Academic Requirements
Applicants for admission to the SVM must have completed a total of 60 semester credits of college course work and are required to take the GRE Test.
The 60 credits of necessary college course work include 40-43 credits of required course work, plus a minimum of 17 credits of elective course work left to the student's discretion. The 17 elective credits allow the student to meet personal and academic goals and objectives, (for example, focus on course work of interest to them, to work toward a chosen major, to broaden their education) while preparing for admission to veterinary medical school. Please note: Students can have up to (4) four outstanding required courses left to take but no more than two outstanding courses can be taken in the spring term prior to enrollment in the program. All required course work must be completed by the end of the spring term prior to enrollment in the program. All required courses must have a minimum grade of C (2.0) or better to fulfill the requirement. Applicants become ineligible if they receive a grade of than 2.0 (C) in a required course.
Note: Courses taken after application will not be used in grade point calculations.
Required courses must be taken from an accredited college or university on a graded A-F grading basis.
In the unique circumstance whereby courses can only be taken on a pass/fail basis, the campus must provide an evaluation of courses and a grade conversion. If no conversion is provided, a letter grade of "C" (2.0) will be assigned to calculate grade point averages. Course requirements are not met if a grade of "F" or its equivalent is received. While all of the required course work must be completed before the student may enroll in the DVM program, the student may complete selected required courses during the fall, winter, and spring terms prior to anticipated enrollment.
If you attended an international school that was not part of an Education Abroad program, you must arrange for a course-by-course evaluation report to be sent to us.
Transcripts and evaluation reports for non-U.S. and non-Canadian schools must be sent to our school through one of the following transcript evaluation services:
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Standardized Examinations
The GRE Test is required for application to the SVM. Students should send their GRE scores directly to the School of Veterinary Medicine. The Wisconsin code is 1846.
All 2010 applicants are required to take or retake the GRE examination which includes the writing assessment by October 1, 2009. Scores prior to Oct 1, 2004 cannot be accepted. GRE testing dates, and registration is available at www.gre.org. Please note current GRE board policy states that GRE score are reportable for only five years. Official scores must be received by October 23,2009 to the Office of Academic Affairs, 2015 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706.
A test of English as a foreign language (TOEFL, MELAB, IELTS scores may be submitted) is required for applicants for whom English is a second language and have not completed an undergraduate education at an English-speaking college or university. The minimum scores accepted are as follows: internet TOEFL=100, computer TOEFL=250, paper TOEFL=600, MELAB=84, IELTS=7. This must be taken no later than October 1, 2009.
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Nonacademic Factors
Prospective applicants are encouraged to obtain experience with the veterinary medical profession and in the care and handling of a variety of species of animals, including food animals. Applicants will be asked to describe these experiences in the application.
Other nonacademic factors considered may include:
- communication skills
- leadership potential
- maturity
- goal orientation
- outside activities
- work experiences
- awards and honors
- diversity of background, interests and experiences
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Admission Policies & Procedures
The SVM will admit 80 qualified applicants each year. These selected applicants will exhibit the potential for becoming productive, competent and responsible veterinarians concerned with maintaining high professional standards, providing public service, and continuing the learning process. The number of nonresident positions available in each entering class may vary from year to year, but will not exceed 20 in each class. Nonresident students will be selected using the same criteria and selection procedures used for resident applicants.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison attributes its unique, internationally admired, academic environment, in part, to the diversity of its student body, faculty and staff. The SVM adheres to the University's philosophy that diversity of students, faculty and staff has a positive influence on the educational process and contributes substantially to the quality of programs and graduates. Diversity among members of the veterinary medical class will result in a profession better able to respond to the varied and changing needs of society today.
In conformance with applicable federal and state law and with University policy, UW-Madison does not discriminate on the basis of age; ancestry; color; creed; disability; ethnicity (specifically involving harassment by UW employees); marital or parental status; national origin; pregnancy; race; religion; disability, retaliation for making a complaint of discrimination or taking part in an investigation relating to discrimination; sex; sexual orientation; or veteran's status with regard to treatment in the educational programs or activities that it operates. Inquiries concerning this policy may be directed to the SVM Office of Academic Affairs or the the Office of Equity and Diversity, 500 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI 53706 (608-263-2378).
