The Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) is based on the latest global thinking in veterinary science practice, teaching and learning.
A degree that helps you to be the veterinarian you want to become
The University of Melbourne’s Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree gives you the experience and flexibility to succeed in your choice of veterinary career: as a small or large animal veterinarian, an animal welfare supervisor in the agricultural industries, an equine health professional, a government veterinarian monitoring wildlife health or a zoo veterinarian.
The Doctor of Veterinary Medicine is a graduate degree, meaning that students must complete a suitable science-based Bachelors degree before they can study this course.
After developing a strong core of veterinary science knowledge, you will be able to follow your own area of interest and gain a wealth of professional experience via our Tracks program. You can take clinical or research placements anywhere in Australia or overseas, and even prepare yourself for leadership or industry roles with a concurrent diploma.
You will benefit from the experience and research expertise of our world-class academics, and an innovative, evidence-based curriculum. Training throughout the degree will help you to develop strong communication and teamwork skills, and a final lecture-free year of clinical experience supports our students to become confident, professional, resilient and compassionate veterinarians.
Our students' 5-year average pass rate on the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE) is 92% – the AVMA Council on Education’s Outcomes Assessment standard is 80%.
Be part of a global community of veterinarians
At the University of Melbourne, you’ll be part of a global community of students and alumni. Our degree is known for the diversity of our students – you will study and graduate with classmates from not just Australia, but the United States, Canada, South and East Asia, Europe and other regions.
Your lecturers will be leaders in their fields: pharmacologists and vaccine developers, surgical and medical specialists, public health experts. You’ll have the opportunity to gain professional experience on a wide variety of placements at veterinary clinics, other universities and organisations, from caring for pets in a city hospital in California, to monitoring farm animals and wildlife for disease in Vietnam or treating camels in Dubai.
Brand new, student-oriented learning and clinical facilities
Our recently redeveloped veterinary teaching hospital at Werribee is complemented by brand new teaching facilities, giving you access to the most modern veterinary facilities in Australasia, including specialist clinical skills laboratories, a new surgical teaching laboratory, extensive animal anatomy laboratories and a veterinary student-specific lounge, library and study areas.
Facilities at Parkville include a new dissection room for anatomy classes, student collaboration and socialisation spaces and an open aspect to the historic and tranquil Systems Garden.
A supportive staff and student culture
As a veterinary medicine student, you will be able to build social and industry networks at events organized by student special interest groups that focus on: small pets, animal welfare, exotics and wildlife, horses, student welfare, emergency and critical care, bovines and marine animals. You will develop lifelong friendships with other students in the course and our friendly teaching staff will be your mentors long after you graduate, whether you work in Australia or overseas after your degree.
Our course places special emphasis on building resilience, strong written and verbal communication and supporting our students to succeed both in the DVM program and their professional careers.
Learn from research leaders
The University of Melbourne is a world-recognized leader in veterinary research, particularly animal disease, animal welfare, veterinary public health, specialist referral services like neurology and radiology, equine sports medicine and emergency and critical care.
Your lecturers are also researchers whose work has a global impact on animal and human health. As a student, you will work with them in your classes and on veterinary research projects that contribute to both your own knowledge and the wider veterinary profession.
Whether you are advancing your current qualification or already working in the field, graduate study can improve your career progression and earning potential.
Become a vet
Graduate with Australia’s first graduate-entry, professional veterinary science qualification in your area of specialisation.
Four career tracks
Production Animal Track
This track will provide enhanced opportunities for you to gain hands-on experience and exposure to production animal medicine including working with cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry.
Upon graduation, you may enter mixed veterinary practice, pursue further study such as a residency, work for the government or quarantine inspection services, work as a production animal health management consultant, or work for private production animal industries such as pigs and poultry producers.
Small Animal Track
If you're interested in pursuing a career path working with cats, dogs and small pets, you can elect to join the small animal track.
Upon graduation, students who chose this track may choose to enter private small animal practice, pursue further study such as an internship or residency, or work for government or private companies supporting the small animal industries.
Government, Industry and Conservation Health Track
If you're interested in pursuing a career path outside of traditional veterinary clinical practice can elect to join the Government, Industry and Conservation Health track.
Upon graduation, you can pursue careers as veterinarians employed in government, policy development, one health, epidemiology, welfare, research, and business.
Equine Track
Gain practical skills and experience working with horses before graduation.
