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    Veterinary Medicine and Surgery - BVetMS

    Achieve your ambition to pursue a career in the exciting and rewarding field of veterinary medicine and surgery. We offer a unique delivery model that combines the expertise and resources of two outstanding universities enabling you to develop into a dedicated and compassionate veterinary professional.

    Year of entry

    Course type

    • Single Honours

    UCAS code

    • D100

    Duration of study

    • 5 years
    Enquire about this course Clearing vacancies and entry requirements 2024 Book an open day Chat to students

    Why study Veterinary Medicine and Surgery at Keele University?

    Combined expertise and facilities from two high-quality institutions
    Benefit from a wide range of clinical placement opportunities
    Study within new state-of-the-art veterinary school buildings on both campuses
    On campus farm and companion animal facilities at Harper Adams
    State-of-the-art laboratory and clinical facilities at both Harper and Keele
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    Course overview

    This five-year, dynamic programme provides you with the specialist skills required for a varied and challenging career in veterinary medicine and surgery. It is delivered by two highly respected universities, and you will benefit from their excellent joint facilities and academic expertise. Harper Adams has a superb reputation for animal sciences combined with exceptional resources, including an on-campus farm and companion animal facilities. Keele University has an impressive track record in health and life sciences and excellent state-of-the-art teaching laboratories.

    This is a highly practical and clinically focused programme where you will study key concepts in the veterinary medicine field, which will increase in complexity as you progress on the course. Teaching is delivered by experienced educators including scientists, veterinary surgeons, and other professionals. You will also have multiple opportunities to engage with students on other programmes which will give you an invaluable insight into the roles of allied professionals.

    You will experience authentic work placements on your clinical rotations with our network of vet practice partners and other related businesses. These help you to build up your practical experience and develop a portfolio of professional, clinical skills.

    We give you the clinical skills and expert know-how to become a resilient and confident veterinary professional. This includes equipping you with techniques to look after your own health and wellbeing so you can be confident operating in what can be a demanding and challenging veterinary profession. Both universities provide an excellent student support environment for you throughout all aspects of the programme.

    During your studies you will spend full days on either campus, mainly at your ‘host’ university and travelling to the other campus to access specialist facilities when necessary.

    Harper Keele Veterinary School

    For more information such as course structure, including the full Programme Specification, and Harper Keele Veterinary School open days, please visit the Harper Keele Veterinary School website.

    Harper Keele Veterinary School

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    Teaching Excellence Framework GOLD

    Keele TEF Gold 2023

    Keele University has been awarded the highest rating of gold in the teaching excellence framework (TEF), 2023. The TEF assessment identifies excellence in the educational experience and outcomes of our students, focusing on all undergraduate courses and students.

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    Course structure

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    Additional opportunities

    Foundation year Explore more

    There are a range of additional opportunities available when studying this course.
    Please note, undertaking one may impact upon the availability of another.

    Entry requirements

    Keele strives to be a place where learning, living and working is a positive experience for our entire community, and we're committed to ensuring equality of opportunity to all our applicants with the potential and motivation to succeed, regardless of background. That's why we operate a range of 'alternative offer' schemes with clear eligibility criteria, including contextual offers, offers for those studying within the Keele region, and recognising a range of additional qualifications in your offer. If you are looking for the 2023 schemes please see here.

    The entry grades outlined in this section indicate the likely offer or range of offers which would be made to candidates along with any subject specific requirements. This is for general information only. Keele University reserves the right to vary offer conditions depending upon a candidate's application.

    For Entry Requirements for Veterinary Medicine, please see the Harper Keele Vet School Veterinary Medicine course page.

    A wide range of qualifications are considered suitable for entry onto the course. For further information please contact the Harper Keele Veterinary School admissions team: admissions@hkvets.ac.uk

     

    If you don't think you'll meet the entry requirements specified, you may be able to gain entry to this course via a Foundation Year.

    Preparation programmes for international students

    International students who do not meet the direct entry requirements for this course have the opportunity to study an International Foundation Year programme.

    These courses are designed to prepare international students to enter into Keele University undergraduate degrees.

    Entry requirements

    The following section details our typical entry requirements for this course for a range of UK and international qualifications. If you don’t see your qualifications listed, please contact us to find out if we can accept your qualifications. If you don't think you'll meet the entry requirements specified, you may be able to gain entry to this course via a Foundation Year.

    Additional information

    For Entry Requirements for Veterinary Medicine, please see the Harper Keele Vet School Veterinary Medicine course page.

    A wide range of qualifications are considered suitable for entry onto the course. For further information please contact the Harper Keele Veterinary School admissions team: admissions@hkvets.ac.uk

     

    English language requirements

    All of our courses require an English language qualification or test. For most students, this requirement can be met with a 4 or C in GCSE English. Please see our English Language guidance pages for further details, including English language test information for international students. For those students who require an English language test, this course requires a test from .

