University home > Unit and programme catalogues in 2023/24 > Programme catalogue > Faculty of Health Sciences > Bristol Veterinary School > Veterinary Science (BVSc) > Specification
Programme code | 8MVSF006U |
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Programme type | Single Honours |
Programme director(s) |
Emma Love
|
Faculty | Faculty of Health Sciences |
School/department | Bristol Veterinary School |
Teaching institution | University of Bristol |
Awarding institution | University of Bristol |
Accrediting types: |
Accredited by the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE). (https://www.eaeve.org/esevt/establishments-status) Accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). (http://www.avma.org) Accredited by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) for the purpose of eligibility for registration as a veterinary surgeon with that body. (http://www.rcvs.org.uk/) |
Relevant QAA subject benchmark groups | Veterinary science (2002) (benchmark statement) |
Mode of study | Full Time |
Programme length | 5 years (full time) |
This section sets out why studying this programme is important, both in terms of inspiring you as an individual and in considering the challenges we face. It describes how this degree programme contributes to:
The Bristol BVSc programme prepares you for professional life as a veterinary surgeon, ready to flourish in the wide range of careers that are available within and beyond the veterinary profession. You will develop a strong understanding of the science that underpins veterinary work and the skills to recognise, diagnose and manage disease in a wide range of veterinary species and settings. You will tackle increasingly complex real-world problems, coping with incomplete information and uncertainty, developing an appreciation for the role of evidence-based veterinary medicine, and the skills to critique and contribute to research. Through working closely with colleagues in veterinary and allied professions, you will develop effective teamwork and leadership skills, able to contribute to a changing profession in a changing world, balancing the needs of animals, people and the environment. Our curriculum embeds and integrates wide-ranging aspects of professionalism and employability, supporting you to explore and develop your professional identity, and develop the reflective skills to thrive as a lifelong learner. Our innovative approach to assessment means that you will be challenged and supported to apply your knowledge and skills to a wide range of authentic situations, across a broad spectrum of care. Our curriculum is designed to support a diverse student population, with a strong sense of belonging within the Vet School community.
The programme will enable you to fulfil the specific requirements of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and other accrediting bodies.
The learning outcome statements shown below for your programme have been developed with reference to relevant national subject benchmarks (where they exist), national qualification descriptors (see the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications) and professional body requirements.
Teaching, learning and assessment strategies are listed to show how you will be able to achieve and demonstrate the learning outcomes.
This programme provides opportunities for you to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, qualities, skills and other attributes in the following areas:
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning/teaching methods and strategies |
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The curriculum is designed around a spiral, systems-based approach, which means that you will focus on one body system at a time: in the first spiral you will explore normal structure and function, and then return to each system in later years to learn what can go wrong and how to diagnose and treat problems. There is a focus on case-based learning approaches, with students working together to solve clinical problems and develop their reasoning skills. Five themes run throughout the curriculum: scientific foundations of veterinary medicine; practical and clinical skills; clinical and professional reasoning; developing as a professional and lifelong learner; and animals, people and planet. You will learn using a blend of online resources, seminars, case-based learning, coursework tasks, laboratory classes, practicals, small and large group tutorials, and workplace-based learning. |
Methods of assessment (formative and summative) | |
There will be many opportunities for formative assessments and feedback, including quizzes, coursework tasks, peer and staff feedback, tutor meetings and formative written exams. Each year, there will be a range of engagement criteria and summative must-pass assessments, including a portfolio, practical examinations and end of year written examinations. Workplace-based assessments are used in the final year. |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning/teaching methods and strategies |
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|
You will learn using a blend of online resources, seminars, case-based learning, coursework tasks, laboratory classes, practicals, small and large group tutorials, and workplace-based learning. Many of our practicals use a “flipped classroom” approach, with students preparing independently using online resource prior to practicals, so that they can gain as much as possible from hands-on time in class. |
Methods of assessment (formative and summative) | |
There will be many opportunities for formative assessments and feedback, including quizzes, coursework tasks, peer and staff feedback, tutor meetings and formative written exams. Each year, there will be a range of engagement criteria and summative must-pass assessments, including a portfolio, practical examinations and end of year written examinations. Workplace-based assessments are used in the final year. |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning/teaching methods and strategies |
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|
You will learn using a blend of online resources, seminars, case-based learning, coursework tasks, laboratory classes, practicals, small and large group tutorials, and workplace-based learning. |
Methods of assessment (formative and summative) | |
There will be many opportunities for formative assessments and feedback, including quizzes, coursework tasks, peer and staff feedback, tutor meetings and formative written exams. Each year, there will be a range of engagement criteria and summative must-pass assessments, including a portfolio, practical examinations and end of year written examinations. Workplace-based assessments are used in the final year. |
This section describes what is expected from you at each level of your programme. This illustrates increasing intellectual standards as you progress through the programme. These levels are mapped against the national level descriptors published by the Quality Assurance Agency.
