Course Requirement

Pre-Professional Course Requirements

All applicants to the professional curriculum must achieve a minimum of 80 semester hours of college-level course work, exclusive of courses in physical education and military training. Credit for Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE), Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) or College Level Examination Programs (CLEP) is acceptable at the level described in the University Record of the University of Florida. While some of the introductory pre-professional courses may be taken at any college, all upper-division pre-requisite courses (3000-level courses such as microbiology, genetics, biochemistry, etc.) must be taken at a four-year institution. No major is given preference in the admissions process.

Pre-Professional Requirements

Pre-professional Requirements for Admission to the College of Veterinary Medicine.*

A. Biology -- a minimum of 15 semester credits including two semesters of Animal Biology or Zoology (lecture and laboratory), 1 semester of Genetics, and one semester of Microbiology (lecture and laboratory).
B. Chemistry -- a minimum of 19 semester credits including two semesters of Inorganic Chemistry (general and qualitative), (lecture and laboratory), 2 semesters of Organic Chemistry (lecture and laboratory), and 1 semester of Biochemistry.
C. Physics -- a minimum of 8 semester credits including 2 semesters of lecture and laboratory.
D. Mathematics -- a minimum of 6 semester credits. One semester of Calculus and 1 semester of Statistics.
E. Animal Science -- a minimum of 6 semester credits. One semester of Introduction to Animal Science and 1 semester of Animal Nutrition.
F. Humanities -- a minimum of 9 semester credits.
G. Social Science -- a minimum of 6 semester credits.
H. English -- a minimum of 6 semester credits, including two semesters of English Composition.
I. Electives -- variable number to bring minimal total to 80 semester credits.
* Minor variations in credits may be accepted.
The applicant must complete these courses by the end of the spring term in the year of admission.

Pre-Professional Courses at the University of Florida

The following page identifies courses offered at the University of Florida which fulfill pre-professional requirements for admission to the College of Veterinary Medicine. Courses taken at other accredited institutions should have the same content as these courses in order to be considered equivalent.

Pre-Professional Courses Semester Credits
Biology
Biology Core
BSC 2010 & 2010L - Principles of Biology I 4
BSC 2011 & 2011L - Principles of Biology II 4
Microbiology
MCB 3020 & 3020L - Basic Biology of Microorganisms 4
MCB 3023 & 3023L - Principles of Microbiology 5 (restricted to microbiology majors)
Genetics
AGR 3303 - Genetics 3
-or-
PCB 3063 - Genetics 4
Chemistry
Inorganic Chemistry
CHM 2040,2041,2045L,2046 & 2046L - Gen Chem and Qualitative Analysis 11
-or-
CHM 2045,2045L,2046 & 2046L - Gen Chem and Qualitative Analysis 8
Organic Chemistry
CHM 2210,2211 & 2211L - Organic Chemistry I,II and Laboratories 8
-or-
CHM 3217,3218 & 2211L - One Semester:
Organic Chem, Bioorganic Chem and Laboratory 10
Biochemistry
BCH 3025 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry 4
-or-
BCH 4024 - Introduction to Biochemistry & Molecular Biology 4
-or-
CHM 4207 - Introduction to Biochemistry & Molecular Biology 4
-or-
CHM 3218 - Bioorganic Chemistry 4
Physics
PHY 2053 & 2053L - Physics I 4
PHY 2054 & 2054L - Physics II 4
Mathematics
MAC 2311 - Analytic Geometry & Calculus I 4
STA 2023 - Introduction to Statistics I 3
Animal Science
ANS 3006C - Introduction to Animal Science 4
ANS 3440 - Principles of Animal Nutrition 4
Humanities * 9
Social Science * 6
English
ENC 1101 - Expository & Argumentative Writing 3
ENC 1102 - Writing about Literature 3
Electives Variable

* Any General Education course listed in the University of Florida Schedule of Courses is acceptable.

Elective Courses

The student should select subjects which are intellectually stimulating, challenging, and contributory to overall development and maturation. Courses distributed throughout the humanities, social, biological, and behavioral sciences may be directed toward study of a single area with general background in many areas, or may be grouped in several related areas in the sciences or humanities. The discriminate selection of elective courses will not only increase the student's store of knowledge, but will also help form attitudes basic to a professional career in veterinary medicine. Because of the demands of the professional curriculum, it is highly recommended that prospective students enroll in challenging courses that go beyond the pre-professional requirements; useful courses include comparative anatomy, embryology and physiology. Superior performance in these kinds of courses will not only enhance the academic image of the applicant, but will also help build a solid base for more detailed courses in the professional curriculum.

Discipline in study is essential. Proficiency in accurate, rapid, interpretive reading should be mastered. Methods of observation and collection of data, evaluation, deduction, and interpretation of findings are taught in psychology, physics, and other sciences. The analysis and organization of a set of observations into its simple components and synthesis of many fragments of data into a working hypothesis on which a plan of action can be based are taught in many courses. The student should keep these objectives in mind throughout pre-professional training.

A high degree of skill in the use of spoken and written language should be developed to extract a story accurately, to record facts systematically for the use of others, and to transmit instructions precisely. These techniques are taught in courses in English literature and composition. The study of foreign languages enhances appreciation of the exact meaning of words and the use of subtle differences in shading.

Communication through symbols is taught in chemistry, physics, and mathematics. Proficiency in typing increases the speed and accuracy of communication and, along with computer skills, will aid the student in professional work.