Program Overview

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Veterinary Medicine and Surgery BVetMS

Year of entry

• 2026 - for 2026 entry see here - for 2025 entry see here

UCAS code

• D100

Duration of study

• 5 years

Course summary

Achieve your ambition to pursue a career in the exciting and rewarding field of veterinary medicine and surgery. We offer a unique delivery model that combines the expertise and resources of two outstanding universities enabling you to develop into a dedicated and compassionate veterinary professional.

Why study Veterinary Medicine and Surgery at Keele University?

• Combined expertise and facilities from two high-quality institutions
• Benefit from a wide range of clinical placement opportunities
• Study within new state-of-the-art veterinary school buildings on both campuses
• On campus farm and companion animal facilities at Harper Adams
• State-of-the-art laboratory and clinical facilities at both Harper and Keele

Course overview

This five-year, dynamic programme provides you with the specialist skills required for a varied and challenging career in veterinary medicine and surgery. It is delivered by two highly respected universities, and you will benefit from their excellent joint facilities and academic expertise. Harper Adams has a superb reputation for animal sciences combined with exceptional resources, including an on-campus farm and companion animal facilities. Keele University has an impressive track record in health and life sciences and excellent state-of-the-art teaching laboratories.

This is a highly practical and clinically focused programme where you will study key concepts in the veterinary medicine field, which will increase in complexity as you progress on the course. Teaching is delivered by experienced educators including scientists, veterinary surgeons, and other professionals. You will also have multiple opportunities to engage with students on other programmes which will give you an invaluable insight into the roles of allied professionals.

You will experience authentic work placements on your clinical rotations with our network of vet practice partners and other related businesses. These help you to build up your practical experience and develop a portfolio of professional, clinical skills.

We give you the clinical skills and expert know-how to become a resilient and confident veterinary professional. This includes equipping you with techniques to look after your own health and wellbeing so you can be confident operating in what can be a demanding and challenging veterinary profession. Both universities provide an excellent student support environment for you throughout all aspects of the programme.

During your studies you will spend full days on either campus, mainly at your ‘host’ university and travelling to the other campus to access specialist facilities when necessary.

Harper Keele Veterinary School

For more information such as course structure, including the full Programme Specification, and Harper Keele Veterinary School open days, please visit the Harper Keele Veterinary School website.

Course structure

Modules for Veterinary Medicine and Surgery

The module details given below are indicative, they are intended to provide you with an idea of the range of subjects that are taught to our current students. The modules that will be available for you to study in future years are prone to change as we regularly review our teaching to ensure that it is up-to-date and informed by the latest research and teaching methods, as well as student voice. The information presented is therefore not intended to be construed and/or relied upon as a definitive list of the modules available in any given year.

Foundation year

Foundation year content based on prop being passed to component

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Year one modules

Compulsory modules

• Veterinary Anatomy & Physiology
• Animal Management for Health and Production
• Animal Behaviour and Welfare
• Professional Skills and Academic Practice
• Competency Development & Attainment - Phase 1

Year two modules

Compulsory modules

• Comparative Anatomy and Physiology
• Animal Health Sciences
• Veterinary Epidemiology and Population Medicine
• Communication and Professional Skills
• Competency Development & Attainment - Phase 2

Year three modules

Compulsory modules

• Veterinary Pathology
• Preparation for Clinical Practice
• Veterinary Public Health and State Veterinary Medicine
• Law, Ethics and Professional Practice
• Competency Development & Attainment - Phase 3

Year four modules

Compulsory modules

• Clinical Rotations
• Competency Development & Attainment - Phase 5

Double Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework

Keele is one of only 15 broad-based universities in England - out of over 100 - to have been awarded Gold in both the 2017 and 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) exercises, demonstrating our consistent teaching excellence.

Additional opportunities

Foundation year Explore more

There are a range of additional opportunities for this course. Please note that undertaking one may impact the availability of another.

Entry requirements

These are the typical entry requirements for this course for a range of UK and international qualifications. If your qualifications aren't listed, please contact us to check if we can accept them. If you don't think you'll meet the stated requirements, you may be able to access this course via a Foundation Year.

Additional information

For Entry Requirements for Veterinary Medicine, please see the Harper Keele Vet School Veterinary Medicine course page.

