All applicants must complete 60 semester hours, including the required courses shown below, at a regionally accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to qualify for admission to the College of Veterinary Medicine. If a grade of D or F is made in a required course, the course must be repeated and a grade of C- or higher earned.
Courses taken on the P/F or S/U grading system are not counted for admission to the College of Veterinary Medicine. If a grade of D or F is made in a required course, the course must be repeated and a grade of C- or higher earned.
Students may use credit by examination, such as AP or CLEP, to substitute for pre-veterinary requirements only if their institution accepts those credits in lieu of a specific required course. Credit by examination must be given on a U.S. college transcript.
Course Prerequisites for the DVM Program
| 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 I and II or equivalent | 4-8 |
| Biological Sciences** (Example: Genetics, Microbiology, Anatomy, Physiology) |
10 |
| Social Science and/or Humanistic Studies (Example: Economics, History, Political Science, Literature, Mythology, Philosophy, Sociology, Psychology, Foreign Language) |
10 |
* Multiply quarter credits by 0.67 to convert to semester credits.
**Biology Department courses that may be selected from zoology and botany or as required in foundation courses for a biology major. Animal Science courses do not qualify toward the 10 hours necessary in biological sciences except for those that are cross referenced in both departments or an equivalent arrangement as determined by the College of Veterinary Medicine.
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.
The MU College of Veterinary Medicine is Missouri’s only institution that confers the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. Thank you for exploring how you can partner with us to make a positive difference in the lives of animals and people.