The University of Georgia (UGA), the nations’ first chartered state-supported university, is a research-intensive land-grant and sea-grant university. It is currently ranked among the top 20 public universities in U.S. News & World Report. The Department of Physiology & Pharmacology at the University of Georgia offers three degree programs.

Founded over 60 years ago, the University of Georgia Veterinary School educates vet students, provides medical treatment for animals and is committed to research.”

University Of Georgia Vet School Overview

The University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine is one of fourteen schools and colleges at the University of Georgia and one of only twenty-eight colleges of veterinary medicine in the United States. The faculty has national and international expertise in nearly every medical field, especially poultry diseases, infectious diseases, colic and lameness in horses, and pet bird diseases, among others. In 2014 the college had an enrollment of 426 students earning a doctorate in veterinary medicine and 67 Ph.D. candidates.

The College of Veterinary Medicine started small. Formed in 1946, the school was housed in Hardman Hall, formerly a livestock-judging pavilion and U.S. Navy warehouse, which was remodeled for laboratory use. War-surplus refabricated buildings served as the large and small animal hospitals. Classes opened in September of that year, with two professors and fifty-six students using borrowed tables and microscopes. They dispensed veterinary care in these makeshift facilities, until the new building was ready for occupancy in 1953. The first class graduated in 1950.

The college also offers internships and residencies, in addition to graduate programs leading to the master of science and doctor of philosophy degrees. Notable among them is the unique master of avian medicine degree program, which provides veterinarians specialized training in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of poultry diseases.

The college’s teaching program is based on the premise that veterinary medicine is a unique combination of medical, agricultural, and biological sciences. It is a health profession that applies principles of biomedical sciences to health and disease in animals. In the first three years of the four-year curriculum, students learn the basic medical sciences and their clinical application. The fourth year is devoted entirely to applying that knowledge in real-life clinical situations.

Much of the students’ clinical training takes place in the college’s veterinary hospital. After fifty years of growth and expansion, the number of cases seen in the hospital has grown to an estimated 20,000 animals a year—horses, dogs, cats, birds, cattle, sheep, and pigs, among others. Most of the animals admitted to the hospital have unusual, complex, or critical conditions. They are referred by the client’s veterinarian for treatment that can be found only in specially staffed and equipped facilities like the college’s veterinary hospital.

But the foremost objective of the hospital is to give students hands-on experience in the diagnosis and treatment of animals. Students are supervised by faculty members who are board-certified in various specialties of veterinary medicine and surgery, including internal medicine, surgery, radiology, dermatology, ophthalmology, cardiology, neurology, anesthesiology, reproduction, food animal and equine medicine and surgery, and herd health management.

The faculty’s involvement in veterinary medical research advances the profession while contributing to the education of graduate students. Studies are conducted on diseases of farm animals, pets, wildlife, poultry, fish, marine life, and laboratory animals. Veterinary research has important implications for human health as well, by increasing food production and protecting the food supply from diseases transmitted from animals to man.

Diagnostic laboratories in Tifton and Athens, staffed by the college’s diagnosticians and technicians, are an important service to practicing veterinarians, animal owners, and citizens of the state and nation. Partially funded by the Georgia Department of Agriculture, these laboratories test more than 100,000 samples a year submitted by veterinarians for a wide variety of disease-causing agents, such as viruses, bacteria, parasites, and toxins, to help practicing veterinarians and clinicians at the college diagnose and prevent diseases, determine cause of death, and advance teaching and research. They also provide important animal disease surveillance by reporting information to state regulatory agencies about the emergence of common diseases, as well as foreign diseases, including mad cow disease and foot and mouth disease. In addition, they identify and report the appearance of human diseases that may threaten public health.

In 2006 the college’s Animal Health Research Center, a 75,000-square-foot facility, opened in Athens. Researchers at the center focus on developing vaccines and treatments for infectious diseases found in hogs, horses, poultry, pets, and wild animals, among others. That same year the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta collaborated with the school to offer both faculty members and students the opportunity to work and study at the aquarium’s Center for Aquatic Animal Medicine.

