BVSci Veterinary Science

Apply for this course using the 'Apply now' link on this page which will guide you through the application process on the UCAS website. Additional information will also be required as part of your application process:

1. Vocational Experience Summary
   

   The Vocational Experience Summary is a method by which the SRUC School of Veterinary Medicine's Admissions Committee can learn more about your vocational experiences related to your ambitions to join the BVSci programme.

   The School of Veterinary Medicine has a commitment to rural and remote communities, veterinary practices and the rural economy and as such would like to learn more about your experiences in these areas.

   You will be asked to detail relevant experiences in each of three areas: Veterinary experience i.e. Time spent in a veterinary practice; other animal experience i.e. Time spent on farms or stables etc; and other vocational experiences i.e. Paid or voluntary work or leadership roles.

   Whilst providing details of where you had these experiences, we will also ask you to detail your key duties or the activities you participated in, what you learned from the experiences, your reflections of the experience and what skills you would like to develop in future related experiences.

   Finally, we will ask you describe a challenging experience you have had during one of these placements/roles, we would like to know how you coped with the situation and on reflection what you learned from it.

   VES Form 2026 Entry

2. A letter to the Head of School
   

   Your Letter to the Head of School is a method by which we can see how your background and experiences align with SRUC and the School of Veterinary Medicine’s mission. In this short (3,000 character; approximately 600 word) free text submission we would like you to discuss the following:

   • You should reflect on your experiences of, and contributions to, communities, particularly those of a rural or remote nature.
   • You should demonstrate knowledge of the rural economy and its importance in the remote and rural sectors.
   • You should include your thoughts on how the veterinary profession can help support rural communities and businesses, now and in the future.

   You are free to reference your work in the Harvard reference style, however reference lists should be included in the subsequent free text box, not in the first.

   https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/sruc/letter-to-head-of-school-2026-entry

   
   

3. Reference Form
   

   The personal reference will be used by the SRUC SVM Admissions Committee as an important part of the application process for the BVSci Veterinary Science degree.

   We are asking candidates to identify one person to act as a referee to support your application. To aid you in selecting a suitable referee we will be asking them to comment on your aptitude for the veterinary profession by commenting on;

   • Your aptitude for a career in animal health.
   • Your ability to work with a range of persons from different backgrounds as well as your ability to work successfully as part of a team.

   Your referee should ideally not be a teacher or the same person who provided your UCAS reference. A good example would be a reference from someone who you have worked with during a period of work experience.

   You will need to forward the below link to your referee for completion. They will need to input your First Name and Surname as it appears on your application.

   https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/sruc/reference-form-2026-2027

Once we have received your UCAS application and supporting information, all applications are ranked by the SRUC admissions team, which includes School of Veterinary Medicine staff.

If you are successful in the initial written application, you will then be invited to interview. 

Standard Entry Requirements

2 Advanced Highers at BB including one science subject (Chemistry, Physics, Biology) plus

5 Highers at AABBB  including at least two science subjects (Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Human Biology, or Maths/Applications of Maths) plus

Achieving a minimum of 5 subjects at National 5 subjects (Grades A-C) including Maths/Applications of Maths (B) and English (C)

Recent and relevant vocational experience is also required.

No minimum amount of experience is required, with candidates being expected to demonstrate recent and relevant practical experience in large and small animals and veterinary practice environments, in line with the school’s mission.

SRUC recognises that an individual’s opportunities are very dependent on availability and their resources and if this has not been possible, please notify us directly.

Comparable Qualifications:

3 A Levels at ABB including one science subject (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths), with a minimum of 5 GCSE subjects (Grades A/9-C/4) including English (C/4) and Maths (B/6)

Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement (JCPA) achieving a minimum of 5 JCPA subjects including English (Merit or above) and Maths (Merit or above) plus 5 Irish Leaving Certificate subjects at Higher level at H1, H2, H2, H3, H3 including at least 2 science subjects (Agricultural Science, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths)

Note – SRUC does not use the Irish points system, we will look at the individual subjects and grades, but for reference we are seeking approx. 420 points.

