Pre-Veterinary Medicine Studies
The Faculty of Agriculture offers the courses needed to apply to any Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program in Canada. The universities that offer those programs are:
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Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island
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Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph
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Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan
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Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary
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Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal
In Canada, a student will apply to the DVM program in their home region, but can prepare for those programs here at Dalhousie University. All DVM programs in Canada require a minimum of 20 undergraduate single semester courses (60 credit hours) which can normally be completed in 2 years. Although the admission requirements for the different DVM programs vary slightly, all can be completed at Dalhousie. Both the BSc (Agr) (majors in Animal Science or Aquaculture) and the BSc (Bioveterinary Science) programs at the Agricultural Campus are designed to facilitate completion of the preveterinary requirements.
The Faculty of Agriculture offers many benefits to Pre-Vet students. Students will be exposed to animals such as sheep, dairy cattle, poultry, mink and aquaculture species. Students can take part in the active Pre-Vet student club and volunteer to help with lambing, milking, animal care, or aquaculture research on the Agricultural Campus.
Students intending to apply to Veterinary Medicine may register in the Bachelor of Science (Agriculture) with an undeclared major in Pre-Veterinary Studies. Students should meet regularly with an academic advisor throughout their studies to monitor the requirements for both their Dalhousie program and the DVM program for which they intend to apply.
The following is the schedule of recommended courses in first year.
Year I Semester I
AGRI 1000.03: Agricultural Ecosystems
BIOA 1002.03: Biology I
CHMA 1000.03: General Chemistry I
EGLA 1000.03: Composition
MTHA 1000.03: Introductory Calculus I
Year I Semester II
BIOA 1003.03: Biology II
CHMA 1001.03: General Chemistry II
BVSC 1000.03: Overview of the Animal Health Sciences
MTHA 1001.03: Introductory Calculus II
Three credit hours of electives
During first year, students should consult one of our experienced Pre-Vet advisors to select second year courses that best suit their needs and interests.