Prerequisites

Prerequisites

We seek committed candidates who are prepared to thrive in our rigorous program. Review the complete list of prerequisite requirements to ensure you are on track.  

Prerequisite Requirements

  • A course must be taken at an accredited institution to fulfill our veterinary prerequisites. View the course equivalency guide for more information on transferable credits from Arizona institutions.
  • Online and community college courses are acceptable.

GPA Requirements

  • We require a minimum cumulative, science, and prerequisite GPA of 3.0, with no grade below a “C-.” If applicants do not meet the minimum GPAs, further consideration will be granted to applicants possessing GPAs between 2.75 and 3.0. Please refer to the VMCAS GPA calculation and course subject list when calculating your overall undergraduate science and overall GPA, as it may differ from your school’s local GPA calculation. 
  • Prerequisite courses must be a grade of C- or higher. 
  • We will accept pass/fail prerequisite courses if taken during the pandemic as part of the COVID-19 consideration. No more than half of a student’s prerequisites can be graded pass/fail.
  • Courses may be repeated to meet the grade requirement. Only the highest grade will be factored into the prerequisite GPA. However, all course attempts will be factored into the overall and science GPAs by VMCAS.

Transcript Requirements

  • CLEP, AP, and IB credits are acceptable only if shown on a college transcript from an accredited undergraduate degree-granting institution. If they show a grade of “G” on transcripts, we will ask for your scores.
  • In-progress and future coursework must appear on the VMCAS application in the Transcript Entry section.
  • Graduate and post-baccalaureate coursework will be considered for all prerequisites.

International transcripts (including Caribbean and French-Canadian transcripts, but not English-Canadian transcripts) must be processed through a transcript evaluation service. Only electronically submitted World Education Services (WES) “course-by-course” evaluations will be accepted by VMCAS and must be received by VMCAS before the September 15 deadline. The processing time is lengthy, and applicants should take this into consideration to ensure their application can be submitted before the deadline.

  • We require a minimum 3.0 GPA for science prerequisite courses. 
  • Our science prerequisites do not include labs. Labs, however, are strongly recommended. Lab credits taken in conjunction with a lecture-style course (or similar) do count toward GPAs.
  • College course credit awarded for AP science courses may fulfill the relevant core prerequisites. The admissions committee will also expect to see advanced-level undergraduate courses in the science disciplines for which the AP credit was awarded.

We require 90 units to be completed by the time of enrollment. Completed units should adhere to our GPA minimum requirements. We will rescind the offer of admission if a candidate cannot provide proof of completion for 90 credits by matriculation.

  • No more than two prerequisite courses should be in progress when you submit your VMCAS application. 
  • All prerequisites must be completed, and grades must be posted by your institution by June 30 of the application year before matriculation in August.

Course Equivalency Guide

For courses taken at an Arizona college or university, please use the prerequisite guides below. Refer to the Course Equivalency Guide to see how courses transfer to the Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine. If your courses have not been vetted, please get in touch with our Admissions Team for the next steps.

Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine

Prerequisites for the College of Veterinary medicine. 

University of Arizona

Courses at the University of Arizona that satisfy the prerequisite requirements at the College of Veterinary Medicine. 

Grand Canyon University

Courses at Grand Canyon University that satisfy the prerequisite requirements at the College of Veterinary Medicine. 

Northern Arizona University

Courses at Northern Arizona University that satisfy the prerequisite requirements at the College of Veterinary Medicine. 

Arizona State University

Courses at Arizona State University that satisfy the prerequisite requirements at the College of Veterinary Medicine. 

Pima Community College Prerequisites

Courses at Pima Community College that satisfy the prerequisite requirements at the College of Veterinary Medicine. 

Central Arizona Community College

Courses at the Central Arizona Community College that satisfy the prerequisite requirements at the College of Veterinary Medicine. 

Cochise College Prerequisites

Courses at Cochise College that satisfy the prerequisite requirements at the College of Veterinary Medicine. 

Maricopa Community College

Courses at Maricopa Community College that satisfy the prerequisite requirements at the College of Veterinary Medicine. 

Arizona Western College

Courses at the Arizona Western College that satisfy the prerequisite requirements at the College of Veterinary Medicine. 

Yavapai College

Courses at the Yavapai College that satisfy the prerequisite requirements at the Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine. 

Tohono O’odham Community College

Courses at the Tohono O’odham Community College that satisfy the prerequisite requirements at the Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine. 

Dine College

Courses at the Dine College that satisfy the prerequisite requirements at the Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine. 

South Mountain Community College

Courses at the South Mountain Community College that satisfy the prerequisite requirements at the Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine. 

Speak to Our Admissions Team

To learn more about our program and the recruitment and application process, contact our Admissions team.

Contact Us