School of Veterinary Medicine

OLIVER GARDEN Dean	1102 Veterinary Medicine Building TELEPHONE 225-578-9900 FAX 225-578-9916 WEBSITE www.lsu.edu/vetmed
Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences ALEXANDER MURASHOV Professor and Department Head	2510 Veterinary Medicine Building TELEPHONE 225-578-7581 FAX 225-578-9895 WEBSITE www.lsu.edu/vetmed/cbs
Department of Pathobiological Sciences KONSTANTIN KOUSOULAS Professor and Department Head	3315 Veterinary Medicine Building TELEPHONE 225-578-9684 FAX 225-578-9701 WEBSITE www.lsu.edu/vetmed/pbs
Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences FRANK ANDREWS Professor and Department Head	2305 Veterinary Medicine Building TELEPHONE 225-578-9551 FAX 225-578-9559 WEBSITE www.lsu.edu/vetmed/vcs
Office of Admissions & Student Success BONNIE BOUDREAUX Senior Associate Dean for Student Success; Professor of Medical Oncology	1213 Veterinary Medicine Building TELEPHONE 225-578-9537 FAX 225-578-9546 WEBSITE www.lsu.edu/vetmed/dvm_admissions
Office of Admissions & Student Success GRETCHEN DELCAMBRE Assistant Dean for Student Outreach & Veterinary Admissions
Office of Educational Innovation & Impact HEIDI BANSE Associate Dean for Educational Strategy
Office of Research & Graduate Education TAMMY DUGAS Associate Dean for Research & Graduate Education	1102 Veterinary Medicine Building TELEPHONE 225-578-9900 FAX 225-578-9916 WEBSITE www.lsu.edu/vetmed
Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory UDENI BALASUTIYA Associate Dean for Diagnostic Operations
Office of Clinical Programs  CHERIE PUCHEU-HASTON Associate Dean for Clinical Programs
Office of Outreach and Strategic Initiatives BUNNIE CANNON Associate Dean for Outreach and Strategic Initiatives
Office of Staff & Faculty Advancement BRITTA LEISE Associate Dean for Staff & Faculty Advancement
Office of Opportunity and Engagement HENRY GREEN Associate Dean for Opportunity and Engagement
Office of Finance & Administration ERNIE TANOOS Senior Assistant Dean for Finance & Administrative Services
Office of Strategic Communications THOMAS ROONEY Assistant Dean for Strategic Communications

Programs

Veterinary Medicine, DVM Biomedical and Veterinary Medical Sciences-Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Ph.D. Biomedical and Veterinary Medical Sciences-Comparative Biomedical Sciences, M.S. Veterinary Medical and Biomedical Sciences-Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Certificate Biomedical and Veterinary Medical Sciences-Pathobiological Sciences, Ph.D. Biomedical and Veterinary Medical Sciences-Pathobiological Sciences, M.S. Biomedical and Veterinary Medical Sciences-Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Ph.D. Biomedical and Veterinary Medical Sciences-Veterinary Clinical Sciences, M.S.

For information regarding the GRADUATE PROGRAM in COMPARATIVE BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES, click here.    

For information regarding the GRADUATE PROGRAM in PATHOBIOLOGICAL SCIENCES, click here.  

For information regarding the GRADUATE PROGRAM in VETERINARY CLINICAL SCIENCES, click here.  

The LSU School of Veterinary Medicine admitted its first students to the professional curriculum during the 1973-74 academic year. The original entering class consisted of 36 students, all residents of Louisiana. Current class size is between 110 and 135 students.

The school participates in the Southern Regional Education Board’s (SREB) program for education in veterinary medicine. Training contracts negotiated through SREB provide a limited number of entering spaces for qualified candidates from Arkansas. A limited number of entering spaces is also allocated for highly qualified nonresident applicants under the school’s special admission policy.

The AVMA Council on Education (COE) is the national accrediting agency for veterinary medical education in the United States. The AVMA COE assures that minimum standards in veterinary medical education are met by all AVMA-accredited colleges or schools of veterinary medicine, and that students enrolled in those colleges or schools receive an education that will prepare them for entry-level positions in the profession. The LSU program has met all essential requirements for an acceptable college or school as established by the AVMA COE. Full accreditation was granted in 1977 and reaffirmed in 1984, 1991, 1998, 2005, 2010, 2012, and 2020.

