Pre-Veterinary Medicine
The pre-veterinary medicine program at North Dakota State University provides students the opportunity to complete all of the requirements for admission to any of the AVMA-accredited veterinary colleges.
The Program
The pre-veterinary medicine program is not a degree-granting program. It is important, therefore, to identify an appropriate major early in your college career that does grant a degree. There are several reasons for committing to a degree-granting program. Although the pre-veterinary medicine requirements can be met in three years, most veterinary colleges give extra consideration for a degree when you apply. Additionally, a significant number of students make changes in career goals while at NDSU. Therefore, identifying a degree-granting program early often saves time later. We strongly encourage you to explore alternative careers by taking survey courses in various departments, by enrolling in career planning courses and by taking full advantage of the Career Resource Center located in the Counseling Center in Ceres Hall. Survey courses related to potential majors are found in many areas, including microbiology, animal science, biology, equine science, chemistry, biochemistry, zoology, food safety and food science.
Veterinary School Preparation
The pre-veterinary medicine program prepares students for admission to all veterinary colleges in the United States, Canada and selected foreign countries. Most North Dakota residents, however, prepare for admission to the veterinary colleges in Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, Colorado, Washington, Oregon or California because of contractual or Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education (WICHE) admission agreements with these states. Pre-veterinary students who are North Dakota residents must register with the State Board of Higher Education, (701) 328-2906, in the year of their application, in order to establish eligibility for contract seats with veterinary colleges. These contract seats allow accepted North Dakota residents to attend participating veterinary colleges for in-state tuition.
It is important, especially if you are not a resident of North Dakota, to identify early in the pre-veterinary medicine program those veterinary colleges to which you will most likely apply. A course catalog from that college is helpful when planning your pre-veterinary medicine program and in answering specific questions. It will be up to you to write or call for a catalog. In addition, your advisor should be a valuable resource on admission procedures. Application for veterinary school can be completed on the Veterinary Medical College Application System (VMCAS) website: www.aavmc.org/students-applicants-and-advisors/veterinary-medical-college-application-service.aspx.
Pre-Veterinary Advising
The Department of Microbiological Sciences is housed in Van Es Hall, located on the west end of the NDSU campus adjoining Centennial Boulevard. The Department of Animal Sciences is located in Hultz Hall. Faculty members in both departments are involved with teaching and research.
All faculty members are available for advice and consultation. Pre-veterinary medicine students are assigned an official advisor; however, we encourage contact with other faculty members to derive the benefit of different experiences, backgrounds and advice.
We encourage all students interested in any aspect of veterinary medicine to enroll in VETS 150 - Introduction to the Veterinary Profession.
The Pre-Vet Club
The Pre-Vet Club at NDSU is open to any student interested in veterinary medicine. Students from Minnesota State University Moorhead, Concordia College, and the University of North Dakota have been members of the club in past years. The club provides exploration of various career options within the veterinary profession through guest speakers, films, videos and field trips. Some students attend the National Pre-Veterinary Symposium each year. The club provides an excellent opportunity to interact with other students with common career goals. Social activities also are an important part of the club's programs. Specific information about the Pre-Vet Club is available from departmental advisors.
Scholarships
Several scholarships, including the Dr. Sidney S. Bjornson Scholarship, Agnes and Axel Kongslie Scholarships, Gertrude Ostby Memorial Scholarship and Dr. Peter B. Molitor Scholarship, are available annually to pre-veterinary students. Information about these scholarships is available from the pre-veterinary advisors at the departmental address on this fact sheet. Scholarship applications also are available from the department and on the college website: www.ag/ndsu.edu/academics/scholarships.
Also, pre-veterinary students are eligible to apply for scholarships awarded through the College of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Natural Resources. Each year, students enrolled in the college receive more than $100,000 from the College of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Natural Resources Scholarship Program.
Please note this is a sample plan of study; actual student schedules will vary depending on start year, individual goals, applicable transfer credit, and course availability. Students are encouraged to work with their academic advisor on a regular basis to review degree progress and customize their own plan of study.
Sample Curriculum | |
First Year | Credits |
BIOL 150, 150L General Biology I and Lab | 4 |
BIOL 151, 151L General Biology II and Lab | 4 |
CHEM 121, 121L General Chemistry I and Lab | 4 |
CHEM 122, 122L General Chemistry II and Lab | 4 |
COMM 110 Fundamentals of Public Speaking | 3 |
ENGL 110 College Composition I | 4 |
ENGL 120 College Composition II | 3 |
MATH 103 College Algebra | 3 |
MATH 105 Trigonometry or | 3 or 4 |
VETS 150 Introduction to the Veterinary Profession | 1 |
| 33-34 |
Second Year | Credits |
VETS 135 Anatomy and Physiology of Domestic | 3 |
CHEM 341, 341L Organic Chemistry I and Lab | 4 |
CHEM 342 Organic Chemistry II1 | 3 |
PHYS 211, 211L College Physics I and Lab | 4 |
PHYS 212, 212L College Physics II and Lab | 4 |
Humanities and Fine Arts Elective | 3 |
Social and Behavioral Sciences Elective | 3 |
Electives | 6 |
| 30 |
Third Year | Credits |
BIOC 260 Elements of Biochemistry2 | 4 |
MICR 350, 350L General Microbiology and Lab | 5 |
STAT 330 Introductory Statistics | 3 |
ZOO 315, 315L Genetics and Lab | 4 |
Humanities and Fine Arts Electives | 3 |
Social and Behavioral Sciences Electives | 3 |
Electives | 12 |
| 34 |
1Iowa State University (For VETS 135 can substitute ZOO 220
2Depending upon the major chosen, may require BIOC 460/461 series
3Cross listed as BIOL 315/315L
Please call the departments at any time to be directed to a pre-veterinary medicine advisor to discuss specific questions.
Note: Admission requirements change often. Students should consult the veterinary schools or their advisor(s) for current requirements. The courses as noted in this sample curriculum are usually taken as part of some major course of study, such as microbiology, animal sciences, etc. Veterinary schools require courses in the humanities and the social sciences. In addition to course work requirements, veterinary schools evaluate animal and veterinary experience in their admission process.
Van Es Hall
Lab 150
Van Es Hall is located on the west side of campus on Centennial Boulevard (Campus Map)
Contact Information
Microbiological Sciences
NDSU Dept 7690,
PO Box 6050
Fargo, ND 58108-6050
Phone: (701) 231-7667
Email: ndsu.micro@ndsu.edu
Web: www.ndsu.edu/micro/
or
Animal Sciences
NDSU Dept 7630,
PO Box 6050
Fargo, ND 58108-6050
Phone: (701) 231-7641
Email: ndsu.ansc@ndsu.edu
Web: www.ag.ndsu.edu/ansc/
or
Office of Admission
North Dakota State University
Ceres 114
Dept #5230, PO Box 6050
Fargo, ND 58108-6050
Tel: (701) 231-8643 / Fax: (701) 231-8802
Email: NDSU.Admission@ndsu.edu
Web: www.ndsu.edu/admission/
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