General Requirements

If you are contemplating a career in veterinary medicine, you should acquire a sound foundation in the biological and physical sciences and a general knowledge of the arts and humanities in both high school and college. In addition, you should be motivated by a respect for animals, a sincere desire to serve the public, a propensity for the biological and medical sciences, and a deep interest in promotion of the health of animal and human populations. You must have a high aptitude for scientific study and must possess an excellent moral and ethical character.

Candidates for the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree must complete a minimum of six years of college education. This includes two or more years of pre-veterinary training and four years of professional training. The pre-veterinary requirements may be completed at LSU or at any other accredited college or university offering courses of the quality and content of those prescribed in the LSU General Catalog.

The minimum requirement of 66 semester hours, including 20 hours of elective courses, may be completed in two years. Successful completion of a pre-veterinary program does not ensure admission to the school for professional training. Typically, there are more qualified applicants each year than there are spaces available to the entering class. Instruction in the four-year program is available only through the School of Veterinary Medicine at LSU. Scholastic achievement is measured by performance in the prescribed pre-professional courses. A minimum grade-point average of 3.0 (“A” = 4.00) in these courses is required for consideration for admission. A grade of less than “C” in a required course is unacceptable. Physical education activity courses may not be used as electives for meeting pre-professional requirements. Requirements are not waived in lieu of work experience and/or earned degrees.

Credit earned through advanced standing is acceptable, but is not used in the computation of the grade-point average. Evaluation of the applicant’s record in the pre-professional program is made in accordance with LSU procedures. Credit is not granted for College Level Examination Program (CLEP) general examinations. Granting of credit for CLEP subject examinations may be considered in those subjects recommended by various departments of the University upon receipt of test scores indicating the student meets the minimum acceptable scores required by those departments.