The application for admission provides the opportunity for applicants to identify elements of diversity in their background. Both academic and nonacademic factors may contribute to an applicant's diversity. Each year the Admissions Committee will evaluate the elements of diversity within the applicant pool. Weight will be given to qualified applicants who possess characteristics that are underrepresented in the profession and who would contribute to the overall diversity of the class. Some of the many factors which may contribute to an applicant's diversity are listed below. This list is not meant to be all inclusive, but represents examples only.
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Disadvantaged Status
The SVM has a commitment to increasing the representation of minority groups and disadvantaged in the veterinary medical profession.
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Professional Goals
To adequately serve the needs of society, the veterinary medical profession must have professionals diverse in their professional interests and goals.
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Background & Experience
Diversity of work experiences, life experiences, disabilities, education, accomplishments, social and academic activities, etc., will also be considered.
In addition to the above factors, other information presented in the application file may be considered.
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Application for Admission
To apply for admission, all applicants must complete the Veterinary Medical Colleges Electronic Application (VMCAS) and the SVM's Required Data Form. The Veterinary Medical Colleges Application Service is the centralized application service for applying to veterinary medical colleges. Visit www.vmcas.org to link to the online application and instructions. The 2010 VMCAS application and the Required Applicant Data Form must be submitted by October 2, 2009.
The Required Applicant Data Form for Wisconsin is available www.vetmed.wisc.edu/radf Applicants must have official transcripts and GRE test scores sent directly to each of their designated veterinary medical colleges. The three reference evaluation forms should be sent directly to VMCAS. Interviews are not part of the application process. Applicants will be advised of their status no later than April 1, 2010. Students are strongly encouraged to apply early to avoid system overload created by too many applicants applying at the same time.
Complete details for the 2009 application cycle are posted to the VMCAS Web site. Applicants may call the VMCAS Hotline, 877-862-2740, or send e-mail inquiries to vmcas@aavmc.org.
VMCAS web site
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Transcript Deadlines
Official transcripts for Summer of 2009 and prior must be sent by October 1, 2009. Official Fall 2009 transcripts must be submitted by January 25, 2010.
Supplemental Application
The UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine also has a supplemental application. Our supplemental application provides the opportunity for applicants to expand on their personal and background experiences. All applicants are required to complete the supplemental application which includes a UW-Madison application fee of approximately $56. In November, all applicants will be notified by email about how to complete our supplemental application electronically.
It is important that applicants monitor their email regularly for messages related to their application.
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Selection Procedure
The SVM Admissions Committee is composed of faculty of the School. This Committee reviews applications and selects the applicants for admission to the DVM program. The Committee reserves the right to evaluate and modify the selection criteria and admission procedures each year.
Based on the belief that there are many ways to prepare for a career in veterinary medicine, the Admissions Committee values a wide range of abilities and experience. The Committee seeks the best possible candidates to serve society as veterinary medical professionals.
Each applicant is evaluated on the basis of the academic record and the nonacademic portions of the application. After the evaluation of applicants is completed, the entire Committee confers and selects the applicants to be recommended for admission.
The following academic factors are considered in the evaluation process:
- cumulative grade-point average up to the first undergraduate degree
- grade-point average in required courses
- grade-point average for the 30 most recent semester credits
- GRE score
In addition to academic evaluation, each applicant is evaluated on preparatory experience and personal characteristics. The evaluation of non-academic factors is based upon qualitative and quantitative analysis of the applicant's strengths and experiences. The highest evaluation is given to those applicants whose overall experience indicates the greatest degree of preparedness and suitability for the professional program. Nonacademic factors are evaluated by:
- Letters of reference and evaluation (Letters from veterinarians are very highly recommended, letters from employers, faculty, and academic staff are also beneficial.)
- Written statements describing applicant's professional goals and interests
- Description of work experience and pertinent extracurricular activities
- Aspects of diversity
- Special circumstances that may have affected the applicant's record
The Dean and Admissions Committee may require additional evaluation procedures for selecting candidates for admission. A personal interview with candidates may be requested by the Dean and Admissions Committee in order to obtain additional information.
All questions regarding admission requirements, application procedures, and selection criteria should be addressed to the SVM Office of Academic Affairs. Applicants may not directly contact members of the Admissions Committee regarding the admission process.
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