Applicants must complete the following prerequisite coursework. Questions regarding these prerequisites should be directed to the Professional Program in Veterinary Medicine office (ppvm@unl.edu or 402-472-7306).
| Course and Title | Semester Credit Hours Required | UNL Course Equivalent** |
| General Chemistry with lab* Two semesters of general chemistry for biological science majors. Only one semester of lab required. | 7 credits | CHEM 109A/109L and CHEM 110A |
| Organic Chemistry with lab* Organic chemistry for biological science majors. | 4 credits | CHEM 251 and CHEM 253 |
| Biochemistry* Upper-level (junior/senior) course with organic chemistry as a prerequisite. No lab required. | 3 credits | BIOC 401 or BIOC 431 |
| General Cellular Biology with lab* A cellular biology course for biological science majors. A one year series (i.e., two semesters) that addresses organismal and cellular biology will substitute. A Bachelor's degree in biology also fulfills this requirement. If an appropriate course is taken, the grade in this course will be used in GPA calculations even if a biology degree is earned. Microbiology will not fulfill this requirement. | 4 credits | LIFE 120/120L |
| General Organismal Biology with lab* An organismal biology course for biological science majors. A one year series (i.e., two semesters) that addresses organismal and cellular biology will substitute. A Bachelor's degree in biology also fulfills this requirement. If an appropriate course is taken, the grade in this course will be used in GPA calculations even if a biology degree is earned. | 4 credits | LIFE 121/121L |
| Genetics* A course in Mendelian genetics, molecular genetics, or animal breeding. No lab required. A general genetics course is preferred, but animal breeding/livestock improvement courses will be accepted. | 3 credits | BIOS 206 or PLAS 215 |
| Anatomy and/or Physiology* A course in mammalian anatomy and/or physiology. No lab required. A single course in anatomy or physiology is recommended over a one-semester anatomy/physiology combined course. If you take an anatomy/physiology I course, you must also take anatomy/physiology II to fulfill the requirement even though the number of credit hours will exceed the requirement. Upper-level comparative anatomy or physiology or upper-level vertebrate anatomy or physiology WILL fulfill this requirement. Avian and marine mammal anatomy and/or physiology WILL NOT fulfill this requirement. | 3 credits | ASCI 340 or BIOS 213 or BIOS 214 or VBMS 407 |
| Physics with lab* Physics for biological science majors; should include mechanics, fluids, heat and thermodynamics, vibrations, waves, and sound. | 4 credits | PHYS 141 |
NEW Requirement for 2024-2025 cycle (entering Fall 2025) Suggested topics include anatomy or physiology beyond the prerequisite†, bacteriology, biochemistry beyond the prerequisite, cancer biology, cellular/molecular biology, embryology, endocrinology, epidemiology, genetics beyond the prerequisite, histology, immunology, infectious disease, microbiology, neurology, nutrition/metabolism, parasitology, pharmacology, reproductive physiology, toxicology, or virology. Courses MUST have a predominant biomedical science focus. Not all upper-level science courses meet this requirement, even those that are rigorous and cover topics that are otherwise relevant to veterinary medicine. This includes courses that focus on animal behavior, animal disease prevention/management, animal welfare, artificial insemination, biometry, companion animal management, conservation biology, ecology, environmental physiology, equine management, evolution, herpetology, human-animal interactions, ichthyology, laboratory animal management, livestock (dairy/beef/swine/etc.) systems/management, mammalogy, oceanography, ornithology, poultry systems/management, and veterinary laboratory principles. | 9 credits | ASCI 340†, 341, 421, 442, 443 or 444 or BIOS 312, 326, 385, 402, 420, 432, 440, 442, 443 or 487 or VBMS 407†, 408, 410 or 441 |
| English Composition Two semesters of composition or writing emphasis courses. May include business or technical writing. A Bachelor's degree counts for one-half of this requirement. | 6 credits | ENGL 150, 151 or 254 or JGEN 120, 200 or 300 or any UNL ACE 1 course |
| Oral Communication A course in public speaking, interpersonal communication, or group/organizational communication. A speaking emphasis course will also be accepted. A Bachelor's degree fulfills this requirement. | 3 credits | COMM 101, 109, 209, 283 or 286 or any UNL ACE 2 course |
| Arts, Humanities and/or Social Sciences Foreign language instruction and skill courses (music/art/dance lessons) do not fulfill this requirement. | 6 credits | |
| Electives | 8 credits |
*Science Requirement--These courses are used to calculate the required science GPA.
**Additional courses may fulfill these requirements. To receive verification that a course not specifically listed on the table above can be used to fulfill the requirements, please contact the Professional Program in Veterinary Medicine office at ppvm@unl.edu or 402-472-7306. Requests for verification must include the course institution, name, prefix, number, credit hours, and description. Additional information or documentation (e.g., course syllabus, term completed) may also be requested.
Applicants for admission to the Professional Program in Veterinary Medicine must have completed 64 semester credits by the end of the spring term of the year in which the applicant seeks to be admitted. If a course is repeated, the most recent grade received will be used in the GPA calculation and replaces any previous grades.
All science requirements should be fulfilled by the time of application or scheduled for completion by the end of the fall term in which the applicant applies. However, if necessary, the applicant may complete up to two required science courses after the fall term providing a transcript with the courses and grades listed is posted by July 1 of the year the applicant would enter. There is no maximum number of non-science required courses that may be completed but the transcript deadline of July 1 applies.
Any required science course taken more than ten years ago may be subject to review and the applicant may be asked for further information or to repeat the course.
A bachelor's degree is not required for admission to the Professional Program in Veterinary Medicine unless it is being used to fulfill a requirement such as Oral Communication or three credits of English Composition. Required courses must be taken from a regionally accredited college or university on a graded A-F basis. No required course may be taken under the Pass/Not Pass or Satisfactory/Fail grading system or similar options.
All required coursework must be completed with a grade of "C'" (2.00) or better to fulfill the requirement. A "C-minus" or lower is not acceptable. In order to accommodate multiple institutions’ adaptations to grading as a result of COVID-19, coursework taken Pass/Fail in Winter/Spring 2020 through Spring 2021 will also fulfill the requirement if completed with a grade of “Pass.”
Advance Placement (AP) and College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
The specific courses to which the AP/CLEP credits were applied must show on the official transcript or a signed letter on letterhead from the institution's registrar must be submitted showing to which specific courses the AP/CLEP credits were applied. This letter must be emailed to ppvm@unl.edu.