College of Veterinary Medicine

Frequently Asked Questions

Will KSU College of Veterinary Medicine be accepting A/Pass/Fail grades for Spring 2020 semester due to COVID 19 circumstances?

  • KSU CVM will be accepting A/Pass/Fail or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grades to fulfill requirements for the Spring 2020 semester. Applicants must earn an A/Pass/Satisfactory equivalent to a C- or better to fulfill the requirements. Choosing the A/Pass/Fail option will not influence the admissions process. Requirements graded in this manner will be considered fulfilled but will not influence GPA calculations.

When are transcripts due during an application cycle?

  • Fall and spring transcripts with coursework completed during an application cycle are due only from students accepted into the program. For these students, transcripts are due by June 30th each year or as soon as courses are posted.

Can I take summer courses to complete the prerequisites before entering the DVM program?

  • All prerequisites must be completed by the end of the spring semester prior to entering the DVM program. Transcripts are due June 30th each year. Applicants should be on track to complete all requirements by the end of the spring semester prior to entering the program.

Is a Bachelor’s degree required to be admitted to the DVM program?

  • No, KSU CVM does not require a Bachelor’s degree.
  • In order to be eligible for an interview and admission to the program, applicants must complete the required pre-requisite courses with a minimum of 2.800 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) at an accredited college or university, and a minimum 2.800 grade point average in the last 45 semester hours of undergraduate and graduate college work. Any grade less than a “C-” in a required course is not accepted. A grade of D or F on a transcript at the time of application will disqualify the application.
  • Only those individuals who can complete the required 64 semester hours of required pre-requisite courses by the end of the spring term of the year in which they are seeking admission will be considered to the professional program.

Does KSU CVM accept AP credits to fulfill prerequisites?

  • KSU College of Veterinary Medicine accepts AP courses when they appear itemized on an official transcript.

How do I convert my quarter units to semester units to fulfill the requirements of KSU CVM?

  • Please review the conversion chart found on the KSU CVM Admissions page: Converting Quarter Units to Semester Hours
  • For quick reference,
    • 1 semester hour = 2 quarter units
    • 2 semester hour = 3 quarter units
    • 3 semester hour = 4-5 quarter units
    • 4 semester hour = 6 quarter units
    • 5 semester hour = 7-8 quarter units

Are any requirements waived if I have earned an undergraduate or graduate degree or work experience?

  • No. KSU CVM does not waive any of the listed prerequisite courses. Applicants should be on track to complete all prerequisites by the spring semester prior to entering the DVM program.

Does KSU require the GRE?

  • As of February 2020, KSU CVM does not require the GRE. Applicants will not be required to submit GRE scores as part of the application process.

Will KSU CVM accept courses from my undergraduate institution to fulfill their requirements?

  • Review the course descriptions on the KSU CVM Admissions website.
  • KSU CVM accepts courses from any accredited institution to fulfill requirements, including online courses.
  • Science courses with labs can be fulfilled by online courses from accredited institutions.

How do I know if my institution is accredited?

  • By searching the name of your institution + accreditation, applicants will find the name of the accrediting body.

What if my course semester units do not match KSU CVM’s requirements?

  • KSU CVM understands institutions package courses uniquely and will accept minor variations.

Can I have courses in progress when I apply to KSU College of Veterinary Medicine?

  • Yes. Applicants can be on the path to complete the requirements when applying to the DVM program. Applicants should be able to complete all requirements by the end of the spring semester prior to beginning the DVM program. Courses taken the summer before the DVM program will not be accepted to fulfill requirements.

How does KSU CVM consider course retakes?

  • KSU CVM will average all course retakes for GPA calculations.

Is it worth retaking prerequisite courses to improve my GPA?

  • Although KSU CVM accepts grades of C- (1.7 on a 4.0 scale) or better for prerequisite courses, low grades will have a negative impact on GPA calculation. Taking a higher level course with the same prefix and topic can be used to replace a lower level/lower grade course rather than retaking the same course to average grades.

What is the average GPA of admitted students?

  • KSU CVM calculates a science GPA based only on our science prerequisite courses. Admitted student science GPAs range from 3.3-3.5 for the last several years.

How many credit hours should I take during my undergraduate study?

  • Applicants are encouraged to carry a full-time undergraduate credit hour load. Students taking 15-16 credit hours per semester will be better prepared for the 20-22 credit hour per semester required in the DVM program. A more demanding undergraduate course load will develop time management, organizational and study skills which are essential to be successful in the DVM program.