The School of Veterinary Medicine offers the professional degree, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. Interdepartmental Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degree programs in biomedical and veterinary medical sciences are offered through the Graduate School.

The Professional DVM Program in Veterinary Medicine

Admission Requirements

Students contemplating a career in veterinary medicine should acquire a sound foundation in the biological and physical sciences and a general knowledge of the arts and humanities in both high school and college. In addition, they should be motivated by a respect for animals, a sincere desire to serve the public, a propensity for the biological and medical sciences, and a deep interest in promotion of the health of animal and human populations. They must have a high aptitude for scientific study and must possess an excellent moral and ethical character.

Candidates for the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree must complete a minimum of six years of college education. This includes two or more years of pre-veterinary training and four years of professional training. The pre-veterinary requirements may be completed at LSU or any other accredited college or university offering courses of the quality and content of those prescribed in the LSU General Catalog. (See the section of this catalog titled “College of Agriculture” for the pre-veterinary medicine curriculum at LSU.)

The minimum requirement of 66 semester hours, including 20 hours of elective courses, may be completed in a minimum of two years. Successful completion of a pre-veterinary program does not guarantee admission to the school for professional training. Currently, there are more qualified applicants each year than there are spaces available in the entering class. 

Scholastic achievement is measured by performance in the prescribed pre-professional courses. A minimum grade point average of 3.0 (“A” = 4.00) in these courses and the most recent 45 credit hours of coursework completed is required for consideration for admission. A grade of less than “C-” in a required course will not fulfill course requirements. Requirements are not waived in lieu of work experience.

Admission Procedures

The following information pertains only to the professional DVM program. Students interested in the MS and/or PhD programs should contact the LSU Graduate School for more information.

The Faculty Committee on Admissions is responsible for determining the application procedure and for selecting candidates entering  the professional DVM curriculum. Admission to the School of Veterinary Medicine is granted only for the fall semester of each school year and only on a full-time basis. A prescribed number of student spaces is planned for each class. Transfer applicants may be considered for admission.

Formal application is completed through the Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS). Application materials with all supporting credentials are required by VMCAS deadlines. This includes submission of the LSU Vet Med Supplemental Application housed within VMCAS and payment of all fees through VMCAS and LSU by posted deadlines. Application materials received after the given deadlines will not be accepted and will result in the applicant being removed from consideration. Reapplicants must complete all application requirements for each application cycle as no materials will be carried over from previous years.

Academic and non-academic qualifications are considered in a non-scored, contextual review process. Official college transcripts submitted through the VMCAS are examined to determine scholastic achievement in light of other application materials. The Faculty Committee on Admissions will additionally assess applicants for their ability to demonstrate the following:

• a dedication to and broad understanding of the veterinary profession.
• academic excellence and a commitment to advancing their professional medical knowledge and competence.
• potential to contribute unique perspectives, skills, and ideas to the veterinary community.
• potential to better lives through public service, education, and discovery.
• LSU Vet Med institutional values of innovation, compassion, and integrity.

These items should be demonstrated through academic history, work experience, familiarity with animals, reference information, personal essays, and other required application materials. Students admitted and enrolled in the school must be capable of satisfactorily meeting all requirements of the curriculum in veterinary medicine.

The Faculty Committee on Admissions reserves the right to decide annually whether to conduct interviews for Louisiana, Arkansas, Puerto Rico, or out of state candidates. A candidate must participate in the interview, if held, to be considered for an offer to the program.

Visit the LSU Vet Med’s Office of Admissions website at www.lsu.edu/vetmed/dvm_admissions for more information on admission requirements, residency, classifications, minimum prerequisites, admissions procedures, statistics, important dates and deadlines, and much more.

Minimum Prerequisites for Admission (66 sem. hrs.)

A minimum of 66 total semester hours is required for admission into the professional DVM program. This includes 44 semester credit hours of prerequisite courses. A bachelor’s degree is not required for admission. Prerequisite coursework should be completed within ten calendar years immediately prior to application. In progress requirements must be completed by the end of the spring semester before fall DVM program matriculation to remain eligible if selected for admission. All prerequisite coursework must be completed for credit and with a grade of “C-” or better at a Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) accredited institution to satisfy the requirement. Applicants who have completed courses at a foreign institution must submit World Education Services (WES) course-by-course evaluated transcripts to VMCAS.

