Veterinary Nursing Degrees
Veterinary nursing is the branch of veterinary science responsible for the supportive care of animals that are receiving treatment within a veterinary practice. Most students interested in becoming a veterinary nurse will undertake a veterinary nursing degree at university.
With our guide to veterinary nursing degrees you can find out the typical entry requirements, the topics you’ll study and the veterinary nursing careers that you could enter.
About Veterinary Nursing
Types of Veterinary Nursing Degrees
There are around 40 different veterinary nursing degrees offered in the UK ranging from veterinary science to veterinary medicine. Courses tend to take 5 years of full time study to complete with some universities offering the opportunity for students to study their course abroad for one year. The degrees are awarded a Bachelor of Veterinary Science which is abbreviated to BVSc.
What modules will I study?
Throughout the course of a veterinary nursing degree you will be introduced to many specialist areas of veterinary science and nursing. Alongside the compulsory curriculum you may also have the ability to select particular modules that fulfill your personal interests in veterinary nursing. Some example core and optional modules could include:
- Animal Management
- Veterinary Profession
- Radiography
- Clinical Breeding
- Cell Biology
- Animal Health and Welfare
- Infectious Diseases
- Parasitology
- Microbiology
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Veterinary Neuroscience
- Veterinary Cardiorespiratory System
Entry Requirements
Only 12 universities in the UK offer veterinary nursing degrees making the application process very competitive. The entry requirements for each institution will vary, however, typically students are expected to have gained the following A Level grades/ UCAS points:
A Level Grades: A*AA - AABUCAS Points: 152 - 136Required and Desired A Level Subjects include: Biology, Chemistry, Human BiologyCareer Prospects
After completing a degree in veterinary nursing students can choose to continue their studies through a master’s degree in a veterinary/ science related field, or they can enter the field of work. Common destinations of veterinary nurses include job roles in:
- General Practice
- Government Service
- Food Hygiene
- University Teaching
- Veterinary Research
- Animal Charities
Veterinary nursing and veterinary science degrees were noted as the second most employable degrees in 2016 based on the destination of leavers from higher education survey 2016. Graduates of veterinary degrees left university and around 97% of students were in further education or full time employment within 6 months. Those that chose to work achieved an average starting salary of £27.5k. You can read more about the most employable degrees with our article: Top 10 Most Employable Degrees.
