2023 entry (view 2024 entry)
BVSc Veterinary Science (D100)
Course overview
Typical offer
A-level standard offer: AAA
A-level contextual offer: ABB
See entry requirements for full details and eligibility.
Course duration
5 year(s) full-time
Part-time study is not available for this course
Application method
Full-time: UCAS
The closing date for Veterinary Science UCAS applications is 15 October. UCAS advises that no more than four choices from a possible five are used for Veterinary Science.
Applicants wishing to transfer from another veterinary school may apply via UCAS but, due to the integrated nature of the course, transfer is only possible into year one.
Fees
£9,250 per year, home students
£36,300 per year, international students
Students should be aware that vacation extra mural studies (EMS) is a mandatory component of any UK veterinary curriculum. These may incur transport and accommodation costs.
Fees quoted are for 2023 entry only. Fees for 2024 will be confirmed, subject to government approval, later in 2023.
More about tuition fees, living costs and financial support.
Location
Students of this course will benefit from a dual campus experience with learning across both city and nearby rural campuses. The Clifton campus is situated in the vibrant cultural hub that is Bristol city centre and home to our pre-clinical facilities at the UK's only School of Anatomy. Students are also taught at the nearby Bristol Veterinary School, located on our rural Langford campus.
For the first three years you will be primarily based at the main University campus in Clifton, with time spent at the clinical campus in Langford. Years four and five are taught mainly at the Langford campus, with an extended final clinical year which includes on-site and off-site placements with our educational partners. In the final year, students develop their clinical skills with the support of experienced veterinary surgeons, including some shifts outside normal working hours. Bristol Veterinary School is home to a range of extensive facilities including a dairy farm, Langford Vets multidisciplinary small animal referral hospital, farm animal and small animal practices, and diagnostic labs, with an equine practice nearby. We also have our own on-site abattoir. You will benefit from our on-campus award-winning clinical skills lab, cutting-edge labs and access to our celebrated team of clinical demonstrators, who will nurture you to develop confident practical skills. We partner with other organisations to ensure students have ample experience across a wide range of species, such as opportunities to work in equine hospitals, the charity sector and with exotic species. Graduates will be able to pursue global career opportunities due to the course’s various accreditations, including the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).
Bristol Veterinary School holds accreditations from the following professional bodies:
- The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)
- The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS)
- The European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE)
This means that graduates of Bristol Veterinary School’s Veterinary Science Programmes can practice in the UK, as well as multiple countries around the world after registering as a member of the RCVS.
The RCVS have a mutual agreement with the Australasian Veterinary Boards Council (AVBC), the Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI) and the South African Veterinary Council (SAVC), which means graduates of Bristol Veterinary School’s veterinary science programmes are also able to practise in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and South Africa.
For full information on Bristol Veterinary School's accreditations, please visit the accreditation page.
Course structure
Informed by leading teaching methodology research, an innovative and interactive revised programme has been created. Students benefit from an increasing use of collaborative and case-based learning and are hands-on from day one, with teaching and placements in a range of settings including veterinary practices, farms and the on-site abattoir. Students work alongside experts in their field and develop curiosity, problem solving, teamwork and decision-making skills across a wide range of veterinary contexts.
The updated curriculum features themes which instill scientific foundations, professional skills, clinical reasoning, practical skills and veterinary public health. Students also spend time on farms and in veterinary practices during vacations (Extra-Mural Studies; EMS), as required by the RCVS.
Year 1 - The first year forms a solid foundation for the following four years of the course, covering the anatomy and physiology of a range of body systems and the husbandry and handling of common species.
Year 2 - This year will cover the body’s response to disease and how this is handled. Continuing with the anatomy and physiology of body systems whilst learning about the husbandry and handling of pigs, poultry and exotic pets.
Year 3 - During this year, students will learn how to diagnose and manage common conditions in a range of body systems. Practical learning will focus on clinical examination, surgical skills and communication skills.
Year 4 - Students will continue to build on knowledge of diagnosis and management of common conditions, working through increasingly complex cases and problems, and learning more advanced practical skills.
