There is no major called “pre-vet”, nor is there any particular major which is required for admission to veterinary schools. Bradley University offers a wide range of excellent majors, courses and opportunities which prepare students well for admission to veterinary schools. Students should choose a major based on their personal interests and abilities, and then meet with both their Academic (within their major) and Pre-Health Advisor regularly to ensure that they are taking the necessary courses (and at the right time) to meet their major and graduation requirements, as well as required and recommended courses for admission to veterinary schools. These pre-requisites can be taken as part of the major, Bradley Core, or free electives toward graduation, thus allowing students flexibility with their choice of major, and the ability to customize their pre-vet plan.
The following majors and minors are most popular among pre-vet students, because they incorporate many of the pre-requisite courses into the major requirements:
Majors
- Biomedical Science : Concentration in Veterinary Science
- Biology
- Biochemistry
Minors
- Biology
- Business Studies
- Chemistry
- Ethics
- Health
- Neuroscience
- Sociology
- Spanish or other Foreign Language
- Management & Leadership
- Leadership Studies
Below are listed the most common pre-requisites for veterinary schools and the Bradley courses which will satisfy them. Be aware that each veterinary school may establish their own specific pre-requisites which may vary from this list, so it is your responsibility to carefully research the admission requirements for schools to which you plan to apply. Pre-requisite courses may be taken as part of a Bradley major, minor, Bradley Core or free electives. Work with your academic and pre-health advisors to plan the best timing and sequence for completing pre-requisites for veterinary schools. All science courses should be taken with labs unless otherwise noted.
See AAVMC for program-specific requirements.
- BIO 151: Molecules to Cells and BIO 152: Lab
or BIO 111: Introduction to Cell Biology and BIO 113: Lab - BIO 251: Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity and BIO 252: Lab
or BIO 112: Introduction to Ecology & Evolution and BIO 114: Lab - BIO 381: Comparative Animal Physiology
- BIO 310: Genetics
- BIO 406: General Microbiology (preferred)
or BIO 202: Microbiology & Immunology - CHM 110: General Chemistry I and CHM 111: Lab
- CHM 116: General Chemistry II and CHM 117: Lab
- CHM 252: Organic Chemistry I and CHM 253: Lab
- CHM 256: Organic Chemistry II and CHM 257: Lab
- CHM 360: Biochemistry and CHM 361 Lab
- ENG 101: English Composition and one additional ENG course
- PHY 107: General Physics I
or PHY 110: University Physics I - PHY 108: General Physics II
or PHY 201: University Physics II - Math & Statistics
- 1 semester of Math:
- MTH 115: Brief Calculus w/Applications I
- MTH 116: Brief Calculus w/Applications II
- MTH 121: Calculus I
or MTH 122: Calculus II - 1 semester of Statistics:
- MTH 111: Elementary Statistics
- BIO 260: Biological Statistics I and BIO 261 Biological Statistics II
- PSY 205: Quantitative Methods
- KHS 310: Statistical Procedures in Health Sciences
Competitive applicants to veterinary medical schools are well rounded and have pursued a wide range of experiences to develop not only their scientific, thinking, and reasoning skills, but also interpersonal, teamwork, and leadership skills, professionalism, and of course animal care experience. Most vet schools like to see some job shadowing or experience in one or more veterinary settings so you have some idea what veterinary care is like from the veterinarian’s perspective, and have an opportunity to explore and appreciate different styles of veterinary practices or specialties. In addition, pre-vet students are expected to have a significant amount of hands on animal care experience before they apply, either paid or volunteer, with both small (companion) and large animals. There is no set number of hours – requirements vary by individual vet school – it’s about both quality than quantity of experience.
Volunteering and community service, whether or not it is in a healthcare setting, demonstrates your commitment to serving others, as you will as a future physician.
Research
Research experience helps you to learn the problem-solving skills needed to think like a veterinarian, and develop an understanding and appreciation for the scientific and medical research that will be the basis for modern veterinary practice.
Get Involved
Becoming a leader in a student organization, job, etc. gives you experience working with teams, communicating, and working together to share responsibility for accomplishing shared goals. Consider joining organizations such as Alpha Epsilon Delta honor society or Wags for Mags, and working your way toward an executive board or other leadership role.
The GRE General Subject test is required by most (but not all) Vet programs. Competitive scores are usually at least at the 50th percentile or higher (minimum ~300 combined Verbal + Quantitative), but vary by program.
Some programs are now also requiring or recommending applicants to complete and submit scores for a situational judgment test (SJT) such as Casper, to assess your social skills, behaviors and professionalism. You are presented with a variety of scenarios and asked to think about what you might do in these situations. Casper does not require significant preparation and is taken on your own computer, but it must be taken in the year that you apply to Vet schools. Be sure to check the requirements for EACH Vet program to which you are applying for their specific requirements and deadlines for Casper scores (if any).
Casper scores are NOT automatically posted to your VMCAS application. You must request scores to be sent to each specific school that you apply to that requires them.
GRE Prep
Although we do not offer a formal GRE prep course at Bradley, the Health Professions student clubs often hold a GRE Workshop and offer an on-campus practice test day to help students develop a personalized strategy, timeline, and study plan to meet their individual needs. There are many commercially available GRE prep materials and services. We do not endorse any one over the others, but can assist students in choosing products and services that fit their learning style, timeline, and budget.
- ETS- GRE (Official Guide, PowerPrep practice tests, and some free resources from the people who write and administer the GRE)
- Barron’s
- Cambridge Educational
- Chegg (free and low cost resources)
- Kaplan
- Magoosh
- Peterson’s GRE
- Princeton Review
GRE Testing Locations
The GRE is administered year round at Prometric Testing Centers. The closest testing centers to Bradley University are:
Sylvan Learning Center
7501 N University, STE 218
Peoria IL 61614
Sylvan Learning Center
2405 E Federal DR
Decatur IL 62526
Sylvan Learning Center
1035 Lincoln Rd, STE 307
Bettendorf IA 52727
Vet School Information and Resources:
Entrance Exam:
Since 2013, Bradley graduates have been accepted to and continued their education and training at many veterinary medical schools. We are proud of the success and accomplishments of our alumni.
Veterinary Schools
- Ohio State University – Columbus
- University of Illinois
- University of Minnesota
- University of Missouri
Offers also received from: Iowa State University, Lincoln Memorial University, Louisiana State University, Oklahoma State University, Ross University.
