Program Overview

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Veterinary Medicine & Surgery, BVMS

Attendance

Full-time

Campus

Preston Campus

Start

September 2025

Duration

5 years

UCAS Code

D100

Delivery

In-person

Foundation year available

Our Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine & Surgery (BVMS) degree has been developed to meet RCVS requirements. The BVMS course prepares you for a variety of veterinary careers.

Course Description

This is a collaborative and professional programme focused on training you to become a veterinary surgeon. During the course, you'll gain the skills to prevent and treat animal health and welfare problems.

Veterinary medicine is a multi-disciplinary subject incorporating:

• Science
• Clinical skills
• Animal behaviour and welfare
• Disease management and epidemiology
• Human-animal relationships

Why Study with Us

• Experience an immersive and practically-focused curriculum with clinical placements from Year 1. You'll be supported with a dedicated student well-being programme.
• We offer contextual admissions. This is a reduced entry tariff for those whose life experience may have resulted in academic challenges.
• Our new way of teaching uses digital technologies to deliver innovative face-to-face teaching. This means we don’t rely on traditional lectures.

Important Information

• Applications for September 2025 are now closed for UK students.
• The application deadline for September 2025 entry for international students was Friday 31 January 2025.

What You'll Do

• You’ll focus on developing practical and professional veterinary skills.
• You'll learn how to deal with ethical dilemmas. Applying your analytical and reasoning skills to a variety of real-life problems.
• You’ll develop patient-centred clinical skills and communicate with colleagues and clients. Whilst learning how to improve the welfare of animals under your care.

Modules

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Compulsory Modules

These modules are set and you have to study these as part of your course.

Veterinary Core 1

This module will provide you with a holistic understanding of how animals function and interact with the wider environment. You will consider the relationship between humans and animals, and develop a professional ethic

Module code: VM1038

Veterinary Core 2

This module will build on your knowledge of how animals function and interact with the wider world. You will learn practical skills in handling animals, including clinical examination and medicine administration. You will learn about this alongside a One Health approach towards animal-related social issues.

Module code: VM2014

BVMS Year 3: Veterinary clinical integration

This module advances prior knowledge by enhancing clinical communication, honing patient history-taking, diagnostic reasoning, and clinical skills using various models. It broadens your understanding of pathology and clinical applications, assesses evidence-based veterinary medicine, and explores the One Health perspective and biostatistics. Additionally, it covers research methodologies and critical analysis.

Module code: VM3015

Veterinary Clinical Consolidation

Develop a deep knowledge of the application of prior modules in the clinical context. This includes a range of pathological presentations and associated diseases across domestic and exotic species. Develop a range of practical and clinical skills and the supporting professional practices.

Module code: VM3012

Veterinary Clinical Application

Prepare for your first day as a new graduate vet. This module brings together all your previous learning from the earlier years of the course. You'll learn in a practical real-life clinical environment. You'll also get exposed to on-the-job practical training & assessment across all common species. Meet the criteria described in the RVCS Day 1 Competencies following completion of the module. Expand your understanding and skills in specific clinical and non-clinical areas through the elective study.

Module code: VM4001

Additional Costs

The following course-related costs are included in your course fees:

• Student membership of the British Veterinary Association for course duration.
• Access to books and journals essential to your course (print and digital) through our 24-hour access library
• An Apple iPad and accessories for you to use through the duration of your course
• Open access and bookable IT equipment such as PCs and laptops
• Branded Navy lab coat for dissection and anatomy
• Dissection Kit
• Hard riding hat
• Name badge

The following course-related costs are not included in your course fees:

• Branded White lab coat for clinical skills - £13.81
• Branded Boiler suit for farm/large animal handling - £33.81
• Warm Thermo Jacket - £37.50
• Waterproof Jacket - TBC
• Waterproof Trousers - TBC
• Steel Capped Wellies - £16.04
• Travel to AHEMS (Animal Handling Extra Mural Studies) and EMS (Extra Mural Studies) placements
• Some AHEMS and EMS placements will also require students to pay for board and lodging
• Travel to various intramural rotations (IMR)
• Optional Branded Long or Short Sleeved Parlour Top - £36.17
• Optional Branded Fleece/Soft Shell Jacket or Gilet - £18 - £32
• Oprional Branded Polo Shirt - TBC

Health Screening

All offers of a place on this course are subject to satisfactory health screening. It is important to note that should your health screening not be satisfactory your offer of a place on this course may be withdrawn.

