Veterinary medicine vs veterinary science

People searching for "veterinary" degrees meet a confusing mix of titles. Some programs train people to become licensed veterinarians. Others, with names such as veterinary science, animal science or biomedical science, teach related science without leading to veterinary practice. This guide explains the difference so that you can read a program page correctly. It does not rank programs or promise any outcome.

The professional degree: veterinary medicine

A professional veterinary degree is the education a person completes in order to qualify as a veterinarian. Names vary by country and school: Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) or Veterinariae Medicinae Doctoris (VMD) in North America, Bachelor of Veterinary Science (BVSc) or Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine (BVMS, BVetMed and similar) in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, and other national titles elsewhere. The title does not decide the question; what matters is whether the program is the one that the relevant regulator or accreditor recognises for entry to the profession.

Three examples from official sources:

• United States and Canada. The AVMA Council on Education (COE) develops standards and conducts reviews of "DVM or equivalent" educational programs. The AVMA maintains an official list of accredited colleges, divided into US colleges, provisional colleges, colleges with a Letter of Reasonable Assurance, Canadian colleges and accredited foreign colleges.
• United Kingdom. The RCVS states, "To become a veterinary surgeon, you must study for a veterinary degree at university," and says it is legally responsible for setting and monitoring standards for UK veterinary degrees. It lists the UK and Irish veterinary schools that are accredited or in the process of accreditation.
• Australia and New Zealand. The AVBC accredits veterinary programs using standards that it applies to entry-level programs leading to general registration as a veterinarian in the two countries.

In each case the professional degree is the academic step. It is followed by registration or licensure, which is granted to a person by a regulator, often after an examination, and sometimes after further requirements. In the United States, for example, the AVMA notes that state boards and the national licensing examination (currently the NAVLE) are part of licensure. Our guide on understanding international veterinary qualifications covers the regulators in more detail.

Veterinary science, as the name of a different kind of degree

"Veterinary science" is used in two quite different ways.

First, in some countries it is the name of the professional degree itself. The Bachelor of Veterinary Science is a professional veterinary title in several systems. In that case "science" in the name does not signal a non-clinical degree.

Second, in many places "veterinary science", "veterinary biosciences", "animal science", "animal health" or "biomedical science" is the name of an academic science degree, often a bachelor's or a master's, that studies animal biology, disease, production or welfare without conferring the right to practise as a veterinarian. Such programs may be useful for research, industry, public health, laboratory or animal-production careers, or as a route into further study. They are generally not the programs that the COE, the RCVS or the AVBC review as entry-level veterinary degrees.

Because the same words describe both, you cannot decide from the name. Check three things on the program's own page:

1. Does the program lead to a degree that the relevant veterinary accreditor lists as a professional veterinary degree?
2. Does the program state what it qualifies you to do, and what it does not?
3. Is there a further professional stage after it, such as another degree or an examination?

If the page is silent, ask the school and ask the regulator.

Research degrees and academic routes

Some people study veterinary topics through research degrees: a master's by research or a doctorate (PhD) in a veterinary or animal science field. A research degree trains someone to carry out research. It is not a substitute for the professional degree and does not by itself permit clinical practice. Veterinarians sometimes continue into research after qualifying, and graduates of science degrees sometimes enter research in veterinary schools. Funding for these routes is covered in scholarships and research funding.

Entry to the professional degree from a science degree

A science degree can be a stepping stone. The RCVS notes that some UK schools offer compact four-year courses for graduates with a relevant science background, such as biological, animal, biomedical or agricultural sciences. In the United States, applicants commonly complete prior university study before entering a DVM program. Entry rules are set by each school and change, so read the school's current requirements. See graduate entry vs direct entry and veterinary school admissions. A science degree does not guarantee a place in a professional program.

Veterinary nursing and technology are different again

Veterinary nurses and veterinary technicians are also trained in programs with "veterinary" in the title, but they are separate professions with their own programs and credentials. The AVMA's CVTEA reviews veterinary technology programs, and the RCVS accredits veterinary nursing qualifications. Do not read a veterinary technology or nursing program as a route to being a veterinarian, or the reverse. The distinctions are set out in veterinarian vs veterinary nurse vs veterinary technician.

How we label programs

In this directory we record the title the school uses, the level, the accreditor or regulator named by the source, the status stated there and the date we checked it. We keep professional veterinary medicine degrees separate from science and research degrees, and we do not describe a science degree as a veterinary qualification. You can browse veterinary medicine listings on their own.

Questions to ask before applying

• Is this the degree that qualifies me to apply for registration or licensure, or is it a science degree?
• Which accreditor or regulator has reviewed it, and is the current status shown in its own list?
• If I graduate here and want to work in another country, what will that country require?
• What is the length of the program, and what are the stages after graduation?

Recognition in one country does not give registration in another. Ask the regulator where you hope to work, in writing, before you enrol. For a step-by-step comparison of schools, read how to choose a veterinary school.

Nothing in this guide, or any directory, guarantees admission, registration, employment or earnings.