The UMW Pre-Veterinary Medicine Course Requirements
The UMW Pre-Vet Program requires its students to take the courses listed below. This list of courses is driven by the prerequisite courses of most vet schools. You should be able to successfully incorporate these courses into your overall UMW curriculum and within the framework of any UMW major program. If you are targeting specific vet schools, you should visit their websites for more information.
- Biology 121 (Biol Concepts) and Biol 132 (Organism Function and Diversity) – or – Biology 125 & 126 (Phage Hunters I, II).
- Chemistry 111 & 112 (General Chemistry I, II).
- Chemistry 211 & 212 (Organic Chemistry I, II).
- Physics 101 & 102 (Gen. Physics I, II) – or- Physics 105 & 106 (University Physics I, II).
- Chemistry 317 (Biochem I)
- While it is not required, the VA/MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, would like to see Chem 318 (Biochem II) on your transcript.
- Biochem lab (319 & 320) are NOT required nor recommended.
- English composition / literature: 2 courses (6 credits).
- For English composition, ENGL 202, 302, 306 or a writing intensive course suggested English composition courses.
- Check UMW course catalog for English literature courses.
- Mathematics and Statistics: 2 courses (6 credits).
- Introductory Statistics (STAT 180) is generally required by vet schools.
- Any Math will satisfy the second course. Math 111 (Precalculus), and Math 121 (Calculus I) are suggested. Note: Calculus is NOT a requirement for Vet school.
These courses may not be taken Pass/Fail, Credit/No Credit, or through a long-distance learning program.
Other Highly Recommended Biology Courses
In addition to the 8 credits of general biology listed above, other biology courses are highly recommended. The following is a list of recommended courses.
- Cellular Biology (Biol 211)
- General Genetics (Biol 341)
- Microbiology (Biol 371)
- Histology (Biol 406)
- Anatomy of the Chordates (Biol 301) – or – Comparative Anatomy
- Human Physiology (Biol 413)*
- Developmental Biology (Biol 439)
- Immunology (Biol 441)
- Nutrition and Metabolism (Biol 415)
- Parasitology (Biol 372)
- Animal Behavior (Biol 401)
Enrolled students should go to the Pre-Health Program Canvas page for more information about the UMW Pre-Veterinary Medicine Program.