Upon graduation, you can enter private companion equine practices, racehorse practice, pursue an equine internship or residency, or work for government or private equine industries.
Where our graduates work
Most of Australia's approximately 8,100 veterinarians work in private practices. Veterinary practices are typically small businesses, with many consisting of only one or two full-time veterinarians. Specialisation is an increasing trend, with some practices limiting their work to certain types of animals e.g. horse or small animals. Half of Australia's veterinarians work in a capital city; a further 16 per cent in another major city or large country city. Just over one-third work in rural areas. State Governments employ 10 per cent of the nation's veterinarians. The Federal Government employs about 4 per cent. Other veterinarians are employed in research or marketing by companies making or selling veterinary medicines, in intensive animal production businesses and by universities. Zoos also employ their own veterinarians as do an increasing number of animal welfare organisations. Australian vets contribute on a regular basis to international programs on animal production, disease control and environmental management.
Some veterinarians undertake further study and achieve specialist registration. This may be, for example, as a specialist in veterinary medicine for a particular species or in surgery for a particular species.
The University of Melbourne qualification in Veterinary Science allows a graduate to register to practise as a veterinarian throughout Australia, in New Zealand, Canada, USA, UK, Singapore and Hong Kong. The University's veterinary graduates regularly proceed to postgraduate internship and residency programs and a number currently hold academic appointments in Veterinary Medical teaching institutions in North America and the United Kingdom.
Other career outcomes may include agricultural industries, animal welfare agencies, government services, departments and agencies, pharmaceutical companies and industry, research and tertiary and professional development education.
Networking opportunities
Experience strong bonds with teaching staff and fellow students. The strength of our community leads to excellent networking, placement and employment opportunities, which can really take you places. Gain employment in the rich farming lands of Tasmania, to the savannahs of South Africa.
GO FURTHER WITH A CONCURRENT DIPLOMA
You may be eligible for our DVM graduate diploma program, which further prepares future vets for life in the workforce. This program allows you to complete extra units alongside your DVM without increasing the length of your degree.
A number of subjects are taught by the renowned Melbourne Business School. The end result is a specialised graduate diploma, alongside your DVM, as the ultimate preparation for your chosen career:
As an alternative study option, you may like to consider the Master of Agricultural Sciences, Animal Science specialisation. Developed for those who wish to engage in issues surrounding animal science, the Master of Agricultural Sciences, Animal Science specialisation is a mutli-disciplinary education and research-led stream that offers career outcomes in a variety of areas including farm enterprise management, animal nutrition, animal welfare, genetics and reproduction as well as research and development.
You may also like to consider studying an honours project - a specialised year of study for students who have achieved academic excellence in their undergraduate degree. An honours year enables you to extend your knowledge in a specialised area.
Requirements
Entry Requirements
To be considered for entry, you must have completed:
An undergraduate degree in physics, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, engineering, environmental science or an equivalent qualification with a Weighted Average Mark (WAM) of at least 65 per cent, and
Undergraduate mathematics equivalent to Calculus 1 (Calculus 2 may be necessary for some electives).
About selection
Meeting these requirements does not guarantee selection.
In ranking applications, the Selection Committee will consider prior academic performance, professional experience, and the score on the test conducted by the Selection Committee.
The Selection Committee may seek further information to clarify any aspect of an application in accordance with the Academic Board rules on the use of selection instruments.
Where our entry requirements mention a minimum WAM and subject-specific requirements, please note that these refer to University of Melbourne grades and subjects. If your previous qualifications are not from the University of Melbourne, we will assess the results of subjects that are most relevant to the course you are applying for. We may make adjustments to your final WAM depending on the accreditation of your university/institution, subject grading/scales and pass marks.
Graduate Access Melbourne
If you're a domestic student and have experienced adverse circumstances that affected your tertiary results, consider applying for the Graduate Access Melbourne scheme. Through the scheme, you may be able to gain entry into this course even if your tertiary marks are below entry requirements.
Categories include being from a rural area, being an Indigenous Australian, experience of financial disadvantage or personal difficulties, having refugee status, or living with disability or medical condition.
English Program Requirements
IELTS: Score: 7.0, with written 7.0 and no band less than 6.0.
Universities In Australia 
Universities In Canada 
Universities In Germany 
Universities In Ireland 
Universities In Jordan 
Universities In New Zealand 
Universities In Saudi Arabia 
Universities In United Kingdom 
Universities In United States Of America 