International Baccalaureate achieving overall score of 34 with 6 6 5 in HL subjects, two of which are science subjects (Biology, Chemistry, Maths, Physics). SL English at 4 and Maths at 5, with a minimum of 5 GCSE subjects (Grades A/9-C/4) including English (C/4) and Maths (B/6)

SRUC would not normally consider applicants who have achieved less than our minimum academic requirements at Higher level or who are re-sitting their examinations to upgrade results unless very serious personal difficulties at the time of the first sitting can be demonstrated. Please contact the Admissions Team to discuss further.

Minimum Entry Requirements*

*Under SRUC’s Contextual Admissions Policy, we will relax our standard entry requirements for some students depending on their circumstances. More information on our Contextual Admissions Policy can be found below.

2 Advanced Highers at BB including one science subject (Chemistry, Physics, Biology) plus

5 Highers at BBBBB  including at least two science subjects (Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Human Biology, or Maths/Applications of Maths) plus

Achieving a minimum of 5 subjects at National 5 subjects (Grades A-C) including Maths/Applications of Maths (B) and English (C)

Comparable Qualifications:

3 A Levels at BBB including one science subject (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths), with a minimum of 5 GCSE subjects (Grades A/9-C/4) including English (C/4) and Maths (B/6)

Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement (JCPA) achieving a minimum of 5 JCPA subjects including English (Merit or above) and Maths (Merit or above) plus 5 Irish Leaving Certificate subjects at Higher level at H2, H2, H2, H3, H4 including at least 2 science subjects (Agricultural Science, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths)

SRUC would not normally consider applicants who have achieved less than our minimum academic requirements at Higher level or who are re-sitting their examinations to upgrade results unless very serious personal difficulties at the time of the first sitting can be demonstrated. Please contact the Admissions Team to discuss further.

Graduate Entry

Applicants 2:1 degree in appropriate animal or bioscience related subjects.

SRUC may be able to consider applicants who have achieve a 2:2 Honours degree in appropriate animal or bioscience related subject. In these circumstances school qualifications will also be taken into consideration. 

When applying as a graduate, please use the BVSci Veterinary Science (Graduate only) route on UCAS (D201).

Admissions policy:
The School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) seeks to identify those applicants who will benefit from, and can be reasonably expected to achieve, the BVSci award and become members of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS). It recognises that this cannot necessarily be judged from academic performance alone and consideration will therefore be given to an applicant’s life experiences, demonstrated aptitude for the chosen course, aspirations and related skills. Read our admissions policy

Contextual Admissions policy:
SRUC is committed to widening access and we are keen to encourage students from the widest possible range of backgrounds.

We appreciate that not all students have had the same opportunities to meet our advertised entry requirements. For this reason, we aim to identify applicants who could benefit from additional consideration in the admissions process.

SRUC will use contextual information alongside the UCAS/SRUC application form to assess applicants, taking into consideration their personal, educational circumstances and geographical location.

Read our contextual admissions policy

SRUC is committed to designing learning to be inclusive, meeting the needs of our learners, and creating learning environments where all learners feel valued and have an equal opportunity to learn. This includes a commitment to ensuring that it meets its’ legal duty to make reasonable adjustments in line with the requirements of the Equality Act 2010.

The aim of Reasonable Adjustments is to ensure that all students are able to demonstrate the full extent of their academic abilities, irrespective of a disability or long-term condition.

All SRUC programmes require students to reach specific academic standards in order to be awarded their qualification and some also have particular competency standards associated with professional accreditation e.g., the Veterinary Science (BVSci) and Veterinary Nursing programmes or other regulated qualifications. SRUC will not reduce or change those standards, but it is committed to ensuring that the methods of assessing those standards do not put disabled students at a disadvantage, where possible.