A wide range of qualifications are considered suitable for entry onto the course. For further information please contact the Harper Keele Veterinary School admissions team:

English language requirements

All our courses require an English language qualification or test. Most students meet this through a 4 or C in GCSE English. Please visit our English Language pages for details, including test information for international students. For students who require a test, this course requires a result from .

Alternative and contextual offers

We're committed to ensuring equality of opportunity for applicants with the potential and motivation to succeed, regardless of background. We offer alternative offer schemes with clear eligibility criteria, including contextual offers, offers for those studying in the Keele region, and recognition of a range of additional qualifications.

General information

The entry grades outlined indicate the typical offer, along with any subject specific requirements. This is for general information only. Keele University reserves the right to vary conditions based upon a candidate's application.

Social life, societies and sports

Find out more

Accommodation

Find out more

Local area and travel

Find out more

Boost your employability

Find out more

Fees and funding

Tuition fees for 2025/26 academic year

• UK: £9,535 for the 2025/6 academic year (subject to Parliamentary approval).
• International:

Please note, our 2026/27 entry fees have not yet been set. We set our fees on an annual basis and they will be updated here once set.

For Home students, the University's fees are regulated by the UK Government and may be subject to change in subsequent years of your course in-line with government policy or legal requirements. For continuing international students, fees will increase annually by RPI, with a maximum cap of 5% per year.

For details of our international fee bands visit our Undergraduate tuition fees page.

Going to university can be daunting as well as exciting. It's important to understand the costs and financial support available.

Our Student Financial Support team offers confidential advice and guidance to help you manage your money, resolve issues with Student Finance, create a budget, explore your options if you're facing financial hardship, and access any funding you are eligible for, such as bursaries and scholarships.

For more information visit our undergraduate fees and funding pages.

Your future career

Keele’s Careers and Employability team offers a variety of personal and career development opportunities to enhance your employability. From mock interviews, careers guidance and CV advice, to careers fairs and networking events, along with helping you find part-time and graduate employment - the team will support you throughout your studies and beyond.

Find out more about Careers and Employability Support at Keele

Your future career

Find out more about our careers and employability services, including career planning, alumni mentoring, jobs, internships, starting your own business and much more.

Foundation year

Studying a Foundation Year, for whatever reason, offers an alternative route to Keele, and provides a unique opportunity to better prepare for your chosen degree. That extra year of study can improve your academic skills, expand your subject knowledge and, perhaps most importantly, build your confidence.

Foundation year

Foundation year overview September entry overview January entry overview

Our Foundation Year provides an excellent alternative route to Keele, providing a unique opportunity to better prepare for your chosen degree.

This extra year of study can improve your academic skills, expand your subject knowledge, give you a better understanding of higher education and, perhaps most importantly of all, build your confidence.

Upon meeting the progression criteria and successfully completing our Foundation Year, you will be eligible to transfer to the Bachelor Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (BVetMS) degree at Harper & Keele Veterinary School.

Keele University is consistently ranked among the top universities for student satisfaction, and we have over 70 years' experience of teaching a foundation year to students. On the Keele Foundation Year, you'll study on campus, joining our undergraduate community from the outset, with access to all the facilities and support that you'd get as an undergraduate student at Keele.

September entry overview

The information in this Foundation Year section is for UK/Home applicants. Where an international Foundation Year is available, please see the 'Information for international students' tab.

Our Foundation Year allows you to develop your critical thinking, academic reading, writing, and communication study skills along with subject-specific knowledge and skills which will be invaluable in your academic studies and beyond. Upon meeting the progression criteria and successfully completing our Foundation Year, you will be eligible to transfer to the Bachelor Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (BVetMS) degree at Harper & Keele Veterinary School.

This Foundation Year is a two-semester programme which provides a tailored pre-degree programme of study to better prepare you for the Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (BVetMS). For example, the Foundations of Life Sciences module looks at basic cell biology in terms of structure and function and go on to examine how cells obtain their energy and raw materials. It considers how organisms interact and analyses the effects of climate change on ecosystems.

Find out more about the Keele Foundation Year, including information about teaching and assessment methods by visiting the Foundation Year homepage.

