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Preparation in Undergraduate College
Selection of Colleges
The Admissions Committee accepts credit
and grades from any U.S. accredited institution of higher
learning. To ensure proper counseling and support, it is advised
that undergraduate work be acquired at an institution with
an active pre-veterinary medical club.
Students enrolled in the University of
Missouri-Columbia are not given preference when applying for
admission to the College of Veterinary Medicine unless they
qualify for the Pre-Veterinary Medicine Scholars or AgScholars
Programs.
Undergraduate Majors
Since some students interested in becoming
veterinarians are not accepted into veterinary medical college,
students should emphasize a bachelor’s degree program
rather than pre-veterinary medical studies. A student should
enroll in the school/college offering the degree major selected
as a career alternative to veterinary medicine. Most pre-veterinary
medical students enroll in animal science, biology, or biochemistry.
Type and Sequence of Undergraduate
Courses
Students should be guided by the requirements
of their degree majors and our pre-veterinary requirements.
Catalogs and bulletins usually provide good direction, particularly
with regard to required courses in the major. Students should
consult their advisors about supporting courses and electives
which will strengthen their majors.
The following courses and credit
hours must be taken in residence at an accredited institution
of higher learning to qualify for admission to the College
of Veterinary Medicine.
| Course |
Semester*
Credit Hours |
Composition or Courses in
Communication Skills such as Speech or Technical Writing |
6 |
College Algebra
or
More Advanced Mathematics |
3 |
Biochemistry
(Requires Organic Chemistry Prerequisite) |
3 |
Physics
(Comprehensive Courses**) |
5 |
Biological Science |
10 |
Social Science
and/or Humanistic Studies |
10 |
Electives |
open |
Minimum
Total Semester Credit Hours |
60 |
* Multiply quarter credits by 0.67 to convert
to semester credits.
** 5 hr. in only the first of a companion series in physics
will not suffice.
Students should take in-depth courses
in these areas
A- Inorganic chemistry courses which prepare
them for organic chemistry and, finally, biochemistry;
B- Biology Department courses which may
be selected from zoology and botany or as required in foundation
courses for a biology major.
NOTE: Whenever there is doubt as to whether
a course will fulfill the requirements to apply, the applicant
should contact the Admissions Advisor, MU College of Veterinary
Medicine, as soon as possible. If the course is acceptable,
the applicant is advised to include a copy of the Associate
Dean’s response letter with the completed application
forms.
Elective Courses
The faculty of the College of Veterinary Medicine strongly encourage applicants to include as many of the following courses as possible among their electives. We have found that anatomy and physiology are especially challenging for students lacking a background in those subjects.
- Animal Nutrition
- Animal Reproduction
- Anatomy
- Animal Husbandry
- Physiology
- Business or Accounting
- Genetics
- Microbiology
- Psychology
- Statistics
- Cell Biology
- Any Biomed 1000-3000 level course
at MU.
Courses Which Are Not Accepted
as Meeting Intended Requirements
Actual course selection should be rigorous
and demanding. The student who has difficulty in the professional
curriculum is usually one who has never been previously challenged
academically. Rudimentary courses in science, usually described
as “not for science majors” are unacceptable for
the required courses to apply for admission. Animal Science
courses do not qualify toward the 10 credit hours necessary
in biological sciences except for those which are cross listed
in both departments or an equivalent arrangement as determined
by the College of Veterinary Medicine.
Problems, correspondence, topics, research,
seminars, readings, or independent study courses are not accepted
for admission purposes. Distance learning courses are not
accepted for admission purposes, except for those which are
accepted for partial fulfillment of the requirements toward
a baccalaureate degree in biology, chemistry, or animal science
at the University of Missouri.
College course credits acquired outside
the United States are accepted for admission purposes only
if they are credited with grades and semester credit hours
on a transcript from a college or university in the United
States.
Courses taken on the P/F or S/U grading
system are not counted for admission to the College of Veterinary
Medicine. If the grade below a D is made in a required course,
the course must be repeated.
Students may use credit by examination
to substitute for pre-veterinary requirements only if their
institution accepts those credits in lieu of a specific required
course.
Courses taken to meet requirements for
a 2-year technical degree such as veterinary technology or
practical nursing are included in the cumulative GPA calculations.
However, restricted enrollment 2-year technical degree courses
are not accepted to meet minimum course requirements nor included
in the last 3 semesters’ GPA or average course load.
Time Required in Undergraduate
Preparation
Students accepted into the College of Veterinary
Medicine have usually completed an average of 120 semester
hours - 60 hours more than the minimum number required for
admission.
Requirement for Observation of
the Profession
Applicants are required to spend a minimum
of 40 hours observing one or more veterinarians actively engaged
in their normal work environment. Observation must be as a
third person, not as a client. (i.e., small or large animal
practice, public health, laboratory animal medicine, or research).
The veterinarians observed by the applicant should be among
the 4 invited external reviewers.
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