Prerequisites
Prepare for a rigorous, science-based veterinary curriculum
Applicants can major in any subject area as long as they fulfill our prerequisite requirements. Completion of the baccalaureate degree prior to matriculation to the DVM program is recommended, but not required.
Applicants are evaluated on the strength of prerequisite coursework completed at the time of application. Prerequisite courses can be in-progress or planned at the time of application, however all prerequisites must be complete with a grade of C- or higher by August 1 of the year you begin the program.
| Math and science requirements | Minimum semester credits |
| Biology with laboratory | 8 |
| Inorganic (general) chemistry with laboratory | 8 |
| Genetics | 3 |
| Biochemistry | 3 |
| Two upper division biomedical science courses* | 6 |
| Physics with laboratory | 4 |
| Statistics (methods) | 3 |
| Algebra, pre-calculus, or higher math course | 3 |
| General education requirements** | |
| English composition/communication*** | 6 |
| Arts & humanities/social science/history | 21 |
| Total | 65 |
*Approved biomedical science courses
** If an applicant has received or will receive a bachelor’s degree prior to matriculation, the general education prerequisites are considered fulfilled regardless of credit hours. The science and math prerequisites are required regardless of degree(s) earned.
*** Course titles and classifications may vary by institution. Please follow the institution’s graduation requirement standards for a guideline or see the University Common Requirements (UCORE) for course examples.
Prerequisite evaluation
Prerequisite coursework will not be reviewed until applications are submitted and are under consideration. Applicants are evaluated on the strength of prerequisite coursework completed at the time of application. We highly recommend speaking with a pre-veterinary or pre-health advisor at your institution and sharing our course description information page with them to determine which courses at your institution will fulfill our prerequisites. We will consider the class fulfilled if you have covered the majority of the content that is listed in the course description for the class/classes you are checking. If the course description from your institution is too vague, review the course syllabus for a more detailed list of topics. The general education requirements will be considered fulfilled if you receive a bachelor’s degree prior to matriculation.
Additional prerequisite information
Courses on a quarter system – we will consider the class fulfilled if the content is covered. It often, but not always, takes two classes on a quarter system to cover the content of a single semester course.
Advanced Placement (AP), Running Start, and International Baccalaureate (IB) credits – please use the AP credit chart or IB credit chart to determine if your score will transfer in as the equivalent WSU course number listed in our prerequisite course descriptions. Scores that will transfer in as the appropriate WSU course will be accepted. While AP, IB, or Running Start credits might be acceptable for some prerequisites, applicants are encouraged to view such credits as an opportunity to qualify for and enroll in upper division physical and biological science courses, rather than simply as a means for “testing out” of prerequisites.
Online courses and labs are accepted provided they cover the same content as the in-person course.
We will accept credits from any accredited institution, and strongly recommend completion of a baccalaureate degree prior to matriculation to the DVM program. If a baccalaureate degree has not been earned by the time of application or matriculation, the committee will still base its decisions on the strength and breadth of the applicant’s educational background. Applicants can major in any subject area and are evaluated based on the rigor of the coursework completed as a requirement of that major. As veterinary medicine is a rigorous, science-based field, emphasis is placed on physical and biological science preparation. Prerequisite coursework is considered an essential foundation, while excellence in additional upper division science courses further indicate that an applicant is more likely to successfully complete our program.
Electives – students spending more than two years in a pre-professional are encouraged to take additional biomedical science courses, including highly recommended but not required courses in mammalian or comparative anatomy, animal science, cell biology, computer science, embryology, histology, immunology, microbiology, nutrition, physics II, physiology, or other biomedical sciences.
There is not an “expiration date” for prerequisites. We honor credits taken at any time at accredited institutions. That said, please keep in mind that the prerequisites are required courses for entering our program because the faculty believe the material covered in the prerequisite courses is essential to doing well in our veterinary curriculum. Regardless of the date on which the prerequisite courses were taken, it is important that applicants feel confident in their understanding of the required material.