Since its beginnings more than fifty years ago, the College of Veterinary Medicine has risen to national and international prominence. Its graduates are in great demand, and many have become leaders in their profession.

University Of Georgia Vet School Pre-Veterinary Medicine

Pre-Veterinary Medicine is not a major, but rather a compilation of courses and experiences to prepare students for next steps. Professional schools evaluate achievement in required prerequisites, regardless of major. We recommend for students to choose a major they enjoy and in which they can excel.

For Pre-Health inquiries, students are encouraged to contact us to receive assistance in planning when to take these prerequisite courses. Students will receive academic advisement for their chosen degree program with their assigned Academic Advisor.

A competitive GPA is essential when considering a career in the health field. Students must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA to remain in the Pre-Veterinary Program. Our experience is that students with a GPA below 3.0 are, unfortunately, not competitive.

The courses listed below are generally required for veterinary schools in our region, in addition to the courses necessary for Graduate Record Examination (GRE) preparation. We encourage students to seek out and familiarize themselves with the prerequisite and admission test requirements of their intended veterinary school(s), as requirements may vary.

Biology Courses*

• BIOL 1107/1107L: Principles of Biology I/Lab (4)
• BIOL 1108/1108L: Principles of Biology II/Lab (4)
• BIOL 3134: Cell and Molecular Biology (3)
• BIOL 3131: Principles of Physiology (3)
• BIOL 3133: Evolution and Ecology (3)

Chemistry Courses

• CHEM 1211K: Principles of Chemistry I/Lab (4)
• CHEM 1212K: Principles of Chemistry II/Lab (4)
• CHEM 3401: Organic Chemistry I/Lab (4)
• CHEM 3402: Organic Chemistry II/Lab (4)
• BCHM 5201: Biochemistry I/Lab (4), or BCHM 3200: Principles of Biochemistry (3)

Mathematics and Physics Courses

• MATH 1112 or 1113: Trigonometry or Pre-Calculus, if necessary (3)
• MATH 1441: Calculus I (4)
• STAT 1401: Intro to Statistics (3)
• PHYS 1111K: Intro to Physics I /Lab (4), or 2211: Principles of Physics I/Lab (4)
• PHYS 1112K: Intro to Physics II/Lab (4), or PHYS 2212: Principles of Physics II/Lab (4)

Additional courses to consider

• BIOL 4130: Genetics (3)
• BIOL 4240: Biology of Microorganisms (4)
• BIOL 5131: Cell Biology (3)
• BIOL 5230/5210: Comparative Animal Physiology/Lab (4)
• BIOL 5241: Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy (4)
• COMM 1110: Public Speaking (3)
• Animal Science courses*

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM)

Students in the College of Veterinary Medicine follow a four-year program of study. The first three years of the program integrate knowledge of the basic medical sciences with clinical application. The fourth year, however, focuses entirely on applying that knowledge in clinical situations. During these last 14 months of the program, students are given the flexibility to choose their concentration. Out of 32 clinical rotation choices, a student may choose to focus on either large or small animals, or choose a more general course of study.

Facilities

The College of Veterinary Medicine is made up of clinics, offices, laboratories, and classrooms designed to meet the needs of the students, faculty, and staff.  The Teaching Hospital wing houses the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, classrooms, and the Veterinary Medical Reading Room. Additional space for maintaining animals is available at a nearby farm and at the Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center. The current Teaching Hospital, built in 1979, is one of the smallest in the states. However, UGA is working to raise $25M toward building a new Veterinary Medical Center which will include a new teaching hospital as well as additional classrooms and laboratories.

The University Of Georgia Vet School

“Founded over 60 years ago, the University of Georgia Veterinary School educates vet students, provides medical treatment for animals and is committed to research.”

