Veterinary Specialties
Anesthesia | Dentistry | Emergency & Critical Care | Internal Medicine | Ophthalmology | Pharmacology | Radiology | Rehabilitation | Surgery | Zoological Medicine | and more!
Students preparing for a veterinarian career are classified as Pre-Veterinary. To qualify for admission to a veterinary program, students must take the necessary prerequisites for each school. A bachelor's degree is strongly recommended.
FAQs
What do I need to become a veterinarian?
In order to become a veterinarian, an individual must earn a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree, DVM. Though a bachelor's degree is not required for admission to a veterinary program, a bachelor's is strongly recommended and will make a candidate more competitive for admission.
To specialize in a particular area within the veterinary field, additional training and an examination is required (AVMA, 2018).
Which major should I select at UNT for a pre-vet path?
Popular majors among pre-veterinary students at UNT:
- Bachelor of Arts in Biology, College of Science
- Bachelor of Science in Biology, College of Science
- Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, College of Science
- Option III would be the best fit for pre-health students
Note: Veterinary programs do not require a particular bachelor's degree. While completing the prerequisites for each DVM program, we encourage you to select a major in which you have a strong interest or passion.
For more information about each major, please visit the UNT Catalog and select 'majors, minors, certificates' that is found beneath the link to ‘Catalog Home’.
What courses do I need for veterinary programs?
Please refer to our Pre-Veterinary Packet to see the prerequisites for Texas' two veterinary schools. To review prerequisites for veterinary programs outside of Texas, please refer to each individual school's website.
Timeline: When do I apply to veterinary school?
Students must apply to veterinary schools one year before entering a program. On the traditional four-year path, students will apply during the summer after their junior year of college, complete their bachelor's degree at the end of their senior year, and enter veterinary school the following fall semester.
Note: Each student's timeline is different. Your UNT academic advisor/counselor is committed to creating a plan that accommodates your individual goals and circumstances.
Call, click or come by for more information!
Office of Health Professions: 940-369-7500 | HealthCareers@unt.edu | Hickory Hall, Room 256
What makes a competitive application to veterinary school?
Admission to veterinary programs is very competitive and students should create a strategic plan well in advance. Below you will find typical categories of a competitive application. Please contact our advisors in the UNT Office of Health Professions to further explore each competitive characteristic and to create your pre-veterinary plan.
| CATEGORY | COMPETITIVE |
|---|---|
| GPA | 3.6-4.0 |
| GRE | Verbal: 155+ Quantitative: 155+ Writing: 4+ |
| Shadowing/ Vet Experience |
100+ Hours |
| Community Service | 100+ Hours |
What is the GRE?
The Graduate Record Examination, GRE, is the entrance exam that must be taken before applying to veterinary programs. The score range for the verbal and quantitative sections of the GRE is 130-170. The range for the writing section is 0-6. For more information about the GRE, please visit the official ETS website.
How do I apply to veterinary school?
Veterinary programs in the United States use two applications services to obtain your information:
Texas Medical & Dental Application Service, TMDSAS
Schools using TMDSAS:
Texas A&M University Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
Veterinary Medical College Application Service, VMCAS
Schools using VMCAS:
All schools outside of Texas
Are there any scholarships available to pre-veterinary students?
Yes, the following scholarship is offered to pre-health students:
The Dr. Charles D. and Vernil Mitchell Endowed Scholarship
To be considered, a student must enroll as a full-time undergraduate student in any degree-granting major in the College of Science and be a graduate of any high school in Dallas ISD. For more information about this scholarship please contact Todd Lang.
Additionally, general scholarships are offered to students through each department and college across campus. Below you will find the scholarship webpage for the popular majors listed above:
- Biology Major Scholarships
If you do not see your major listed under the college listed above, please visit the scholarship website of the college that houses your major.
What pre-health student organizations and professional associations are there at UNT?
HERE you will find a list of health-related student organizations at UNT.
Professional Organizations and Resources
American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges
American Veterinary Medical Association
Becoming a Veterinarian
Texas Veterinary Medical Association
Explore Health Careers
Who can help me create a plan for this career path?
If you are a current student, please visit unt.navigate.eab.com to schedule an appointment.
For general questions email: HealthCareers@unt.edu
To view contact information for individual pre-health advisors, visit this site. On the left, under "Office of Health Professions Pre-Health Advising" you will find all of the pre-health advisors' emails.
If you are a current student, join our canvas course to receive important announcements and view resources related to your pre-veterinary journey.
References:
American Veterinary Medical Foundation (2018). Veterinary specialists. Retrieved from https://www.avma.org/public/YourVet/Pages/veterinary-specialists.aspx