The module details given below are indicative, they are intended to provide you with an idea of the range of subjects that are taught to our current students. The modules that will be available for you to study in future years are prone to change as we regularly review our teaching to ensure that it is up-to-date and informed by the latest research and teaching methods. The information presented is therefore not intended to be construed and/or relied upon as a definitive list of the modules available in any given year.

Semester One Modules

• FYO-00185 | Practical and Academic Skills in Science | 15 credits
• FYO-00211 | Foundations in Numerical and Quantitative Methods for Scientists | 15 credits
• FYO-00197 | Foundations of Life Sciences | 15 credits
• FYO-00189 | Foundations in Chemistry | 15 credits

Semester Two Modules

• FYO-00199 | Advancing Life Sciences | 30 credits
• FYO-00271 | University Research Portfolio | 30 credits

Foundation Year Entry Requirements

The entry grades outlined in this section indicate the likely offer or range of offers which would be made to candidates along with any subject specific requirements. This is for general information only. Keele University reserves the right to vary offer conditions depending upon a candidate’s application. Read more about our undergraduate entry requirements for United Kingdom, European Union and International students.

Applicants wishing to progress onto Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (BVetMS) are required to have:

A Levels

• GCE A Level grades ABC/BBB - please note this is not a suitable route if you have taken, or are currently studying both A Level Biology AND Chemistry

BTEC

• DDM

International Baccalaureate

• H5,H5,H5 or 30 overall - please note this is not a suitable route if you have taken, or are currently studying, both Higher Level Biology AND Chemistry

Access to HE

• Obtain Access to HE Diploma with 122 UCAS Tariff points including a minimum of 30 L3 credits at Distinction. Must not be taking Biology AND Chemistry. And, if the gap between commencement of the Diploma and prior formal study is at least three years, the minimum GCSE requirement is each of Maths, English Language and Science GCSE grades B/6

GCSE Requirements

• Normally a minimum of 5 GCSEs at A/7 including Science and Additional Science (or Biology and Chemistry) with at least B/6 in English Language; Maths and Physics (if taken as a separate GCSE). If you do not have this GCSE profile please contact Admissions for further guidance on .

Please note to progress on to this programme from the foundation year, students will be required to pass the Veterinary Medicine and Surgery selection event and successfully complete the Foundation Year at the required threshold grades of 70% in each semester 2 module. Students are also encouraged to gain some relevant work experience in both a vets practice and an animal environment.

If you wish to apply for the Foundation pathway for Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (BVetMS) please state this in the further details box in the choices section of your UCAS application form and also in your personal statement.

How to Apply

Students will need to apply for BSc (Hons) Bioveterinary Science with Foundation Year (UCAS code D103) through UCAS at Applicants need to state that the application is for the Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (BVetMS) course in the further details box in the choices section of the UCAS application form and in your personal statement.

Direct Entry Students

If you are a UK student, already have your qualifications, are not expecting any further results and only wish to apply to Keele, please contact the Admissions Office directly.

January entry overview

The information in this Foundation Year section is for UK/Home applicants. Where an international Foundation Year is available, please see the 'Information for international students' tab.

We also offer a January start for some of our Foundation Year courses. Adopting a blended learning approach, the January start is particularly useful for students wishing to return to education following time out of studying, or who are seeking a flexible approach to their Foundation Year studies. Our January start is available across most of our Science, Humanities, Social Science, Health and Business courses.

Whilst still being a full-time course, our blended delivery model combines live teaching sessions - both online and on-campus - with self-directed study, enabling you to predominantly study at a time that suits your lifestyle. You will benefit from weekly online taught sessions which encourage you to engage with your teachers and peers.

In addition to online study there will be a series of full study days that you will be required to attend throughout each semester. These sessions may include lab-based activities, group work, review of course and assessment materials studied online. They will emphasise opportunities for you to deepen your knowledge and understanding of your chosen route.

Please refer to the September start tab for more information about the entry requirements and what you will study. The modules that you will take on a January start Foundation Year will be similar to those for the September start, but on a compressed timescale and tailored to a blended learning approach (with the majority of learning taking place online).

For more information, including fees, the UCAS code for this course, how to apply, and how you will be taught, please visit our January Start Foundation Year webpage.

Information for international students

Our International Foundation Year is delivered on campus through Keele University International College (KUIC). Find out more about the International Foundation Year options on the KUIC website.