Pre-Veterinary Medicine
Pre-veterinary medicine students may choose any major, but should work with a Pre-Health Advisor to plan a course of study that fulfills the pre-veterinary medicine studies requirements as well as the requirements for the major.
The program listed below includes the minimum course work required to apply for admission to the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign for students who plan to complete a BS/BA prior to entry. Students desiring to apply without a bachelor's degree should consult "Plan B" on the program website.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses a | ||
| BIOS 110 | Biology of Cells and Organisms b | 4 |
| BIOS 120 | Biology of Populations and Communities b | 4 |
| Select one of the following general chemistry sequences: | 10 | |
| Matter and Energy b,c | ||
| Foundations of Chemical Inquiry I b,c | ||
| Chemical Dynamics b,c | ||
| Foundations of Chemical Inquiry II b,c | ||
OR | ||
| Honors and Majors General and Analytical Chemistry I b | ||
| Honors and Majors General and Analytical Chemistry II b | ||
| CHEM 232 | Structure and Function | 3 |
| CHEM 233 | Synthesis Techniques Laboratory | 2 |
| CHEM 234 | Chemical Synthesis (recommended) | 3 |
| BIOS 352 | Introductory Biochemistry | 3-4 |
| or CHEM 452 | Biochemistry I | |
| Select one of the following general physics sequences: | 8 | |
| Introductory Physics for Life Sciences I and Introductory Physics for Life Sciences II b | ||
OR | ||
| General Physics I (Mechanics) and General Physics II (Electricity and Magnetism) b | ||
| Total Hours | 37-38 | |
- a
Students completing an undergraduate degree at UIC must complete the General Education requirements. Students should consult the General Education section and their college/department sections of the catalog for more information on fulfilling these requirements.
- b
These courses are approved for the Analyzing the Natural World General Education category.
- c
Each of the following pairs of courses will be considered one course in meeting the LAS General Education requirements: CHEM 122/CHEM 123; CHEM 124/CHEM 125.
Applicants are also encouraged to obtain work experience in the field of veterinary medicine.
In addition to the course work listed above, applicants to the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign must take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). The GRE should be taken after completion of the minimum pre-veterinary medicine course requirements. The minimum science and cumulative GPA for admission to the UIUC College of Veterinary Medicine is 2.75/4.00. The competitive average, however, is considerably above this level at the present time.
Applicants to the UIUC College of Veterinary Medicine must apply through the Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS). VMCAS opens in May; the UIUC College of Veterinary Medicine deadline is September 15. Students are advised to declare an educational goal of pre-veterinary medicine upon entering UIC which will alert them to specific workshops and other pertinent information.
The list of courses above includes the recommended courses for application to the UIUC College of Veterinary Medicine. Specific admission requirements of other veterinary medical schools are listed on the VMCAS website. A comprehensive overview of the veterinary admission process is available in the Veterinary Medical School Admission Requirements (VSMSAR) publication. The VMSAR is published by the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges and may be ordered through the Purdue University Press.
Although the minimum requirement for application to the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign through "Plan B" is two years of college credit, few students are admitted at that point. Most students complete at least three years prior to application and earn a bachelor’s degree before matriculating.