Veterinary Medicine

EU Applicants

For the (opens in a new window)four-year graduate entry programme (DN301) you must:

• Hold/expect to hold an honours degree (NFQ Level 8) with 2.2 Honours or above in a Biological/Biomedical/ Animal Science discipline or a Master’s degree, or a PhD in a relevant area of biological science by end of June 2026.
• Be eligible for EU fee status.

For the(opens in a new window) five-year graduate entry programme (DN300)  you must:

• Hold/expect to hold an honours degree (NFQLevel 8) with 2.2 Honours or above or a Master’s degree, or a PhD in any discipline by end of June 2026.
• Be eligible for EU fee status.

You must also present:

• a completed and signed UCD Supplementary Application Form.
• a copy of your official degree transcript(s).
• a valid (opens in a new window)GAMSAT score.

Please see the What is the application procedure? section below for further information on the application procedure for EU applicants, including required supporting documentation.

Non-EU Applicants

Non-EU applicants must apply directly to UCD. Please consult UCD Global for further information about the non-EU application process. 

Non-EU Applicants 

Non-EU applicants must apply directly to UCD. Please consult UCD Global for further information about the non-EU application process. 

EU Applicants

For EU applicants, there are three separate elements to the application process which must be completed:

1. Application via CAO

You must apply online via the (opens in a new window)Central Applications Office (CAO) using course code DN300 (five-year programme) or DN301 (four-year programme). The normal CAO closing date is 5.15pm, 1 February prior to entry. The late closing date is 1 May prior to entry.

If you are unsure whether your degree is eligible for the four-year programme, please contact the MVB Programme Office:
Telephone: 01 716 6100
Email: (opens in a new window)vetprogrammes@ucd.ie  

2. Supporting Documents

You must complete and sign the UCD Supplementary Application Form, and submit it to CAO. A copy of your official degree transcript(s) is also required for assessment purposes. Supporting documentation must be submitted to CAO within 10 days of applying online.

Exception: Transcripts for 2026 degrees (only) will be accepted if received by CAO no later than 6 July 2026. Documents received after this date cannot be considered.

3. Application to GAMSAT

You must sit the (opens in a new window)GAMSAT (Graduate Australian Medical School Admission Test) if you intend to apply for entry to Veterinary Medicine via the graduate entry pathway. GAMSAT is a professionally designed and marked selection test developed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) for medical schools offering graduate-entry courses that are open to graduates of any discipline.

Registration is by online enrolment with GAMSAT and the closing date is expected to be 1 February prior to entry. The GAMSAT-Ireland test will be held in March. (There are other sittings available prior to this date -please see (opens in a new window)GAMSAT for details ).

GAMSAT results have a currency of two years. Only results from the following GAMSAT sittings are valid for graduate entry to Veterinary Medicine in 2026: September 2024, March 2025, September 2025, and March 2026. Results of the September 2026 test cannot be used for programmes commencing in 2026.

For your GAMSAT results to be forwarded to the CAO by ACER, you must indicate on your GAMSAT registration for any of these sittings, that you are an applicant to an Irish programme. You must also provide your correct 2026 CAO application number in your GAMSAT account. Failure to do so may affect the delivery of your GAMSAT results to the CAO and the institutions.

Important: If you are presenting GAMSAT UK or GAMSAT Australia results then you must provide these to the CAO when submitting your application.

ACER, the graduate-entry schools or the admissions authorities do not recommend or endorse any particular texts or preparation courses, nor do they support any commercially available preparation courses or have any association with commercial courses.

Please note:

• The onus lies with you, the applicant, to make sure that all steps of the application procedure are completed within the relevant deadlines.
• Offers will be made in CAO Round 0 which normally issues in early August each year.

Applications will be assessed for admission on the basis of open competition using three criteria, which are:

• Degree eligibility (e.g. whether your degree is of the required minimum standard - see the above section What are the minimum requirements?)
• Information included on the UCD Supplementary Application Form.
• GAMSAT score (Only results from the following GAMSAT sittings are acceptable for graduate entry to Veterinary Medicine in 2026: September 2024, March 2025, September 2025, and March 2026. 

Applicants who meet the degree eligibility requirement, present a completed and signed UCD Supplementary Application Form and present a valid GAMSAT score, will be ranked on a combination of their GAMSAT score and a score for their UCD Supplementary Application Form.

Please note that applicants may be invited to attend for an interview to discuss their application further and to facilitate a final decision on their application.

• Information on the GAMSAT selection test, including registration and exam dates: (opens in a new window)GAMSAT website.
  
  
• Details on the Graduate Entry programme please visit the School of Veterinary Medicine website.
  
  
• Applicants who accept an offer will need to verify their original transcript and evidence of degree award directly with UCD. This is called Qualification Check and is required for non-UCD degrees only - it is not necessary for UCD degrees.

Graduate entry programmes are not part of the “Free Fees" Initiative. Please see the UCD Fees website for full information about fees for this programme. This is an level 8 (NFQ) undergraduate degree programme so the undergraduate fees rules apply.

If you were born in, have at any time resided in or hold citizenship of a country outside of the EU/EEA/Swiss Confederation/UK, you must complete a formal fee status assessment for UCD. You must complete this process in good time prior to the application closing date. Further information about this process, including a checklist of required supporting documentation, is available on the UCD Fees website. 

Non-EU applicants must apply directly to UCD. Please consult UCD Global for further information about the non-EU application process. 

For undergraduate programmes (including graduate entry routes to undergraduate programmes), EU applicants must apply via the (opens in a new window)Central Applications Office (CAO).