Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine with Intercalated Year

Veterinary medicine is among the most demanding and rewarding of degree programmes, combining deep scientific study with clinical training and the practical responsibility of caring for animal patients. The discipline requires mastery of anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, pathology, microbiology and clinical medicine across multiple species, alongside the communication and professional judgement skills that veterinary practice demands. It is a vocation that prepares you to make complex decisions under pressure, to work with animal owners in difficult moments, and to contribute to animal health, public health and food safety.

This six-year programme at the Royal Veterinary College is the standard BVetMed enriched by an intercalated year, in which you undertake an additional year of focused study leading to an intercalated degree. The intercalated year allows you to develop greater scientific depth, to carry out in-depth research and to gain a broader and more rounded education than the five-year programme alone provides. The programme also includes a sandwich year with a work placement, giving you structured professional experience as part of the degree.

Throughout the five-year clinical programme you will study across the core areas of veterinary science, working with patients in clinical settings under supervision and developing the diagnostic and treatment skills that professional practice requires.

Graduates from the BVetMed are eligible for registration with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, which is required to practise as a veterinary surgeon in the UK. Career paths include companion animal practice, farm animal and equine practice, public health and food safety, wildlife and zoo medicine, research, teaching and the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. The intercalated year strengthens your research credentials and is particularly valuable for those who wish to combine clinical practice with academic or scientific careers.