Required Coursework
(By most California veterinary schools)
Each program has its own prerequisites. Check specific school for detail prerequisites. Admission Requirements for specific veterinary schools can be found at the individual school web sites.
- BIOL 1050 General Biology I
- BIOL 1150 General Biology II
- BIOL 3350 Introductory Genetics
- CHEM 1100 General Chemistry I
- CHEM 1110 General Chemistry II
- CHEM 3010/3012 Organic Chemistry I
- CHEM 3020/3022 Organic Chemistry II
- CHEM 4400 Biochemistry I
- MATH 1410 Calculus
- PHYS 2100 Basic Physics I
- PHYS 2110 Basic Physics II
- PSYC 2010 Introduction to Psychology
Recommended coursework:
- MBIO 3010/3032 Bacteriology
- ZOOL 4280 Physiology of Human Systems
- ZOOL 3130 Vertebrate Embryology
- ZOOL 3150 Comparative Anatomy of Vertebrates
- ZOOL 4151 Histology
Recommended concentrations in the Biological Sciences:
Concentrations in Biology Education, General Biology, or Organismal Biology can help fulfill these required courses and most of the recommended courses while progressing toward a bachelor’s degree.
Additional Requirements:
Generally, a minimum of 90-semester units (including English composition, public speaking, social science, and humanities courses as well as those listed above) are required, but a bachelor’s degree is highly recommended. In addition, letters of recommendation from professors, dentists, etc. as well as a personal statement from the applicant are required. Acceptance into a school may be aided by a broad range extracurricular activities, dental-related experience, and fluency in a second language in addition to strong GPA (e.g., > 3.5) and GRE, MCAT or VCAT scores. Interested students should investigate requirements of specific schools well before beginning the application process.
For further information contact the Stanislaus State Pre-Health Professions Committee at 209.667.3476 or the Pre-Health Society Club.
Minimum 300 hours veterinary-related experience through internship and/or externship.
Online MCAT registration is available on the AAMC website
GRE, MCAT, VCAT Prep Courses
Make an appointment to see your academic advisor at least once a term.
- Freshman Year
- Decide the major(s) (Make an appointment to see your academic advisor
- Consider joining the Pre-Health Society or Biology Student Association (Student Organizations) in the Department of Biological Sciences, or other student clubs
- Stay focused to achieve excellent academic performance (Most veterinary schools will accept only students with a minimum 3.5 GPA)
- Participate in health-related volunteer opportunities
- Sophomore Year
- Take the time to develop relationships with faculty members for future letters of recommendations
- Continue to participate in health-related volunteer opportunities
- Junior Year
- Study for entry exam
- Consider enrolling in commercial prep courses
- Start getting the necessary application information ready
- Take the entry exam
- Summer between Junior and Senior Year
- Complete collecting and preparing all the necessary materials for your application: personal statement, letter of recommendations, entry exam scores, etc.
- Submit the application after June 1st (earliest time)
- Retake the entry exam if you have not taken the first exam or you want to get a better score
- Complete the "secondary applications" if you receive them
- Senior Year
- If you were granted an interview, schedule a mock interview with your Pre-professional advisor for the upcoming interview
- Complete your undergraduate studies and have a nice vacation before professional school starts.
Updated: March 21, 2022