The Bachelor of Veterinary Science (BVSc or BVSC; Latin Baccalaureus Veterinariae Scientiae), "Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine" (BVetMed), or "Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery" ("BVM&S" or "BVMS") is a degree for studies in

veterinary medicine Veterinary medicine is the branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, management, medical diagnosis, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, disorder, and injury in non-human animals. The scope of veterinary medicine is wide, covering all a ...

in the United Kingdom, Australia, and several other countries outside the United States and Canada. These degrees qualify one to practice as a veterinarian in the US if the degree is conferred from an

American Veterinary Medical Association The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is an American not-for-profit association founded in 1863 that represents more than 105,000 veterinarians. The AVMA provides information resources, continuing education opportunities, publicat ...

(AVMA) accredited school and the candidate passes the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE), just as any other US and Canada graduate. They are equivalent to DVM/VMD degrees; the main equalizer being licensure in the US.{{cite web, url=https://www.avma.org/ProfessionalDevelopment/Education/Foreign/Pages/ECFVG-world-colleges-degrees.aspx, title=ECFVG Policies and Procedures - AVMA Listed Veterinary Colleges of the World, work=avma.org, accessdate=22 May 2015 On 5 March 2015, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Council made the decision to allow UK veterinarians to use the courtesy title "doctor", to align with international practices. The RCVS president said of the change: “Whether one regards the decision as correcting a historical anomaly or simply providing greater clarity at home and abroad, there is no doubt that the issue has generated huge interest". It is generally a 5-year course, or sometimes 4 if a previous appropriate degree is held. (Cambridge Veterinary School's course lasts 6 years and awards a BA after 3 years, followed by the VetMB after 6 years). Some universities will award the students a BSc after the first 3 years, and the BVSc after the final 2 years. The degree is generally required for becoming a veterinarian in the countries where it is awarded.

Veterinary medicine in the UK

In the United Kingdom, there are currently ten institutions where Veterinary medicine can be studied: *

University of Bristol The University of Bristol is a public university, public research university in Bristol, England. It received its royal charter in 1909, although it can trace its roots to a Merchant Venturers' school founded in 1595 and University College, Br ...

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

University of Central Lancashire The University of Lancashire (previously abbreviated UCLan) is a public university based in the city of Preston, Lancashire, England. It has its roots in ''The Institution For The Diffusion Of Useful Knowledge'', founded in 1828. Previously k ...

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...

University of Glasgow The University of Glasgow (abbreviated as ''Glas.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals; ) is a Public university, public research university in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded by papal bull in , it is the List of oldest universities in continuous ...

* Harper & Keele Veterinary School *

University of Liverpool The University of Liverpool (abbreviated UOL) is a Public university, public research university in Liverpool, England. Founded in 1881 as University College Liverpool, Victoria University (United Kingdom), Victoria University, it received Ro ...

Royal Veterinary College The Royal Veterinary College (informally the RVC) is a veterinary school located in London and a member institution of the federal University of London. The RVC was founded in 1791 and joined the University of London in 1949. It is the oldest an ...

(RVC), part of the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...

University of Nottingham The University of Nottingham is a public research university in Nottingham, England. It was founded as University College Nottingham in 1881, and was granted a royal charter in 1948. Nottingham's main campus (University Park Campus, Nottingh ...

University of Surrey The University of Surrey is a public research university in Guildford, Surrey, England. The university received its Royal Charter, royal charter in 1966, along with a Plate glass university, number of other institutions following recommendations ...

The University of Nottingham started to run the course in 2006 and the graduates of 2011 are the first to have received the MRCVS acknowledgement required for employment as a vet from that institution. The University of Surrey received MRCVS acknowledgement in 2020, six months after its first 2014 cohort graduated having sat RCVS recognised exams at that time. Degrees from Harper & Keele Veterinary School and the University of Central Lancashire are yet to receive RCVS accreditation.

Degree titles

Although institution choice in this specialised bachelor's degree makes no difference in becoming a practising Vet, most of the universities have unique titles: * Bristol - Bachelor of Veterinary Science BVSc * Cambridge - Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine BA VetMB * Edinburgh - Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery BVM&S * Glasgow - Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery BVMS * Liverpool - Bachelor of Veterinary Science BVSc * Nottingham - Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine, Bachelor of Veterinary Surgery with integrated Bachelor of Veterinary Medical Sciences BVM BVS BVMedSci * RVC - Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine BVetMed * Surrey - Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Science BVMSci * UCLan - Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery BVMS

References

Veterinary education

Veterinary Science Veterinary medicine is the branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, management, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, disorder, and injury in non-human animals. The scope of veterinary medicine is wide, covering all animal species, both ...

Professional titles and certifications