The University College Dublin Pre-Veterinary Programme is a highly selective programme for juniors and seniors who are intending to seek a place in veterinary school following their undergraduate education and plan to enter the veterinary profession.  The programme offers students the opportunity to continue achieving the pre-requisites required by AVMA-accredited veterinary schools, while experiencing an enriching study abroad programme. Key elements of this programme are the opportunities to interact with staff & students of UCD’s AVMA accredited School of Veterinary Medicine and to get a flavour of day-to day life at its Veterinary Teaching Hospital, while immersing themselves in university life.

The programme is managed and co-ordinated by the UCD School of Veterinary Medicine and particular care is taken to ensure students have opportunities to interact, in academic and social settings, with the veterinary medical community on campus.   The UCD Veterinary School is one of only five European schools accredited by the AVMA.  It accepts about 30 North American students every year into its 4-year graduate entry veterinary programme.  It also has a 5-year veterinary medicine programme, and a veterinary nursing programme.   The School has a wide range of research programmes in areas including reproductive biology, infection biology, food safety and clinical sciences.  UCD Veterinary Hospital, adjoining the Veterinary Sciences Centre on the main University Campus, caters for small animals, horses and farm animals.  The UCD Farm at Lyons Estate, 15 Km south of the campus, is also used for teaching and research.

Programme Details

One semester:               Up to 6 modules
Average weekly load:     12 lecture hours with associated laboratory classes where appropriate.

Pre-Veterinary study abroad students may take up to a maximum of two non Science/Veterinary modules per semester.

Pre-Veterinary Subject Choices

Students enrolled in the Pre-Veterinary Semester Abroad will take:

Three modules (courses) from a range available that commonly provide part of the pre-requisites for entry to veterinary school – for example:

• Animal Behaviour
• Animal Breeding
• Animal Form and Function
• Animal Genomic
• Applied Biostatistics    
• Basic Principles of Cell Biology
• Biological Molecules – Interactions and Functioning
• Biostatistics
• Drug action in body systems
• General & Physical Chemistry
• Introduction to Animal Science
• Introductory Chemistry               
• Physics of Macro-organisms
• Physics of the cell for life sciences
• The Microbial World

Two modules (courses) from the range of electives that provide an experience of applied veterinary science, including:

• An Introduction to One Health – Bridging Human and Veterinary Medical Science
• Animals in Soc.: Eth. Perspec.
• Equine Assisted Therapy & Learning
• Exotic Species (Level 2, Semester One, Credits 5)

And one Liberal Arts module for example:

• Gender, Culture and Society
• Intro Irish Cultural Studies
• Intro to Irish Studies
• Introduction to Irish Politics
• Ireland Uncovered
• Irish Language
• Perspectives on Film I

Module Details

Further details on the individual modules can be found at
www.ucd.ie/students/course_search.htm

Assessment

Formal examinations are set at the end of each semester in December and May. International students are expected to undertake examinations in accordance with University regulations.  Increasingly, project and class-based work forms a component of the assessment process.

Credit Transfer

The home institution decides on credits to be awarded for modules pursued at UCD.  We will be pleased to provide full information on our modules to enable institutions to make decisions regarding the transfer of credits.

Eligibility

The minimum GPA requirement is 3.00.
In addition to completing the UCD on-line application process, a standard form of identification i.e. copy of passport, a transcript of academic record to date and letter of recommendation from an academic referee should be sent to the Veterinary programme office before the application deadline.

To Apply

www.ucd.ie/apply

Application Deadlines:

Full year or first semester (Fall):     May 1st
Second semester (Spring):     October 15th