So you want to be a vet?

Preparing for Admission

Prerequisites

CSU offers all the courses you need to prepare for veterinary school. While we do not offer a specific pre-veterinary major, you can complete all prerequisites from a variety of undergraduate majors.

Choosing a Major

Many majors offer excellent preparation for veterinary school and eventual work as a veterinarian. Select a major because you are interested in the course of study and because it can provide you a good “Plan B” career in case you change your mind about veterinary medicine.

Not sure which college major to choose? Schedule a career counseling appointment at the CSU Career Center.

If you are trying to choose between different majors of interest, contact the advisor for each major and discuss program options and graduate job placement.

High School Preparation

Becoming a veterinarian involves a program of academic preparation, usually eight years after high school. Most applicants to a veterinary medical professional school have completed three to four years of undergraduate courses and the majority have earned a bachelor’s degree. The Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Program at CSU is four years of education in upper division biomedical sciences and clinical procedures.

If you are seriously considering a career as a veterinarian, you should prepare now for admission to college. Although it is important to take as many math and science classes in high school as possible, the courses that will provide the best foundation for our college pre-veterinary curriculum are:

• Four years of English
• Three or four years of mathematics
• Two or three years of laboratory science (chemistry, physics, and biology)

These courses usually form the basic requirements of many life science baccalaureate programs such as animal sciences, zoology, biology, environmental health and microbiology.