Pre-Veterinary Studies

Doctors of Veterinary Medicine are medical professionals, whose primary goal is to protect the health and welfare of animals and people. Veterinarians may work in private practice, teaching and research, governmental agencies, and industry. There are 28 accredited veterinary schools in the United States. All of these schools require extensive amounts of pre-veterinary coursework that must be completed before applying a school of veterinary medicine. Upon completion of 3-4 years of the pre-vet program at MSSU, students can apply for admission to veterinary schools for completion of the four year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree.

Missouri Southern State University has a pre-veterinary program offered through the Department of Biology and Environmental Health that provides rigorous coursework, work experience, and activities that you can use to create a competitive application for veterinary school.

Students in Pre-Veterinary studies can expect the following:

• An excellent foundation of undergraduate courses; including anatomy, physiology, parasitology, histology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, biochemistry, and humanities. These courses will meet the requirements for admission to a school of veterinary medicine and can also be applied toward a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology.
• An academic advisor specialized in pre-veterinary studies: our department has faculty members who have veterinary medicine degrees and who provide specific insight to our pre-vet students.
• An internship program that provides practical experience with animals, either in veterinary clinics or other relevant areas.

Acceptance into veterinary school is competitive. Students need:

• A genuine desire to work with animals and serve the public
• Strong undergraduate coursework
• Experience working with practicing veterinarians
• Competitive Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)
• Quality letters of recommendation
• Extracurricular activities and community service

Additional information about veterinary school admission can be found at the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges. Schedule a time to come and visit with our faculty to see firsthand how we can help you develop a highly competitive application. Join the pride!

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