Veterinary Medicine (5-year programme) (BVM&S)

Introducing BVM&S Veterinary Medicine (5-year programme)

The five-year Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (BVM&S) programme will provide you with an exceptional learning experience and qualify you to practise veterinary medicine around the world.

This programme is consistently ranked among the top vet schools in the UK and overseas and is located on a campus with some of the highest concentration of animal science expertise in Europe.

Graduates of this degree may practise in the UK and Ireland following registration with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) and Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI). Graduates may also practise in North America and Europe depending on local requirements such as sitting and passing the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination.

As a student at a world-leading research-focussed university, you can interrupt your veterinary studies at the end of 2nd, 3rd or 4th year to intercalate in another degree programme. After intercalation, you would then return to the BVM&S.

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Standard entry requirement

The standard entry requirement is:

• SQA Highers: AAAAB by end of S5 and BB at Advanced Higher.
• A Levels: AAA.
• IB: 38 points with 666 at HL.

Minimum entry requirement

We have a minimum academic requirement for applications to Veterinary Medicine, you can find information on the BVM&S website.

BVM&S Minimum Requirements

Required subjects

The grades used to meet our entry requirements must include:

• SQA: Advanced Highers: Chemistry and another science subject at B. Highers: Chemistry and Biology at A and either Mathematics, Applications of Mathematics, or Physics at B. For some applicants this subject combination is not possible by end of S5. Students with five Highers at the required grades by end of S5 but who are missing one or more sciences may take the missing subjects in S6. National 5s: English at C.
• A Levels: Chemistry and Biology at A. Critical Thinking is not accepted for this degree. GCSE: English at C or 4.
• IB: HL: Chemistry and Biology at 6. SL: English at 5 or GCSE English at C or 4.

Additional requirements

Resits

All examination grades must be obtained at the first attempt of each subject. Those applying with resit qualifications will not be entered into the selection system unless under very exceptional circumstances (for which verified evidence has been provided prior to UCAS application).

Deferred Entry

Deferred entry is not considered.

Mature applicants

No special concessions are made for mature, non-graduate applicants. In view of the competition for places, all applications must have achieved the same academic requirements as school-leaving applicants within the three-year period prior to the date of application.

Graduates

A UK 2:1 honours degree in an appropriate science subject. Graduates with a degree in a non-science subject can still apply for the five-year programme but must have gained high grades in school-level science qualifications in Chemistry and Biology. Graduates with a science degree but with not enough key core science subjects covered and achieved at a high enough standard for the 4-year Graduate Entry Programme, will be considered for the 5-year programme only. Graduate applicants accepted on to the course will have to pay fees on a full-cost basis.

Undergraduate tuition fees

Academic transcripts

All candidates applying with a first degree or international qualifications must submit a copy of their transcript showing subjects and grades achieved to date. The transcript should be submitted by 22 October.

Practical experience

Applicants should provide detailed information on their practical experience (number of days/weeks spent and species worked with) in the appropriate section of their UCAS form. Candidates should be aware that the selectors can only take into account work already undertaken and not work planned. Applicants may receive an offer conditional on gaining further specified work experience.

All UCAS candidates are required to complete and return a Work Experience Summary form (WES) to the Admissions Office prior to the deadline of 22 October. Please note that applications submitted without a WES will be considered incomplete.

See the BVM&S website to download the form and for further guidance on work experience.

BVM&S guidance for prospective undergraduates

English Language Tests

We require all applicants to demonstrate the level of English language competency required to succeed in their studies. If you are using an English language test that is not part of your school studies to meet our English language requirements, you must provide these results by 30 June 2024, for the 4-year Graduate Entry BVM&S Programme (August start), and 31 July 2024 for the 5-year BVM&S programme (September start).

Fitness to practise

The University has a responsibility to ensure that students studying on a degree that involves practical training in a clinical environment, and that leads to a professional registerable qualification, are fit to practise.

This is assessed according to the requirements and standards of the profession the student wishes to enter. Students will be provided with further information on admission.

Disability

Veterinary medicine is a practical subject and students must be able to handle and examine all animals safely and humanely. Applicants with a disability, health problem or allergy that may impact upon their ability to carry out practical procedures are invited to discuss this in confidence before making a formal application.

Health questionnaire

All holders of Unconditional Firm offers are required to complete a Health Questionnaire prior to entry to the programme, regardless of whether a disability or health condition was declared on application or not.

Health questionnaire

Find out more about entry requirements

International applicants

We welcome applications from students studying a wide range of international qualifications.

Entry requirements by country

Mature applicants

We welcome applications from mature students and accept a range of qualifications.

Mature applicant qualifications

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency which will enable you to succeed in your studies.

SQA, GCSE and IB

For SQA, GCSE and IB students, unless a higher level is specified in the stated entry requirements, a pass is required in English at the following grades or higher:

• SQA National 5 at C
• GCSE at C or 4
• Level 2 Certificate at C
• IB Standard Level at 5 (English ab initio is not accepted for entry)

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 7.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 23 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 185 in each component.
• Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
• PTE Academic: 73 overall with at least 73 in each component. We do not accept PTE Academic Online.
• Oxford ELLT: 8 overall with at least 8 in each component.*

We also accept a wider range of international qualifications and tests.

Unless you are a national of a majority English speaking country, your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start of the month in which the degree you are applying to study begins. If you are using an IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL, Oxford ELLT, or Trinity ISE test, it must be no more than two years old on the first of the month in which the degree begins, regardless of your nationality.

English language requirements

(*Revised 24 May 2024 to change PTE Academic requirement from total 70 with at least 70 in each component, and to clarify that we do not accept PTE Academic online. Revised 29 August 2024 to add Oxford ELLT requirements.)

Clinical

This programme will train and prepare you for a career as a veterinary practitioner, either in general practice or a specialised field of practice, such as:

• small animal practice
• mixed practice
• equine practice
• farm/production animal practice
• exotic animal practice
• wildlife disease prevention
• wildlife conservation
• endangered species conservation
• military support
• livestock husbandry education in the developing world
• industry
• research
• government service
• academia

Research

You can pursue a research career.

Our school incorporates the Roslin Institute. This, along with the Moredun Research Institute and Scotland's Rural College, makes up the Easter Bush Research Consortium - one of the world's highest concentrations of animal scientists in one place.

While many of our graduates enter the veterinary profession for life, many others find that their training at Edinburgh enables them to pursue a career in:

• research
• government
• private enterprise
• academia

You can find more information on career prospects at the BVM&S website.

BVM&S career prospects