Pre-veterinary Medicine

Purdue University in West Lafayette

A Purdue University undergraduate degree offers great preparation for any veterinary medical program. The Pre-veterinary Medicine plan of study is a career goal and does not lead to a baccalaureate degree from Purdue. The purpose of this plan of study is to meet prerequisite requirements for admission to most doctor of veterinary medicine (DVM) programs.

Pre-veterinary students may choose from among Purdue's more than 200 undergraduate majors based on their academic interests and abilities. Strong grades, demanding courses, and a well-rounded curriculum are more important to DVM programs than a student’s undergraduate major. Students are encouraged to pursue a major they enjoy rather than one they think the professional schools’ admissions committees would like to see. Students who enjoy what they study generally achieve greater success.

Although not required to apply to DVM programs, it is recommended that students major in a specific department.  When considering an undergraduate major, students should consider a major that provides a viable, parallel plan for a baccalaureate degree if professional school goals are not met. 

Purdue students who plan to pursue admission to DVM programs often choose undergraduate majors within one of the colleges or schools listed below. Many students choose to begin in the pre-veterinary medicine program in the College of Agriculture or one of the life science majors in the College of Science, which have plans of study specifically designed for students interested in applying to veterinary school. Students who select majors in other Purdue colleges work closely with their Purdue academic advisors to satisfy the degree requirements of their major while completing the prerequisites for admission to DVM programs.

• College of Agriculture
• College of Engineering
• College of Health and Human Sciences
• College of Liberal Arts
• College of Pharmacy
• College of Science

At Purdue, pre-professional students (pre-medicine, pre-law, pre-vet etc.) have access to an academic advisor for their specific undergraduate major as well as to the Center for Pre-Professional Advising, which helps students achieve their professional school goals through services and resources including:

• Individual advising
• Group workshops
• Guidance in preparing to become a competitive professional school applicant
• Assistance with professional school applications
• Career guidance