A career in veterinary medicine gives students the opportunity to model the best in themselves through their compassionate attention to animals’ health, welfare, and conservation. Never before has animal life been of greater interest to our increasingly urbanized society or of greater importance to our agricultural production of food. And, never before has our obligation to care for animals been higher.

Although not a requirement for veterinary school admissions, students pursing veterinary medicine may major in biology with a pre-veterinary medicine emphasis and receive the coursework and advising they need to be well-prepared for veterinary schools around the world.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a strong increase in the number of veterinarians from 2016 to 2026 (19%).

Students become veterinarians, or professionals in related fields, such as:

• Agribusiness
• Graduate school in science
• Public health
• Research
• Wildlife conservation
• Zoology

The College of Arts and Sciences Advising Center maintains curriculum guides for all emphases in the biology major. It is also important to determine program specific requirements for the veterinary schools where you will apply. The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges maintains specific requirements of veterinary schools on their College Descriptor Pages.

Early consultation with pre-veterinary advisors in the biology department and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Academic Advising Center is strongly encouraged. Additional pre-veterinary advising resources can be found on the GVSU Biology webpage under Pre-Veterinary Advising information.

Transfer Students

All transfer students should work closely with their academic advisor in the biology department and our professional advisors in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Advising Center.

Your college experience should involve much more than your coursework.  It is important to build your professional network, and involvement in student organizations is a great way to meet and interact with other students having similar interests, to potentially meet professionals in your area of interest, and if you are willing to step up, to gain leadership experience.  You may find information on student organizations associated with biology on our webpage and may search all student organizations through our Office of Student Life.

For students selecting an emphasis in Pre-Veterinary Medicine, two student organizations stand out, our Pre-Veterinary Medicine Club and Pre-Professional Clubs.