No specific undergraduate program is preferred, but students must complete the prerequisite courses listed below. Students can choose to take the prerequisite coursework at a 4-year institution, community college (for lower-division prerequisites), or through an accredited online program. Online lectures and labs are acceptable for any of our prerequisites. Many students choose an animal science or biological science major because these bachelor's degree programs generally include most of the pre-veterinary requirements. A bachelor's degree is not required for admission to the OSU CCVM. If you are a future or current undergraduate student interested in pre-veterinary medicine programs at Oregon State University, contact a pre-veterinary medicine advisor. 

We do not have an expiration date on prerequisite coursework, so any prerequisite courses that you have completed with a C- or better grade, will still be valid. 

If you are interested in applying to the OSU DVM program and have specific questions, please contact Tess.Collins@oregonstate.edu, Assistant Dean of Admissions for the Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine. 

 

Prerequisite Courses

Successful completion (see "Grading" below) of the following undergraduate courses is necessary for admission to the OSU Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine. Please note that some prerequisite requirements are listed in a number of courses while others are listed in credits to accommodate for differences between semester and quarter systems.

Science Prerequisites:

  • Introductory Biology - A course sequence in biology (2 semester or 3 quarter courses). OSU BI 221, 222 and 223 or BI 204, 205, and 206 (restricted to degree seeking Ecampus students)
  • Advanced Biological Sciences - A minimum of at least 4 additional semester or 6 additional quarter credits of upper-division biological science courses with at least one laboratory. Recommended courses include additional biochemistry, additional physiology and/or anatomy, animal reproduction, cell biology, cell physiology, epidemiology, histology, immunology, microbiology, parasitology, and virology.
  • Physics - A course sequence in physics for science majors (2 semester or 2 quarter courses). OSU PH 201 and 202 (PH 203 is optional).
  • General Chemistry - A course sequence in general chemistry with laboratories (2 semester or 3 quarter courses). OSU CH 121, 122, 123 or CH 231, 232, and 233.
  • Organic Chemistry - A minimum of 1 semester or 2 quarters of organic chemistry. OSU CH 331 and 332.
  • Biochemistry - A minimum of 1 semester or 2 quarter courses of upper-division biochemistry. OSU BB 450 and 451.
  • Genetics - A course in general genetics that includes both Mendelian and molecular genetics (1 semester or 1 quarter course). OSU ANS 378, BI 311, or FW 370.
  • Mathematics - A course or course sequence in college level algebra and trigonometry, or higher level math such as calculus.
  • Physiology - A course in animal or human physiology (1 semester or 1 quarter course). OSU ANS 314, Z 431, or Z 423.
  • Statistics - A course in statistics (1 semester or 1 quarter course). OSU ST 201 or ST 351.

 

General Education Prerequisites 

If you have completed a bachelor's degree or plan to by July 1 of the year in which you would be starting the veterinary program, we will automatically consider the following courses fulfilled. If you do not intend to complete a bachelor's degree prior to starting veterinary school, we require the following general education prerequisites.

  • English - At least 4 semester or 6 quarter credits of English writing (e.g. English composition, technical writing).
  • Public Speaking - At least 1 semester or 1 quarter course of public speaking.
  • Humanities/Social Sciences - At least 8 semester or 12 quarter credits of humanities or social sciences courses.

 

Grading

*COVID-19 Updates: The Admissions Committee allowed pass/fail coursework from Winter 2020 term through Spring 2021. We do prefer that applicants receive a letter grade in prerequisite coursework if available, but pass/fail grades were acceptable during that time frame. Online lecture and labs are acceptable during any term. 

All prerequisite courses taken after August 2004 must be graded on an A-F scale and not taken as pass/fail. Any grade below C- in a prerequisite course is considered unsatisfactory and the course cannot be accepted to fulfill a requirement. Applicants can fulfill the requirement by repeating the same course or by substituting a higher-level course in the same field as that of the required course. A student who attends an institution that traditionally does not provide grades will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

In addition to the prerequisite courses, applicants are encouraged to take elective courses to better prepare them for the veterinary curriculum and profession. Suggested elective courses include: animal science courses, business related courses, embryology, and microbiology.

Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and College Level Examination Program (CLEP) exam credits for lower division prerequisite courses are accepted. Credit must be reflected on the official ETS College Board Score report or on an official college transcript.

We do accept online coursework from accredited online programs including Oregon State University Ecampus, which offers nearly all of our prerequisites.

Please note:
Students must complete prerequisite courses by August 1 of the year in which they begin the program. If a student applies in September 2024 for admission into the DVM program in September 2025, all prerequisites must be completed by August 2025.
 

Complete and final academic transcripts for all accepted applicants must be received by OSU CCVM by August 15 of the year in which they are accepted into the program. It is the applicant's responsibility to verify receipt of these materials.

For more information please contact tess.collins@oregonstate.edu

 

Safety

Oregon State University’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is available here. 

 This report, as federally mandated by the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, informs the Oregon State University community of reported crimes occurring on and around OSU campuses for the previous three calendar years.

 A printed copy of the most current Annual Security and Fire Safety Report may be picked up at the Office of Human Resources, 204 Kerr Administration Building, Corvallis, OR 97331 or a copy may be requested by emailing HR.Compliance@oregonstate.edu