow.

The fundamental principles of SDL are:

• Assess readiness to learn
• Set learning goals
• Engage in the learning process
• Evaluate learning

Classes of 2026, 2027, and 2028

To be in good academic standing in the DVM program, a student must:

• Pass all required preclinical courses with a grade of ≥ 1.00, and
• Pass all required and elective clinical courses with a grade of ≥ 1.00 or Pass (P), and
• Maintain a term and cumulative GPA of ≥ 1.75 in semesters one (1) of the curriculum, and maintain a term and cumulative GPA of ≥ 2.00 in semesters two (2) through nine (9) of the curriculum.

Should the university institute additional or optional grade options due to unforeseen national or global emergencies, the CVM will continue to use only the actual numerical grades to determine good academic standing.

Class of 2029

To be in good academic standing in the DVM program, a student must:

1. pass all required preclinical courses with a grade of ≥ 1.50 (72%), and

2. pass all required and elective clinical courses with a grade of ≥ 1.50 (72%), and

3. maintain a term and cumulative GPA ≥ 2.00 in semesters one (1) through nine (9) of the curriculum

Should the university institute additional or optional grade options due to unforeseen national or global emergencies, the CVM will continue to use only the actual numerical grades when determining good academic standing.

The standard duration of the curriculum leading to the DVM degree is four (4) years. The maximum allowable time to complete the College’s DVM degree is six (6) years. The maximum permissible time includes personal or medical leaves of absence, academic recess, extended curriculum, and/or other reasons.

Interpretation: DVM course requirements must be completed within a maximum of six (6) years. A student can, at a maximum, be absent from the program for a consecutive or non-consecutive period(s) of two (2) years. Any absence exceeding two (2) years will result in dismissal from the program. A student dismissed from the program due to consecutive or non-consecutive absence(s), which exceeds two years, who wants to return to the program must reapply and enter the program on day one (1) of semester one (1).

For students enrolled in a dual DVM/PhD or a dual DVM/Master in Food Safety or DVM/Master of Public Health degree, the standard duration of the curriculum leading to the DVM degree is four (4) years, and the DVM program requirements must be met within a maximum of six (6) years, which may be non-consecutive.

Students must be in good academic standing to graduate. Hence, students must have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.00 and satisfactory completion of all required preclinical courses, required clerkships, and elective clerkships in the CVM Graduate Professional (DVM) Program to graduate with a DVM degree.