Veterinary Medicine (DVM)

College of Veterinary Medicine

Program Website

Program Description

The D.V.M. program is made up of two types of courses: Foundation and Elective. All students take Foundation courses at the same time, in a prescribed sequence. The entire program takes four years to complete.

Foundation courses account for approximately 70% of the credits required for graduation, reflecting the College’s commitment to a broad, generalize veterinary education.

Elective courses make up the remaining 30% of the credits required for graduation and offer students an opportunity to pursue their individual interests through a system of structured choices.

Academic Standards

  • To receive the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) degree, candidates must successfully complete curricular requirements, pay all fees, and be recommended for graduation by the faculty of the college.
  • Residency and Full Time Student Status (8 semesters/terms)
    • Eight semesters (fall and spring) of full-time study is required. External transfer students are credited with one semester in residence for each full-time semester (or equivalent) earned at another institution. To satisfy a semester in residence a student must be enrolled for a minimum of 12 credit hours. Carrying fewer than 12 credits will have financial aid implications, potential impacts for international student status and subject to academic review.
      *The DVM program is not eligible for pro-rated tuition or In Absentia status*
  • All graduation requirements for the DVM degree must be completed within six years of a student's initial registration in the DVM program. This requirement applies to all veterinary students except those participating in the DVM/PhD degree pathway (two years DVM, up to four years PhD, two years DVM total up to eight years of a student's initial registration in the DVM program).
  • Maximum enrollment of 23.5 credits per semester.                                    
  • May not graduate with any outstanding incomplete or NGR grades.
  • Final GPA of 2.0 or higher.

Program Policies

  • It is your responsibility to know the requirements for graduation and to complete them on time. You may check your progress towards degree completion using the "Academic Requirements" tab in student center. Be aware that courses with "R",  "Incomplete" or "NGR" grades do not count.
  • Complete any course(s) for which you receive a grade of "Incomplete" or "NGR" within the time specified by the course instructor and notify the CVM Registrar's Office, in writing, immediately upon completion. Then, check your grade record on Student Center a week or two later to confirm that the grade has been recorded. This is important since faculty members are entitled to sabbatical leave, retirement, and other absences from the college, and may not be around to help clean up your record the last minute before graduation.