Undergraduate students examining a skeleton in the Surgery Suite, Clinical Building, Sutton Bonnington campus

Veterinary Medicine and Science

Our veterinary courses offer the best overall student experience. You will study a highly practical and clinically integrated course, with animal handling and clinical experience from day one.

Our teaching is innovative, with purpose-built veterinary facilities on our Sutton Bonington Campus and real-world experience at our Clinical Associates, such as veterinary practices, animal charities, farms, and zoos.

Our courses

Why study with us?

1st - for student satisfaction since 2010. (National Student Survey 2010-2021)
Employability - 100% of undergraduates from the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science secured graduate level employment or further study within 15 months of graduation. The average annual starting salary for these graduates was £34,339. (HESA Graduate Outcomes 2021/22)
Modern facilities - our purpose-built facilities allow for hands-on experience from day one
Hands-on - experience animal handling and RCVS day one competencies from the moment you start the course.
Placements - placement opportunities in first-opinion vet practices, farms, zoos, and referral hospitals, immersing you into the vast scope of clinical experience needed
5th in the UK - our veterinary courses are ranked 5th in the UK by subject ranking (veterinary science) in The Guardian University Guide 2024
Dual intake - opportunity to start in September or April

Associate Professor Nigel Kendall and student Harry talk about studying veterinary medicine and science at the University of Nottingham.

Find out more on the Vet school website

Student life at the Vet School

Vets in the Community

Be part of the Vets in the Community Charity, a student run enterprise that aims to provide free routine veterinary care for the pets of homeless and vulnerable people in Nottingham and the surrounding areas. The mobile clinic is managed and run by a committee of Nottingham Vet students under the supervision of staff members. The clinic runs on a weekly basis in locations around Nottingham and offers the following services: health checks, vaccinations, micro-chipping, treatment for fleas, worms, and minor ailments, and also offers advice on pet healthcare and nutrition.

Meet Vets in the Community - a student-led charity. Students and staff volunteer to help the pets of homeless and vulnerably housed people in Nottingham. Providing health checks, vaccinations micro-chipping, treatment for fleas, worms and minor ailments, and advice on pet health care.

The Vet Soc

The Vet Soc is Sutton Bonington’s largest and most active society. Joining Vet Soc gives you an incredible number of benefits, both socially and academically. The Vet Soc aims to create an experience that makes vet school the best and most memorable years of your life!

Find out more

About our courses

Your studies will involve integrated hands-on clinical practice from day one, using innovative teaching methods. You will gain substantial early experience with animals from the moment you begin the course, including animal management and handling together with an understanding of the normal animal.

Our clinically integrated curriculum uses a problem-oriented approach, based around clinical case scenarios. An understanding of research and the in-depth study of a particular subject is also an integral part of the course for all students.

As a Nottingham vet student, you will spend a large part of your time in our purpose-built veterinary school. You will also be involved with on-site farming and agricultural activities through the University Farm, as well as working with our academics at our Clinical Associates. This will ensure you experience a significant and relevant number of clinical caseloads.

Placements

Subject to meeting the relevant criteria, you will undertake a compulsory placement year. You may experience first and second opinion cases, and gain exposure to a varied caseload, in real environments. Placements cover all domestic species, exotic animal medicine, livestock production systems and wildlife conservation. We have a dedicated EMS team in the school who can support you with to find suitable placements.

Hear from final year veterinary student, Molly Buckmaster about placements at Tywcross Zoo.

Assessment

We use a variety of teaching methods to help consolidate the theory and practical elements of the course. Teaching is delivered using four main methods:

Lectures on key topics which will be further developed in self-study or practical sessions
Practical classes, with clinical skills, live animal experience and lab work
Structured self-study time, which includes specific learning objectives, learning resources and time limits
Clinical relevance sessions which are problem-oriented, use clinical material or scenarios, and involve small-group, facilitator-led discussion

Accreditation and registration

All of our courses lead to registrable status. By awarding a veterinary degree, the university is confirming that you are fit to practice to standards. Our courses are
fully accredited by:

Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS)

European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE)

American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)

Australasian Veterinary Boards Council (AVBC)

Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI)

The Vet School is based in Sutton Bonington with access to our 1000-acre campus and University Dairy Farm. The modern, purpose-built facilities are used for both teaching and research and include:

Lecture theatres
Small-group teaching rooms
Stables
Menage
Smallholding: farm and exotics
Surgery suite
Teaching laboratories
Simulated practice
Farm and equine teaching building
Clinical Skills Centre
Digital Innovation Laboratory

A video tour of the vet school and Sutton Bonington Campus.

Studying our veterinary course gives you all the knowledge and practical skills you'll need to become a registered veterinary professional. You will be prepared in all aspects of basic, applied and clinical veterinary science, with an ability for deductive thought, problem-solving and research.

Some of our graduates have gone to work for:

RSPCA
PDSA
Veterinary Anatomic Pathology at the University of Nottingham
Oakham Veterinary Hospital Equine
The Royal Veterinary College (RVC)
Paragon Veterinary Group
Rainbow Equine Hospital
Highcroft Vet Referrals
Rood & Riddle
Bell Equine Veterinary Clinic
Pawsquad
Anvivets
Vets4Pets
YourVets

97.1% of undergraduates from the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science secured graduate level employment or further study within 15 months of graduation. The average annual salary for these graduates was £31,251.*

*HESA Graduate Outcomes 2021. The Graduate Outcomes % is derived using The Guardian University Guide methodology. The average annual salary is based on graduates working full-time within the UK.

There are opportunities to study abroad when you undertake your 38 weeks of extra-mural studies at farms and veterinary practices, as required by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS). There may also be opportunities to study abroad during the integrated research project.

Study abroad opportunities

No matter your course, the majority of University of Nottingham students have the opportunity to have an international experience during their university career.

Nottingham has 200 university partners in 40 different countries spanning six different continents across three different exchange programmes. These include Inter-campus exchange, International exchange and International summer schools.

Discover more about our university-wide study abroad options.

Please note: In order to study abroad you will need to achieve the relevant academic requirements as set by the university and meet the selection criteria of both the university and the partner institution. The partner institution is under no obligation to accept you even if you do meet the relevant criteria.

Once you have submitted your UCAS application, we will review it to check that you meet the minimum academic entry requirements or that you are studying the relevant qualifications to do so.

We will score your academic abilities that we consider necessary for a career in veterinary medicine. This will be based on a review of your completed qualifications and academic references. You will then be asked to complete an additional information questionnaire and a situational judgement test.

You will be ranked based on your overall score of the online assessments and the highest ranked will be invited to interview.

No student is admitted without interview and assessment.

Please ensure you are aware of the UCAS key dates.

Visit our how to apply page for full details about applying and interviews.

Our courses

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Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences

Veterinary Medicine and Surgery BVMBVS with BVMedSci

Qualification
BVMBVS with BVMedSci

Entry requirements
AAB

UCAS code
D100

Duration
5 years full-time

Start date
Sep 2026

Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences

Veterinary Medicine and Surgery including a Gateway Year BVM BVS with BVMedSci BVMBVS

Qualification
BVMBVS

Entry requirements
BBC

UCAS code
D190

Duration
6 years full-time

Start date
Sep 2026

Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences

Veterinary Medicine and Surgery including a Preliminary Year BVM BVS with BVMedSci BVMBVS

Qualification
BVMBVS

Entry requirements
AAB

UCAS code
D104

Duration
6 years full-time

Start date
Sep 2026

See all