While SRUC is committed to supporting disabled students in line with its legal duties, those who do not declare a disability on application, which later becomes apparent during their studies may be at risk of not achieving the programme if they cannot meet the required competence standards. Further details are available in SRUC’s Reasonable Adjustments Policy

Potential applicants for the BVSci programme should make themselves aware of the RCVS Day One Competences that are required of individuals graduating from a veterinary programme.  Individuals who have specific concerns are encouraged to contact the School of Veterinary Medicine Admissions team for confidential advice (SVMadmissions@sruc.ac.uk).

Students are encouraged to declare a disability or other long-term medical or mental health condition during the application process so that SRUC can evaluate their ability to meet the required competence standards and start to plan for support as soon as possible. Once an applicant has accepted an unconditional firm place BVSci programme they will be required to complete a Health Questionnaire.  This is particularly important for accredited and/or regulated qualifications. Students who have identified support needs on their applications/Health Questionnaire are considered in relation to Reasonable Adjustments that are required.  In the very rare circumstances where a registrants ability to meet the RCVS Day One Competencies is compromised because a Reasonable Adjustment cannot be made their offer will be regretfully withdrawn.  Students with agreed Reasonable Adjustments are collated by the Admissions Team. This information is then shared with relevant student support teams and teaching teams.

If any applicant wishes to discuss any aspect before submitting an application, they should contact the Admissions Team by email (SVMadmisisons@sruc.ac.uk)

Take a look around the SRUC Virtual Experience for lots of great student videos and examples of what it’s like to study our courses, along with campus and facility tours.

SRUC holds open days regularly. Visit our listings page for details of our up-coming events.

Scotland has so much to offer, it’s no wonder that each year thousands of students from across the globe make it their number one choice for their study destination.

Learn more about studying at SRUC in Scotland

This course is studied at our Aberdeen campus. Learn more about the campus, facilities available, city and student life by visiting our Aberdeen campus page. 

Phone:

From inside the UK: 0800 269 453
British Sign Language (BSL) users can contact us through an interpreter via Contact Scotland BSL

From outside the UK: +44 (0) 131 535 4000

Email:

Scottish, Irish, and UK students: study@sruc.ac.uk

International students: internationalstudents@sruc.ac.uk

Online:

All prospective students are welcome to contact us by filling in our online enquiry form

BSc (Hons) Animal Welfare Science

BSc (Hons) Applied Animal Science

BSc (Hons) Equine Science and Management

BSc (Hons) Veterinary Nursing

BSc (Hons) Wildlife and Conservation Management

In years one and two this overarching module will introduce topics such as anatomy, physiology and pathology separated into the different biological systems (e.g. Cardiovascular, Digestion, Endocrine etc.)  that all animal species have. By teaching by system rather than species we aim to enable our students to transfer their knowledge and skills to better cope with any situation they find themselves in.

This vertical thread runs through all 5 years of the programme and introduces students to the key knowledge and skills required to contribute to One Health and food security. This innovative course will result in APHA Official Veterinarian qualifications for all our students in the primary areas necessary to perform these roles once qualified and the opportunity to achieve further APHA and FSS qualifications at, or soon after, graduation.

This second vertical theme which runs through the programme will enable students to practice and perfect their animal handling, clinical skills and human skills. Classes will support students to develop their own learning pathways and provide opportunities to discuss their development with academic tutors and clinical mentors. Students will maintain a portfolio throughout this module where they can deposit assessment work, reflections on their studies, monitor their own progression and log details of their EMS.

This overarching module in years 3 and 4 follows on from the foundations built in the Veterinary Biology modules in years 1 and 2. In this module the systems-based approach will continue but will introduce students to Evidence based veterinary medicine, pharmacology, diagnostic imaging, veterinary medicine and veterinary surgery. Students will further develop their clinical reasoning skills and be able to design diagnostic, surgical and medical treatment plans whilst considering the impact and benefit to patient and client.