Does KSU CVM accept courses from a community college to fulfill requirements?

  • KSU CVM accepts credits from any accredited institution to fulfill requirements. It is recommended to ensure the vigor of course schedules

What are the deadlines for applying to the DVM program?

  • Deadlines will correspond with those of VMCAS each year. The KSU CVM Supplemental Application will open mid-May and close mid-September each year in correspondence with the VMCAS deadline.

Is veterinary experience required to apply to the DVM program?

  • KSU CVM does not have a minimum requirement for hours of veterinary experience. It is strongly recommended that applicants pursue experiences with veterinarians in multiple areas of the profession. During application review, KSU CVM will review both the quantity and the quality of veterinary experiences. A general guideline would be a minimum of 500 hours of experience with a veterinarian would be sufficient experience to gain knowledge about the profession and over 1,000 hours of quality experience would be exceptional.

What is KSU CVM looking for on an application?

  • Academics: Proven academic ability throughout the undergraduate experience
  • Experiences: Employment, research, extracurricular activities, animal experiences, volunteer/community enrichment, leadership and veterinary experiences. Quality and quantity in each area of experiences listed is important.
  • Written communication skills
  • Supportive letters of recommendation

What type of interview does KSU CVM conduct?

  • KSU CVM conducts a personalized and behavioral interview. Interview teams review the application prior to meeting each candidate and can ask questions based on the application. Each candidate will also be asked a similar set of questions to standardize the interview process.

What can I do to improve my application?

  • GPA: Science GPA, based on KSU CVM’s prerequisites is one of the initial evaluations performed on applications. Applicants who have grades below a B on any science course are encouraged to repeat courses to improve the science GPA. Taking a higher level course with the same prefix and topic can be used to replace a lower level/lower grade course rather than retaking the same course to average grades.
  • Veterinary Experiences: Applicants are encouraged to continue to build on the number of veterinary experience hours and the quality of those experiences. Multiple types of experiences are encouraged to broaden the applicant’s knowledge of the veterinary profession.
  • Community/Volunteer/Extracurricular/Research/Animal and Employment Experiences: Applicants are encouraged to continue to gain varied experiences and report details on the VMCAS application.
  • Interview skills: Applicants are encouraged to seek assistance from their campus career services office to participate in mock interviews and receive feedback from professionals in this area.

Should I further my education if my application was not successful?

Applicants wishing to further their education after an unsuccessful application have several options offered by KSU. Courses taken will not necessarily improve the GPA calculated during application review, as this is calculated on undergraduate science courses, but will aid in preparation for the professional curriculum. See here for a full list of our graduate programs.

  • One Year Master’s in Biomedical Science Degree Program

Hosted in the Department of Anatomy and Physiology at the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine, the Pre-professional One Year Master’s program is a non-thesis, curriculum-only master’s degree that can be completed in 12 months targeted at students interested in a career in biomedicine, especially students who want to go on to a health professional school.

https://www.vet.k-state.edu/education/graduate/one-year-masters/index.html

  • Veterinary Biomedical Sciences Master's Degree Program

    The Veterinary Biomedical Sciences (VBS) MS program in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University is designed to train graduate students through excellence in teaching and innovative basic, applied, and clinical research that improves animal and human health. The VBS also prepares DVM graduate students to meet the demands of veterinary careers, internships, and residencies.

    https://www.vet.k-state.edu/academics/graduate-programs/ms-biomedical-sciences/

  • Veterinary Biomedical Science Master of Science at K-State Olathe

The M.S. in Veterinary Biomedical Science program prepares early-career students for jobs related to animal health and provides advanced training for working professionals interested in expanding their knowledge and skills in animal health. Students learn about animal physiology and important diseases affecting animals today, while developing a stronger appreciation for animals and their relevance to human health.

https://olathe.k-state.edu/academics/degrees/vet-biomed/

  • Animal Health Regulatory Affairs Graduate Certificate at K-State Olathe

Combine the knowledge of animal science and veterinary medicine with skills needed to navigate governmental processes and regulations throughout a product's life cycle. This 15 credit hour Regulatory Affairs graduate certificate provides a series of courses and experiences that will help equip animal health professionals with the tools and knowledge needed for regulatory affairs.

https://olathe.k-state.edu/academics/certificates/regulatory-affairs/