Quick Facts

1. Application Deadline
All applications are due October 2 at 1:00 pm EST for Fall 2013.

2. GRE or MCAT
The GRE is required; MCAT is not permissible as a substitute. The test must have been taken within the 5 years immediately preceding application deadline. Results must be electronically reported by October 2, 1:00 pm EST.

3. Students
There are 405 students in the DVM program at UGA Vet School.

4. Four-year Total Tuition Cost
based on 2014-2015 tuition rates

GA Resident Tuition: $73,416($18,354 per year)
*Contract Tuition: $73,416($18,354 per year)
Nonresident Tuition: $110,800($27,700 per year)
**At Large Students: $184,216 ($46,054 per year)

*For students from Delaware and South Carolina who qualify for the SREB contract program: your state pays the SREB contract fee/non-resident contract fee.

**Applicants not verified as a Georgia resident for tuition purposes or who do not qualify for the Delaware or South Carolina contract program (“At Large” students) are required to pay veterinary student tuition and fees, as well as a non-resident contract fee, each and every year they are enrolled in the College. The number shown here is the total amount of tuition and fees, plus the non-resident contract fee.

5. Accreditation
The University of Georgia Veterinary School is fully accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education. The next site visit scheduled is2013.

Minimum Pass Rate to remain in Good Standing: 80%
NAVLE pass rate for University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine: 94% (2011-2012)
NAVLE = North American Veterinary Licensing Examination

6. School Rank
The University of Georgia Veterinary School was ranked #9
by US News and World Reports in 2011.

7. School History
The University of Georgia Veterinary School graduated its first class of 44 students in 1950. The college began its teaching hospital in surplus WWII prefabricated buildings prior to the new facilities which were completed in 1951. In November, 2005 the second female dean of a College of Veterinary Medicine took office at UGA Vet School.

8. Transfer Students
Accepted

Admissions Information

Admissions Procedures
Criteria

• Program of Study
• Veterinary Experience
• Animal Experience
• References
• Employment History
• Personal Statement
• Extracurricular Activities

Letters of Recommendation/Evaluations (a total of 3)

• Veterinarian (at least 1 is required)
• Other two should be from those who can evaluate your background fairly and judge veterinary potential

Acceptance Rate
18% (102 accepted out of 555 applicants – Fall 2012)

Out of the typical 102 of the accepted incoming students:

• 18 are for contract students (1 for Delaware and 17 for South Carolina)
• The remaining are a mixture of Georgia and non-resident, non-contract

Timetable

• VMCAS Application Deadline – Oct 2 at 1:00 pm EST
• Supplemental Application Deadline – Oct 2 at 1:00 pm EST
• GRE Score Deadline – Oct 2
• Acceptances Mailed – mid-March

Before You Apply

Pre-requisite Course Requirements
All pre-requisite courses should be completed with a C (2.0) or better prior to fall matriculation. In general, pre-requisite requirements cannot usually be met by online
courses.

Math and Science Prerequisite Courses (in semester hours)

• Biology 1 & 2 and labs (8)
• Advanced Biology Courses – recommended: comparative anatomy, microbiology, cell biology, genetics (8)
• Inorganic Chemistry 1 & 2 and labs (8)
• Organic Chemistry 1 & 2 and labs (8)
• Biochemistry (3)
• Physics I and II and labs (8)

General Education Requirements

• Humanities or Social Studies (14)
• English (6)

Required Experience
All University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine applicants
must have a minimum of 250 hours of veterinary experience. This experience must be under the direct supervision of a veterinarian. If the experience is not under direct supervision of a veterinarian, the experience is counted as ‘animal experience.’

University Of Georgia Vet School Tuition, Fees & Financial Support 

Graduate Standard Rates per semester for FY 2020-2021 (Master & PhD Candidates):
In-State Tuition: $4,439
Out-of-State: $12,593

Undergraduate Standard Rate per semester for FY 2020-2021:
In-State Tuition: $4,895
Out-of-State: $14,415

Mandatory fees are $1,415 per semester. Research Assistantship and Teaching Assistantship are available for qualified PhD students.