If you are looking to study veterinary medicine in the UK, you will want to know what courses are available to you. Only some institutions offer veterinary studies, so we’ve put together a guide to those schools and veterinary courses*.
*Information correct at date of publication.
Royal Veterinary College, University of London
Founded in 1791, the Royal Veterinary College is a long-established and dedicated vet school and offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in veterinary medicine, veterinary nursing, and biological sciences. It has been part of the University of London since 1949 and has campuses in Camden, London and North Mymms, Hertfordshire. It is one of the leading vet schools in the country, with just over 2,000 students.
University of Cambridge
The Department of Veterinary Medicine at Cambridge offers a popular veterinary science course that is very practical. It is the smallest UK vet school with approximately 70 students per year, sp you have a very personal teaching experience. They do not require extensive work experience and you don’t need to study Biology.
University of Liverpool
The School of Veterinary Science in Liverpool is a leading education provider for trainee vets and has two on-site working farms, as well as two referral hospitals and three first opinion practices. This enables undergraduates to gain valuable hands-on experience in all aspects of veterinary practice: equine, large animal, and small animal.
The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh
The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in Edinburgh offers a Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine & Surgery degree for undergraduates, as well as options for postgraduate study. The school is an international leader in education, research and practice and was established in 1823, so is one of the world’s oldest veterinary schools.
University of Glasgow
Glasgow School of Veterinary Medicines offers courses in Veterinary Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine & Surgery. The University is one of seven vet schools in Europe to have achieved accredited status for its undergraduate programmes from the American Veterinary Medical Association and is frequently ranked as one of the best schools for Veterinary Medicine in the UK.
University of Bristol
The Bristol Veterinary School offers undergraduate courses in Veterinary Science and Veterinary Nursing, as well as a Masters programme and postgraduate research opportunities. They are accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
University of Nottingham
The Nottingham School of Medicine and Science offers three different Veterinary Medicine and Surgery courses depending on qualifications, with two of those featuring an additional year of study. They encourage hands-on clinical practice from day one and use innovative teaching methods, as well as offering purpose-built clinical teaching facilities.
University of Surrey
The Surrey School of Veterinary Medicine offers a Veterinary Medicine and Science undergraduate degree, as well as PhD opportunities. They embrace the traditional values of professionalism, scientific curiosity, and clinical excellence while developing graduates with broad horizons.
Harper and Keele Veterinary School
Harper and Keele Veterinary School only launched in 2020 with their first cohort of students. They offer a standard five-year programme for Veterinary Medicine and Science and aim to attract innovative and dedicated students from the widest range of backgrounds. It joins the resources, facilities and teaching of two universities: Harper Adams and Keele.
The Aberystwyth School of Veterinary Science
With a similar combined approach, the Bachelor of Veterinary Science degree in Aberystwyth combines the scientific and clinical expertise from the Royal Veterinary College and Aberystwyth University. This new course is aimed at those interested in veterinary careers within Wales or interested in rural mixed practice.
We hope this brief summary of the veterinary courses and schools available in the UK has been helpful. New courses have emerged recently, so it might be the case that more vet schools begin to open around the country in the future!