Entry Requirements

Academic Achievements

Bachelor's Degree

An Upper Second Class (2:1) Honours degree (or equivalent) or an overall cumulative GPA of 3.4 (4 point scale) in an appropriate subject is required for consideration for the four-year Graduate Entry Programme.

Required Courses

Candidates must achieve high grades (C or better) in the following subjects:

• Biology/Zoology
• Physics
• Biochemistry
• Organic Chemistry
• Inorganic Chemistry
• Mathematics/Statistics

Recommended Courses

In addition to the prerequisites listed above, gaining high grades (C or better) in the following subjects can strengthen an application for the GEP:

• Genetics
• Microbiology
• Cell Biology

Academic reference

We require an academic reference to be submitted with your application. Applications submitted without a reference will be considered incomplete. Your referee should be someone who knows you well academically (a tutor, lecturer, professor) and from your most recent place of study.

Additional Tests

Please note that the following tests are NOT required for candidates applying to the BVM&S programmes at the University of Edinburgh:

• Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
• Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)
• Veterinary College Admission Test (VCAT)
• BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT)
• UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT)

Non-academic achievements

Work experience requirements 

We do not ask for specific types or number of days/weeks for work experience as it depends, to some extent, on the opportunities available to individual candidates. However, the broader the experience, the better, but you should not gain experience to the detriment of your academic studies. You should however gain both veterinary practice and animal work experience.

You should gain as much and as varied practical work experience as possible, which could include time spent:

• Seeing veterinary practice, both large and small animal if possible
• Livestock farms - dairy and lambing are particularly useful
• Other animal establishments, such as zoos, kennels, catteries, wildlife centres, pig farms, poultry farms and stables
• A day at an abattoir is recommended but not demanded
• We encourage experience gained in veterinary or medical laboratories to help you appreciate the scientific basis of veterinary medicine
• We will also take into consideration the online courses, examples of which are listed below

Please note: the above are suggestions and ideas for work experience. This is not a checklist and achieving all these placements is not a requirement.

Applicants should provide detailed information on their practical experience (number of days/week spent and species worked with) in the appropriate section of their UCAS or VMCAS (North American graduates only) application. Candidates should be aware that the selectors can only take into account work already undertaken and not work planned. Applicants may receive an offer conditional on gaining further specified work experience.

Work Experience Summary (WES) Form - UCAS Candidates Only

All candidates applying via UCAS are required to complete and return a Work Experience Summary (WES) by 22 October. UCAS applications submitted without a WES will be considered incomplete. Further details about the WES are available below. 

Work Experience Summary Form

Non-academic achievements and interests

Your personal statement and references give us an idea of your skills, achievements and motivation, which are important factors in assessing your application.

• Social involvement
• School responsibilities
• Leadership
• Organisational abilities
• Interests and hobbies
• Cultural, sporting, musical, vocational and voluntary achievements