Veterinarian
Veterinarians care for the health of animals and work to improve public health. They diagnose, treat, and research medical conditions and diseases of pets, livestock, and numerous other animals. They often work in a variety of environments and have the option to specialize in the treatment of a particular type of animal.
CAREER DESCRIPTION*
- National median salary: $125,510
- National projected career growth: 10%
- Many work in private clinics and pet hospitals
- Examine, diagnose, and treat sick animals of all variations
TYPICAL EDUCATION**
- Years of School (including undergraduate): 7-8
- Average Entering GPA: 3.5
- Grades of “C” or better are required
- Bachelor’s Degree encouraged
- Most require GRE (some accept MCAT in place of GRE)
COMPETITIVE STUDENTS ALWAYS...
- Maintain a competitive academic record
- Shadow professionals in the field
- Obtain experience under the supervision of a veterinarian
- Volunteer or work directly with animals
NEARBY SCHOOLS
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln
- Iowa State University
- Kansas State University
- University of Minnesota
- Colorado State University
- Northeast Community College (Veterinary Technology)
- Iowa Western Community College (Veterinary Technology)
Prerequisites vary by program. Students are responsible for ensuring all entrance requirements are met. Most schools prefer science classes to be taken in-person versus online.
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA LINCOLN (UNL)/IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY (ISU) PREREQUISITES
Biological Sciences (minimum credits: 31)
| Course | Credits | Semester | Prerequisites |
| BIOL 1450 Biology I & Lab | 5 | F, S, M | High school Biology and Chemistry |
|
BIOL 1750 Biology II & Lab |
5 | F, S, M | BIOL 1450 |
|
BIOL 2140 Genetics & Discussion |
4 | F, S, M | BIOL 1450 and 1750 and CHEM 1140 or 1180 |
|
BIOL 2740 Human Anatomy & Physiology I & Lab |
4 | F, S, M | High school Biology and Chemistry |
|
BIOL 2840 Human Anatomy & Physiology II & Lab |
4 | F, S, M | BIOL 2740 |
|
THREE UPPER LEVEL BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES FROM THE FOLLOWING: |
|||
|
BIOL 3020 Molecular Biology of the Cell |
3 | F, S, M | BIOL 1450, 1750 and 2140 |
|
BIOL 3240 Introduction to Immunology |
3 | F, S, M | BIOL 1450, 1750 and 2140; (BIOL 3020 Recommended) |
|
BIOL 3830 Biology of Pathogenic Microorganisms |
3 | S | BIOL 2140 or BIOL 2440 or BIOL 3240 |
|
BIOL 4130 Molecular Genetics |
4 | F, S | BIOL 2140, 3020 and CHEM 2210 or 2260 |
|
BIOL 4450 Virology |
3 | F | CHEM 2260 and 2274 or 2210 and 2214 and BIOL 3020 and 2140 |
|
BIOL 4640 & 4644 Molecular Microbiology & Lab |
4 | F | BIOL 2140 and BIOL 3020 |
|
CHEM 4660 & 4664 Biochemistry II & Lab |
4 | S | CHEM 4650 and 4654 |
|
BIOL 4740 Animal Physiology |
3 | S | BIOL 1450, BIOL 1750, and BIOL 2140 |
|
BIOL 4870 Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology |
3 | F | NEUR 1500, or 1520 and 1540, or BIOL 3020 |
|
CHEM 3710 Medicinal Chemistry |
3 | S | ENGL 1160 and CHEM 2260 and CHEM 2274 |
Chemistry (minimum credits: 15-20)
| Course | Credits | Semester | Prerequisites |
| CHEM 1180 & 1184 General Chemistry I & Lab | 4 | F, S, M | MATH 1300 or 1320 or CHEM 1140 and 1144 |
| CHEM 1190 & 1194 General Chemistry II & Lab | 4 | F, S, M | MATH 1300 or 1320 and CHEM 1180 and 1184 |
| CHEM 2210 & 2214 Fund Organic Chemistry & Lab | 5 | F, S | MATH 1300 or 1320 and CHEM 1180 and 1184 |
ORCHEM 2250 Organic Chemistry I† |
3 | F, S, M | CHEM 1190 and 1194 |
ANDCHEM 2260 & 2274 Organic Chemistry II & Lab† |
5 | F, S | CHEM 2250 |
AND ONE OF THE FOLLOWING: |
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| CHEM 3650 & 3654 Fund. of Biochemistry & Lab† | 4 | F, S | CHEM 2210 and 2214 or CHEM 2260 and 2274 |
| CHEM 4610 Biochemistry of the Metabolism | 4 | S | CHEM 2260 and 2274 |
| CHEM 4650 & 4654 Biochemistry I & Lab† | 4 | F | CHEM 2260 and 2274; (BIOL 3020 Recommended) |
Physics (minimum credits: 5)
| Course | Credits | Semester | Prerequisites |
| PHYS 1110 & 1154 Physics for Life Science I & Lab | 5 | F, S, M | MATH 1300 or 1320 |
English Composition (minimum credits: 6)
| Course | Credits | Semester | Prerequisites |
| ENGL 1140 English Composition I with Support | 4 | F, S | ACT Composite score <13, SAT Composite score <760, High School GPA <2.3, or Last Known College GPA <2.0 |
ORENGL 1150 English Composition I |
3 | F, S, M | AP Score 3, ACT 14-26, HS GPA 2.3+ |
| ENGL 1160 English Composition II | 3 | F, S, M | AP Score 4, ENGL 1150, or by ACT |
Speech (minimum credits: 3)
| Course | Credits | Semester |
| CMST 1110 Public Speaking | 3 | F, S, M |
Humanities and Social Sciences (minimum credits: 6)
Ethics, Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology, Art, Literature, History, Cultural Studies, Gender Studies, etc.
To receive verification that a course not specifically listed on the table above can be used to fulfill the requirements, please contact the Professional Program in Veterinary Medicine office at:
ppvm@unl.edu or 402.472.7306.
*Data and information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics
**Data and information from UNL
Last update: 9.2025