Year 5 - During the extended final year, students will put all their skills and knowledge into practice by undertaking supervised core rotations in a range of workplace settings. They will meet clients and their animals and learn about prioritisation and diagnosis of problems, deciding on treatment plans, and working effectively within a clinical team. For more information on course requirements please see the admissions statement below.
Full details about the course structure and units for this course can be viewed in the programme catalogue.
Go to programme catalogueEntry requirements
We accept a wide variety of qualifications and welcome applications from students of all backgrounds. Below is a guide to the typical offers for this course.
A-level standard offer
AAA including Chemistry and one of Biology, Physics, Mathematics or Further Mathematics.
Graduates are required to obtain a 2:1 in their degree and BBB at A-level, including Chemistry and one of Biology, Physics, Mathematics or Further Mathematics.
Foundation degree in relevant subject (minimum 60%) and BBB at A level including Chemistry and one of Biology, Physics, Mathematics or Further Mathematics.
A-level contextual offer
ABB including AB (in any order) in Chemistry and one of Biology, Physics, Mathematics or Further Mathematics.
Find out if you are eligible for a contextual offerBTEC
DDD in Applied Science BTEC National Level 3 Extended Diploma, with Distinctions in five specified Chemistry units.
Find out more about our BTEC entry requirementsInternational Baccalaureate Diploma
36 points overall with 18 at Higher Level, including 6, 6 at Higher Level in Chemistry and one of Biology, Physics or Mathematics
International Baccalaureate Diploma contextual offer
32 points overall with 16 at Higher Level, including 6, 5 (in any order) at Higher Level in Chemistry and one of Biology, Physics or Mathematics
Find out if you are eligible for a contextual offerEuropean Baccalaureate
85% overall, with 8.5 in Chemistry and one of Biology, Physics or Mathematics
Scottish Qualifications Authority
Advanced Higher: AA in Chemistry and one of Biology, Physics or Mathematics, and Standard Higher: AAAAB
Access to HE Diploma
Access to HE Diploma in Science, Biomedical/ Medical/ Health Science or Psychology (or similar titles). The 45 graded Level 3 credits must include:
- at least 30 credits at Distinction and 15 at Merit or above; and
- at least 12 credits from Chemistry units; and
- at least 12 credits from one of Biology, Physics or Mathematics. One subject (Chemistry or the second science) must be achieved with 12 credits at Distinction, the other must be achieved with 9 out of the 12 credits at Distinction.
Mature students can contact mature-students@bristol.ac.uk to check the suitability of their Access course.
Welsh Baccalaureate
Requirements are as for A-levels, where you can substitute a non-subject specific grade for the Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate at that grade.
Cambridge Pre-U
Requirements for principal subjects are as for A-level, where D1/ D2 is A*, D3 is A, M1/ M2 is B, and M3 is C.
International qualifications
The University of Bristol welcomes applications from international students, and we accept a wide range of qualifications for undergraduate and postgraduate study.
Search international qualificationsApplicants must also meet these requirements
GCSE profile requirements
Standard numeracy requirement (4 or C in GCSE Mathematics or equivalent)
and
Standard literacy requirement (4 or C in GCSE English or equivalent)
Further information about GCSE requirements and profile levels.
English language requirements
If English is not your first language, you need to have one of the following:
- 7.0 overall with 7.0 in writing and 6.5 in all other skills
- GCSE English Language grade B or 6
- An alternative English Language Profile B qualification
Further information about English language requirements and profile levels
Additional requirements
Work experience is required; please see the Admissions Statement.
More about UK qualifications.
Selection process
- We select successful applicants based on the UCAS application, completion of work experience requirements, and a supplementary assessment questionnaire. Interviews are only used in exceptional circumstances. See the admissions statement for further information.
- Full information about our selection processes for this course:
- The admissions statement above relates to 2023 entry. The statement for 2024 entry will be available in summer 2023.
- Regulations and codes of conduct we abide by to create a positive environment for learning and achievement:
