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College of Veterinary Medicine

Frequently Asked Questions

NC State Announces the Following Advisory to Admissions Requirements for the Current Admissions Cycle.

  1. P/F grades:  NC State will allow a Pass in P/F or Satisfactory in the S/U grading systems for prerequisites completed in Spring or Summer 2020. For Fall 2020, P/F and S/U will be accepted if it’s the only option at the institution. A letter grade is expected if it is an option.  Letter grades with at least a C- or better will be required in all semesters following Spring and Summer 2020.
    • (a) courses submitted in the P/F or S/U scale will not be factored into the Required Course GPA calculation
    • A “Pass” or “Satisfactory” grade for a prerequisite taken in Spring or Summer 2020 will be accepted in any future admissions cycle.
  2. GRE:  NC State has removed the GRE as a requirement for admission into the DVM program, starting with the 2021 admissions cycle.
  3. LORs: NC State will continue to require three (3) letters of recommendations. Additionally, we still highly recommend that 2 of 3 letters come from DVMs or PhD scientists with whom you have worked.
  4. Experience Hours: NC State will continue to require 200 hours of veterinary experience hours for the current admissions cycle.

Please contact the Student Services Office at dvminformation@ncsu.edu if you have any questions about these changes.

Application Deadlines 

Cost of Attendance 

Contact Information

DVM Admissions

In addition to carefully reading our eligibility criteria and ensuring that you follow the application process, NC State Veterinary Medicine offers admissions information sessions throughout the year, which detail what it takes to be accepted to the programs. Check here for upcoming information sessions. Do you require an admissions interview? The NC resident pool will complete an online interview in the 2023 admissions cycle.

What do I have to submit?

We evaluate all applicants on the same criteria no matter what college they have attended. Each cycle we receive more applications from NC State than any other school. Therefore, we admit and deny more applicants from NC State than any other school. As point of fact, roughly 38% of our students received undergraduate degrees from NC State.

Effective spring 2017, the NC State CVM no longer considers transfer application requests. Changes in our curriculum and the evolution of our DVM/PhD Program make this process change necessary. Interested applicants may apply as an incoming first-year student.

International applicants, as well as US resident applicants attending colleges outside the United States must meet all of the listed admissions criteria as well as :

  • have all international academic transcripts evaluated by a credential evaluation service. Applicants have used the following services in the past: Josef Silny & Associates, Trustforte, and World Education Services.
  • submit proof of English proficiency. In order to be eligible for admission to the Graduate School all international applicants, regardless of citizenship, must demonstrate proficiency in English at a level necessary to be successful in a graduate program at NC State.

English Proficiency Requirements  

GPAAdmitted Students NC ResidentsAdmitted Students Non Residents
Mean Overall3.14 - 4.00 | 3.643.45 - 4.00 | 3.82
Last 45 | Mean3.30 - 4.00 | 3.723.48 - 4.00 | 3.85
Mean Prerequisites2.97 - 4.00 3.613.42 - 4.00 | 3.79

We admit an incoming class of 116 students each year – approximately 93 North Carolina residents and 23 non-residents. Following are statistics of the number of applications received in recent years.

YearAppliedResident/Non- Resident
2016890Residents = 236
Non-Residents = 645
2017922Residents = 183
Non-Residents= 739
20181068Non-Resident = 815
Resident = 253
20191219Non-Resident = 963
Resident = 256
20201156Non-Resident = 901
Resident = 255
20211662Non-Resident = 1315
Resident : 346

North Carolina State University is a land-grant university designed to serve the citizens of North Carolina in subject areas including, but not limited to, the practical teaching of agriculture, science, military science, engineering and education. The state of North Carolina funds higher education in an effort to offer strong educational opportunities to its citizenry. Therefore, slot allocation priority is given to North Carolina residents.

How do I apply for NC Residency?
Information about the laws governing residency. Information about the procedures for seeking residency for tuition purposes.

Can applicants from border states, such as South Carolina, apply as residents to NC State?

No. North Carolina does not have a “contract state” agreement with South Carolina or any other state.

Biology (33%), Animal Science (27%), Zoology (11%), Chemistry (2%), Other (27%). “Pre-vet” is not a major; it is a track that can be chosen within a major.

Are there majors you prefer?
Pre-vet students can be any major they choose, and the required pre-professional courses can be obtained through the curricula of a number of fields of study.

Do I have to have a Bachelor’s degree to get in?

A bachelor’s degree is not required for admission into the DVM program. An applicant just needs to satisfy the prerequisites. However, most admitted students do have their bachelor’s degree by matriculation.

The prerequisite courses are listed on the DVM Admission Requirements web page. For the equivalent course at another college or university, check the NC State University catalog or ask the advisor at your college. Use the Basic Course Information to guide you on your assessment if a course taken at your home institution meets our prerequisites.

Where should I take the prerequisite courses?
You can take the prerequisite courses at any accredited two-year or four-year college or university. This includes courses taken via distance education at those institutions.

Do you accept online courses?
Yes, prerequisite courses may be completed either online or in a classroom setting. As above, the courses must be completed at an accredited two-year or four-year college or university.

Can Advanced Placement (AP) courses be used to fulfill prerequisites?
AP courses can be used to fulfill prerequisites. However, regardless if used to fulfill requirements or not, the applicant’s undergraduate institution must list the AP course by name (Biology, Calculus, English, etc.) on its transcript indicating the number of credits granted. Please note that AP courses are not considered when calculating grade point averages.

Can College Level Examination Program (CLEP) credit be used to fulfill prerequisites?
No, the admissions committee does not accept CLEP credit in fulfillment of course prerequisites.

Applicants completing coursework in a “Study Abroad” program must submit grades in the grade equivalent of a U.S. educational institution. This can be accomplished either by (1) the “home” institution providing the equivalent grade on its transcript or by (2) the applicant submitting the “Study Abroad” transcript to a credential evaluation service. Options for credential evaluation services include: Josef Silny & Associates, Trustforte Corporation, and World Education Services

You should meet or exceed our minimum grade requirements for cumulative, required, and last 45 credit hour grade point averages. In addition to academic criteria, you will be evaluated on various non-academic criteria. The Admissions Committee will be looking for students who are academically curious, well-rounded and mature. Students who are interested in veterinary medicine should pursue jobs, clubs and other activities that expose them to the profession and to different species of animals. A diverse amount of veterinary and animal experience is highly recommended.

What is the difference between veterinary experience and animal experience?

Veterinary experience is experience working under the supervision of a DVM or PhD research scientist. Animal experience demonstrates an applicant’s experience working with animals while NOT under the supervision of a DVM or PhD research scientist. NC State requires a minimum of 200 hours of veterinary experience while there is no minimum hour requirement for animal experience. However, a diversity of animal-related experiences is highly encouraged.

How do I obtain positions to strengthen my veterinary and animal experience?

Make contact directly with veterinarians with whom you would like to work. Our Student Services Office will provide experience information when available and upon request. Some possible locations include:

How should I keep track of my veterinary and animal experience hours? Is there a form to fill out?

We encourage you to maintain a spreadsheet or journal of their experience opportunities as you will be asked to enter experience information into the VMCAS application by capturing the following data: dates, contact information (person and practice), indicate whether a paid or volunteer position, total hours, average hours, experience type (small, equine, food, etc.), and synopsis of duties.

Letters of recommendation are very important in the admissions process. They convey your knowledge of the veterinary profession, the depth and level of your commitment to the field, and the qualities of character that you have shown to the person you choose as your evaluator. We offer a set of guidelines for those individuals writing letters of recommendation.

Unfortunately you can not. Staffing parameters prevent the office from conducting individual sessions. We encourage you to attend Admissions Information Sessions with other potential applicants. The sessions contain good information sharing that often benefits an applicant and may be missed in an individual session.

The DVM professional curriculum is a four-year full-time, day program. Four community colleges in North Carolina offer animal science programs: Wayne Community College in Goldsboro, NC; James Sprunt Community College in Kenansville, NC; and Sampson Community College in Clinton, NC.

Are there any shorter courses of study leading to a career in veterinary medicine?

Three colleges in North Carolina offers an associate’s degree in Veterinary Medical Technology: Central Carolina Community College in Sanford, NC, Gaston College in Dallas, NC and Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College in Asheville, NC.

For the 2020-2021 academic year, the College enrolled 396 students (64 males = 16% and 332 females = 84%). Students range in age from 20 to 52 with an average age of approximately 26.

While we do not review your high school records for admission, courses in the sciences – biology, chemistry, etc. – will help you. In addition, take college preparation courses necessary for freshman admission into an undergraduate institution. Click here for information on undergraduate admission at NC State University.

How do I obtain positions to strengthen my veterinary and animal experience, especially if I’m still in high school?

Try to obtain employment in non-clinical roles such as kennel work in order to build experience for one’s resume. This will make you more marketable when you are old enough to apply for more advanced positions at small or large animal hospitals, etc. Some possible locations include:

Other Frequently Asked Questions

Email the Clinical Course Coordinator no fewer than 7 weeks in advance of the date you would like to start the externship. Send the following information: name, address, phone number, email address, service area of interest, and intended dates of externship. Click here for the list of clinical rotations.

The Office of Continuing Education and Outreach offers a Visiting Clinician Program for North Carolina veterinarians and international veterinarians.

The Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG) certification program is accepted by all state veterinary regulatory boards and the federal government as meeting, either in part or full, the educational prerequisite for licensure or certain types of employment, respectively.