Academic Requirements
Applicants for admissions to the College of Veterinary Medicine must have an undergraduate cumulative GPA of 2.50 on a 4.00 scale and have completed 60 semester credits by the end of the spring term of the year in which the applicant seeks to be admitted to the College of Veterinary Medicine. Grades achieved in courses that have been repeated will be averaged.
Applicants must complete the following prerequisite coursework. Credit earned must be equivalent of the Iowa State University courses listed. Prospective students and applicants are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to contact cvmadmissions@iastate.edu if there are questions concerning whether or not a course will fulfill the ISU-CVM requirement.
REQUIRED UNDERGRADUATE COURSEWORK
Course and Title |
Semester/Quarter
|
ISU Course Equivalent |
|
English Composition |
6 sem/9 qtr cr | English 150, 250, 302, 309, 312, or 314 |
| Oral Communication May include public speaking, interpersonal communication, group or organizational communication or speaking emphasis courses. Bachelors degree will fulfill this requirement. |
3 sem/4-5 qtr cr | Speech Communications 212, 223, or 312, OR Ag Ed 311 OR Communications Studies 102 or 214 OR English 312 |
| General Chemistry* One year series (2 semesters or 3 quarters lecture) for biological science majors with one semester (2 quarters) lab |
7 sem/10-11 qtr cr | Chemistry 177, 177L, and 178 OR Chemistry 201 and 201L |
| Organic Chemistry* One year series (2 semesters or 3 quarters of lecture) with one semester (2 quarters) lab |
7 sem/10-11 qtr cr | Chemistry 331, 331L, and 332 |
| Biochemistry* One semester (no lab required). Upper-level (junior or senior) course. |
3 sem/4 qtr cr | BBMB 301 or BBMB 316 |
| Physics* First semester of a two-semester series with lab. Must include mechanics, fluids, heat and thermodynamics, vibrations, waves and sound. One semester overview courses will not fulfill this requirement. |
4 sem/6 qtr cr | Physics 111 |
|
General Biology* Starting with the 2012-13 admissions cycle (entering Fall 2013), microbiology will no longer fulfill the cellular semester of this requirement. |
8 sem/12 qtr cr | Biology 211, 221L, 212 and 212L (previously Biol 201, 201L, 202, 202L) |
| Genetics* Must include both Mendelian and molecular genetics (no lab required). Most animal breeding or livestock improvement courses will not fulfill this requirement. Molecular genetics may be combined with a livestock improvement course to cover the Mendelian genetics in order to fulfill this requirement. |
3 sem/4-5 qtr cr | Biology 313 (previously Biol 301) or Genetics 320 |
| Mammalian Anatomy and/or Physiology* (no lab required) Human anatomy and physiology will fulfill this requirement. |
3 sem/4-5 qtr cr | Biology 155, 255 (previously Zool 155, 255), Biology 335, 351, BMS 329, or Animal Science 214 |
| Arts, Humanities and/or Social Sciences | 8 sem/12 qtr cr | |
| Electives | 8 sem/12 qtr cr | |
| *science requirement | ||
All applicants, regardless of major, must complete these courses or their equivalents. All but two of the required science courses must be completed by the end of the fall term in which the applicant applies. Up to two required science courses may be taken the spring term prior to matriculation. Other non-science required courses must be completed by the end of the spring term prior to matriculation. All required coursework must be completed with a grade of “C” (2.00) or better to fulfill the requirement. A “C-minus” or lower is not acceptable. Any required science course taken more than 8 years ago may be subject to review and the applicant may be asked for further information.
Required courses must be taken from an accredited college or university on a graded A-F basis. No required course may be taken under the Pass/Not Pass or Satisfactory/Fail grading systems or similar options.
Advance Placement (AP) and College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
If an applicant wishes to use AP or CLEP credits to fulfill a required course, these credits must be documented by original scores submitted to the College of Veterinary Medicine and must meet Iowa State University’s minimum requirement in the appropriate subject area. CLEP credits may be accepted only for arts, humanities and social sciences.
Graduate Record Exam (GRE) (GRE code 6315)
The Graduate Record Exam General Test is required for application to the College of Veterinary Medicine.
FOR THE 2011-12 ADMISSIONS CYCLE (ENTERING FALL 2012) EITHER THE OLD OR THE NEW REVISED GRE WILL BE ACCEPTED.
The last date to take the GRE is October 31, 2011 and scores must be received by November 23, 2011. Beginning with the 2012-13 admissions cycle (entering Fall 2013) only the new revised GRE will be accepted.
Applicants should send their GRE scores directly to the College of Veterinary Medicine. The GRE code for the College of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University is 6315. There is no department code.