If your health screening clearance is revoked or changes during the course, you may be required to withdraw from the course even if you have already started.

If you would like to discuss or seek advice in respect of the health screening requirements for this course, please contact the course enquiries team.

Example Timetable for BVMS Year 1

9am	10am	11am	12:00 noon	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm
Free time/ Coaching	Free time/ Coaching	Anatomy	Lunch	One Health One Welfare
Dissection Practical	Lunch	How to Thrive	Free time/ Coaching	Free time/ Coaching
Clinical Skills	Lunch	No teaching
Lab Practical	Lunch	Free time/ Coaching	Integrated TBL	Free time/ Coaching
Animal Handling Practical/Theory	Lunch / Travel time	Lunch / Travel time	Animal Handling Practical/Theory

Contextual Admissions

Widening participation is at the core of our mission. We firmly believe in helping people to seize every opportunity to flourish in education. We offer a reduced entry tariff for those whose life experiences may have resulted in academic challenges.

Placement Opportunities

We're one of the first UK universities to offer placements in Year One on our BVMS course. They're an excellent way to gain the real-world skills and experience you'll need to become a vet.

Student Wellbeing

We've put together a specialist package of Veterinary Medicine student support. It focuses on your general wellbeing and improving your skills as a professional to help with motivation.

Entry Requirements

Applications must be made by the October UCAS deadline.

GCSE requirements

• Maths and English at grade 4/C

A level

• AAB (two science subjects, plus one other) or;
• ABB (three science subjects or two science subjects and Maths) at A2.

Acceptable science subjects are shown in the table below. Subjects must be from different columns e.g. Biology, Economics and Environmental Science, or Physical Education, Physics and Psychology. NOT Biology, Physical Education and Physics, as two of these subjects sit in the same column:

1	2	3	4	5	6
Biology	Chemistry	Physics	Maths	Psychology	Environmental Science
Human Biology			Economics
Physical Education

Equivalents

We accept all corresponding equivalents including BTECs, Access Courses etc. for example:

• Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (1080 glh): DDD*

Pass Diploma at DDD* in Animal Management with at least a Distinction in the following units:

• Animal Biology
• Animal Health and Diseases
• Animal Breeding and Genetics

Pass Diploma at DDD* in Applied Science with at least four from the following optional units:

• Physiology of Human Body Systems
• Human Regulation and Reproduction
• Biological Molecules and Metabolic Pathways
• Genetics and Genetic Engineering
• Diseases and Infections
• Applications of Inorganic Chemistry
• Applications of Organic Chemistry
• BTEC Subsidiary Diploma: D*. If taken in lieu of a 3rd A Level, you will still require two science A Levels at Grade A.
• IELTS 7

All applications are subject to review in line with RCVS fitness to practice requirements.

Fees and Funding

2025/26

UK

Full-time £9,535 per year

International

Full-time £39,000 per year

Additional Costs

As part of your course, there may be additional costs to consider that are not included in your tuition fees. Most of these will be optional, but some courses have essential additional costs.

Scholarships and Bursaries

We offer many scholarships, bursaries, and funds to support you during your studies. Select your country or region to see if you are eligible and how to apply.

Future Career as a Veterinary Surgeon

Graduates of the BVMS course will be able to work as UK registered veterinary surgeons. Subject to successful licensing by the RCVS.

The veterinary medicine and surgery degree will also prepare you for a range of science and research careers. As well as the opportunity for further academic study.

Partner College

• Myerscough College & University Centre

University Centre Myerscough is a TEF Gold winning land-based, science, engineering, and sports-specialist institution based near Preston in Lancashire.