Courses/GRE Requirements
Required Undergraduate Coursework
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. If a course is repeated, both grades will be used in the GPA calculation. The second grade does not replace the first grade.
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. A Bachelors degree fulfills 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/11-12 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/11-12 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, BBMB 316, BBMB 404, or BBMB 420 |
| 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 or Physics 221 |
|
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, 211L, 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. Molecular genetics alone will not fulfill the 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 - These courses are used to calculate the required science GPA. | ||
All applicants, regardless of major, must complete these courses or their equivalents.
All science requirements should be fulfilled by the time of application or scheduled for completion by the end of the fall term in which the applicant applies. However, if necessary, the applicant may complete up to two required science courses after the fall term providing a transcript with the courses and grades listed is postmarked by July 1 of the year the applicant would enter. There is no maximum number of non-science required courses that may be completed but the transcript deadline of July 1 applies. The July 1 deadline for transcripts and grades is firm.
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)
A copy of AP or CLEP scores are required if an applicant wishes to use AP or CLEP credits to fulfill a required course. These scores must meet Iowa State University’s minimum requirement in the appropriate subject area. (See http://www.admissions.iastate.edu/cbe/index.php.) 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.
Both the old GRE and the Revised GRE will be accepted.
Scores must be RECEIVED by September 3, 2013 for Iowa resident applicants and October 2, 2013 for all other applicants.
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. (DO NOT USE GRE CODE 6306.)
Last updated 3/19/2013