Required prerequisite courses include: 

Biological Science, eight sem. hrs. in introductory zoology or general biology at a level appropriate for premedical students. LSU courses–BIOL 1201 , BIOL 1208 , BIOL 1202 , BIOL 1209 .

General Chemistry, eight sem. hrs. in general, inorganic chemistry with laboratories at a level for science or engineering majors. LSU courses–  CHEM 1201 , CHEM 1202 , CHEM 1212 .

Organic Chemistry, three sem. hrs. covering aliphatic and aromatic compounds with an emphasis on the biological aspects of organic chemistry. LSU course–CHEM 2060 , CHEM 2261  

Biochemistry, three sem. hrs. basic concepts in the nature and physiological uses of natural substances. Must require Organic a prerequisite. LSU course–BIOL 2083 .

Microbiology, four sem. hrs. including a laboratory in microbiology at a level appropriate for pre-medical students. LSU course - BIOL 2051   

Mathematics, six sem. hrs. at the college algebra/trigonometry level or higher. LSU courses– MATH 1021 , MATH 1022 , MATH 1510 , MATH 1530 , MATH 1540 , MATH 1550 , MATH 4056 . Statistics credits can satisfy. 

Physics, six sem. hrs. at a level for science majors and must include mechanics, heat, sound, light, electricity, magnetism, and topics in modern physics. LSU courses–PHYS 2001 , PHYS 2002 .

English Composition, six sem. hrs. in 6 semester credits of English composition or writing intensive coursework. Speech/public speaking will not substitute.  Freshman orientation seminar will not substitute. LSU courses–ENGL 1000 , ENGL 1001 , ENGL 2000 .

The selection of elective courses in a pre-professional curriculum should reflect the interests and objectives of the candidate. There is no preferred major. Strong academic performance in advanced biomedical courses is encouraged to prepare the candidate for the professional DVM curriculum as well as demonstrate ability to manage foundational material.

Students who are enrolled at accredited institutions other than LSU must determine that courses taken conform in content and quality to descriptions contained in the latest issue of the LSU General Catalog. If there are any questions regarding equivalency of courses, please contact the LSU Vet Med’s Office of Admissions by e-mail (svmadmissions@lsu.edu) with their course information. 

The Graduate Program in Veterinary Medicine

The School of Veterinary Medicine offers advanced studies in a variety of contemporary biomedical sciences leading to a Certificate or an MS or PhD degree (graduate academic programs) and specialized advanced professional training in one or more clinical specialties of veterinary medicine (graduate professional programs). Specific research training opportunities vary in each of the three departments and are summarized below by department. All aspects of the graduate academic program are in compliance with current regulations and requirements of the LSU Graduate School. The school’s three departments have some additional distinct requirements. Graduate professional programs in some clinical sciences, pathology, and laboratory animal medicine may also require completion of a graduate degree.

Graduate Academic Programs

The graduate academic program in Biomedical and Veterinary Medical Sciences offers both the MS and PhD degrees specializing in a variety of research areas, all requiring a thesis or dissertation and Graduate Certificates that are not research-based.

All aspects of the graduate program in Biomedical and Veterinary Medical Sciences (e.g., hours required, composition of graduate advisory committees, general and comprehensive final examinations, etc.) are in compliance with the current “General Graduate School Regulations ” and “Requirements for Advanced Degrees .”

Areas of Specialization

Graduate degrees (as indicated in parentheses) are offered by the School of Veterinary Medicine in its three departments. These include: the Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences (Certificate, MS, PhD), the Department of Pathobiological Sciences (MS, PhD), and the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences (MS, PhD).

Courses in the professional curriculum are designated as Veterinary Medicine (VMED) courses, rather than departmental courses, because of the integration of the disciplines. These courses, all at the 5000 level, are described in the School of Veterinary Medicine Bulletin. Prerequisite for enrollment in these courses is formal admission to the professional curriculum in the School of Veterinary Medicine. All courses must be taken in the proper sequence, as each is a prerequisite for the succeeding course. The following courses are utilized by all concentrations in the Veterinary Medical Sciences graduate program: VMED 7004 , VMED 8000 , VMED 8900 , and VMED 9000 .

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