Level C/4 - Certificate |
By the end of level C students should have: |
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Level I/5 - Intermediate |
By the end of level I students should have: |
Level H/6 - Honours |
By the end of the Programme students will have: |
For information on the admissions requirements for this programme please see details in the undergraduate prospectus at http://www.bristol.ac.uk/prospectus/undergraduate/ or contact the relevant academic department.
Undergraduate Students
Success as an undergraduate student depends on you being able to make the transition to self-motivated, independent learning. Programmes are designed to assist you in this development, in many cases by starting with units in which timetabled teaching, such as lectures and practical classes, provides the foundations of knowledge and skills in a subject, moving on to individual research-based work. Over time you will be expected to take increasing responsibility for your own learning, guided by the feedback on your work that you will receive.
Postgraduate Students
Taught postgraduate students are generally studying for one academic year. This is a longer year than for undergraduates, normally culminating in a research project. In a one-year full-time programme your workload will be distributed as evenly as possible, but this will depend on the precise arrangements for your programme. You will be expected to take responsibility for your own learning, guided by the feedback on your work that you will receive.
All students
At the heart of your studies at every level there must be regular and disciplined individual reading, reflection and writing and it is this skill of independent studies, above all others, that will serve you best when you leave the University.
Most programmes use credits and a 20-credit unit broadly equates to about 200 hours of student input. This includes all activities related to the teaching, learning and assessment of taught units.
A component of this is the time that you spend in class, in contact with the teaching staff, which includes activities such as lectures, laboratories, tutorials, problem-solving classes and fieldwork. Some of this activity may be online and could consist of activity that is synchronous (using real-time environments such as Blackboard Collaborate) or asynchronous (using tools such as tutor moderated discussion forums, blogs or wikis).
In some programmes there are field courses and/or placements that will take place in concentrated periods of time.
Outside scheduled activities you are expected to pursue your own independent learning to build your knowledge and understanding of the subjects you are studying. Such independent activities include, reviewing lecture material, reading textbooks, working on examples sheets, completing coursework, writing up laboratory notes, preparing for in-class progress tests and revising for examinations.
We recognise that many students undertake paid employment. To achieve a sensible balance between work and study, you are advised to undertake paid work for no more than 15 hours per week in term-time.
UG Professional Programmes in the Faculty of Health Sciences
For these professional programmes, full time attendance is compulsory unless absence is formally approved. Academic activities are timetabled throughout the 5-day week and student workload is around 40 hours per week on average. Where possible, students in the early years are permitted Wednesday afternoons for sport and extra-curricula activities. This is usually not available in later years of professional programmes as when a student progresses through their curriculum there is an increasing exposure to clinical and professional activities. Students in clinic or on placements may need to stay later than core times of 08.00 – 18.00 or even overnight to observe out-of-hours activities. There may also be an occasional need to work or travel to clinical placements at the weekend. This increasing exposure to clinical activities means that students on these professional programmes often have longer term dates than the University standard. Individual years within programmes are likely to vary in length (for example because of the timings of placements) and further information on this will be found in individual programme information. Another important point to note is that many of the assessments sit outside the standard University examination timetable and are likely to be more frequent, meaning that students will need to engage in revision activities and self-directed learning (including when on clinical placements).
Health Sciences Assessment Statement
Please select the following link for a statement about assessment in the Faculty of Health Sciences. This is University of Bristol access only.
https://www.bristol.ac.uk/media-library/sites/health-sciences/chse/documents/FHS%20Assessment%20and%20Feedback%20statement%202021.pdf
It is a requirement of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons that all undergraduates studying Veterinary Science must fulfill 12 weeks of Preclinical Extramural Studies on farms, animal hospitals (and the like) during the first two years of study. Furthermore, all undergraduates are required to fulfill a total of 26 weeks of Clinical Extramural Studies in veterinary practices and the like. All placements occur during the University vacation periods and are usually, though not exclusively, undertaken in the UK.
In addition to the fees for the programme, a student may encounter the following costs:
Year 1 of Study
Standard wellington boots and warm waterproof clothing for use during the entire programme – £1-100
Year 2 of Study
No anticipated additional costs
Year 3 of Study
Stethoscope – £1-100
Year 4 & 5 of Study
Travel / accommodation costs may be incurred whilst completing mandatory placements and optional electives – £200-£500 depending on placement. Some students may elect to complete placements that incur additional travel/accommodation costs (e.g, overseas projects)
Year 5 of Study
Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Fee - £170
*In addition please budget for travel & accommodation costs for Extra Mural Studies (EMS) placements throughout the Programme - Average expenditure for a 2-week placement is £152 for large animal and £119 for small animal*
*Financial Support available*
The Association of Veterinary Students [AVS] have teamed up with VDS Training to offer five £200 grants a year to veterinary students to help with the costs of the 26 weeks of clinical extra mural studies [EMS].
Future years
Please note it is possible that the information shown for future academic years may change, primarily due to developments in the relevant academic field.
Email: choosebristol.ac.uk
Enquiries Team: (0117) 928 7679
Please note: where zero credit points are shown it is because this is not a credit bearing programme.
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | |
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Animal Health and the Veterinary Profession | VETS10022 | 0 | Mandatory | TB-4 |
Certificate of Higher Education in Veterinary Science | 0 |
Please note: where zero credit points are shown it is because this is not a credit bearing programme.
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | |
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Animal Health and Disease in Professional Practice | VETS20024 | 0 | Mandatory | TB-4 |
Diploma of Higher Education in Veterinary Science | 0 |
Please note: where zero credit points are shown it is because this is not a credit bearing programme.
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | |
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Clinical Veterinary Science and Professional Practice 1 | VETS30041 | 0 | Mandatory | TB-4 |
Bachelor of Science (Veterinary Science) | 0 |
Please note: where zero credit points are shown it is because this is not a credit bearing programme.
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | |
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Clinical Veterinary Science and Professional Practice 2 | VETS30042 | 0 | Mandatory | AYEAR |
Bachelor of Science (Veterinary Science) | 0 |
Please note: where zero credit points are shown it is because this is not a credit bearing programme.
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | |
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Clinical Veterinary Science and Professional Practice 3 | VETSM0061 | 0 | Mandatory | AYEAR |
Veterinary Science (BVSc) | 0 |
Unit Pass Mark for Professional Programmes (MBChB, BDS, BVSc): 50 out of 100
For detailed rules on progression please see the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes and the relevant faculty handbook.
Please refer to the specific progression/award requirements for Gateway programmes.
All undergraduate degree programmes allow the opportunity for a student to exit from a programme with a Diploma or Certificate of Higher Education.
Integrated Master's degrees may also allow the opportunity for a student to exit from the programme with an equivalent Bachelor's degree where a student has achieved 360 credit points, of which 90 must be at level 6, and has successfully met any additional criteria as described in the programme specification.
The opportunities for a student to exit from one of the professional programmes in Veterinary Science, Medicine, and Dentistry with an Award is outlined in the relevant Programme Regulations (which are available as an annex in the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes).
The pass mark for the professional programmes in Veterinary Science, Medicine and Dentistry is 50 out of 100. The classification of a degree in the professional programmes in Veterinary Science, Medicine, and Dentistry is provided in the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
Please note: This specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if he/she takes full advantage of the learning opportunities that are provided.
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