    Alternative and contextual offers

    We're committed to ensuring equality of opportunity to all our applicants with the potential and motivation to succeed, regardless of background. That's why we operate a range of alternative offer schemes with clear eligibility criteria, including contextual offers, offers for those studying within the Keele region, and recognising a range of additional qualifications in your offer.

    General information

    The entry grades outlined in this section indicate the typical offer which would be made to candidates, along with any subject specific requirements. This is for general information only. Keele University reserves the right to vary offer conditions depending upon a candidate's application.

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    Veterinary Medicine and Surgery students

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    Fees and funding

    Tuition fees for 2025/26 academic year

    • UK: £9,250 for the 2024/25 academic year. The 2025/26 fee will be added once confirmed by the UK Government.
    • International:

    For continuing international students, fees will increase annually by RPI, with a maximum cap of 5% per year.

    For details of our international fee bands please see our Undergraduate tuition fees web page.

    Going to university can be a daunting as well as an exciting experience. It can be difficult to understand the true costs of being a student, as well as the financial support that is available to help you meet those costs.

    Our Student Financial Support team offers confidential advice and guidance to help you to manage your money, so that you can make the most of your time at Keele. We can help you to resolve issues with your Student Finance, create a budget, and help you to explore your options if you’re facing financial hardship. We are also able to ensure that you receive any funding for which you may be eligible, such as bursaries and scholarships.

    For more information visit our undergraduate fees and funding section.

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    Your future career

    95% of Keele students are in employment or further study within 15 months of finishing their studies (HESA Graduate Outcomes, 2019/20)

    Find out more about our careers and employability services, including career planning, alumni mentoring, jobs, internships, starting your own business and much more.

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    Foundation year

    Our Foundation Year provides an excellent alternative route to Keele, providing a unique opportunity to better prepare for your chosen degree, and with guaranteed entry onto your undergraduate course once you successfully complete your Foundation Year.

    This extra year of study can improve your academic skills, expand your subject knowledge, give you a better understanding of higher education and, perhaps most importantly of all, build your confidence.

    Keele University is consistently ranked among the top universities for student satisfaction, and we have over 70 years' experience of teaching a foundation year to students. On the Keele Foundation Year, you'll study on campus, joining our undergraduate community from the outset, with access to all the facilities and support that you'd get as an undergraduate student at Keele.

    The information in this Foundation Year section is for UK/Home applicants. Where an international Foundation Year is available, please see the 'Information for international students' tab.

    Our Foundation Year allows you to develop your critical thinking, academic reading, writing, and communication study skills along with subject-specific knowledge and skills which will be invaluable in your academic studies and beyond. Upon meeting the progression criteria and successfully completing our Foundation Year, you will be eligible to transfer to the Bachelor Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (BVetMS) degree at Harper & Keele Veterinary School.

    This Foundation Year is a two-semester programme which provides a tailored pre-degree programme of study to better prepare you for the Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (BVetMS). For example, the Foundations of Life Sciences module looks at basic cell biology in terms of structure and function and go on to examine how cells obtain their energy and raw materials. It considers how organisms interact and analyses the effects of climate change on ecosystems.

    Find out more about the Keele Foundation Year, including information about teaching and assessment methods by visiting the Foundation Year homepage. 

    The module details given below are indicative, they are intended to provide you with an idea of the range of subjects that are taught to our current students. The modules that will be available for you to study in future years are prone to change as we regularly review our teaching to ensure that it is up-to-date and informed by the latest research and teaching methods. The information presented is therefore not intended to be construed and/or relied upon as a definitive list of the modules available in any given year.

    Semester One Modules

    FYO-00185 Practical and Academic Skills in Science 15 credits
    FYO-00211 Foundations in Numerical and Quantitative Methods for Scientists 15 credits
    FYO-00197 Foundations of Life Sciences 15 credits
    FYO-00189 Foundations in Chemistry 15 credits

    Semester Two Modules

    FYO-00199 Advancing Life Sciences 30 credits
    FYO-00271 University Research Portfolio 30 credits

    Foundation Year Entry Requirements

    The entry grades outlined in this section indicate the likely offer or range of offers which would be made to candidates along with any subject specific requirements. This is for general information only. Keele University reserves the right to vary offer conditions depending upon a candidate’s application. Read more about our undergraduate entry requirements for United Kingdom, European Union and International students.

    Applicants wishing to progress onto Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (BVetMS) are required to have:

    A Levels
    • GCE A Level grades ABC/BBB - please note this is not a suitable route if you have taken, or are currently studying both A Level Biology AND Chemistry
    BTEC
    • DDM
    International Baccalaureate
    • H5,H5,H5 or 30 overall - please note this is not a suitable route if you have taken, or are currently studying, both Higher Level Biology AND Chemistry
    Access to HE
    • Obtain Access to HE Diploma with 122 UCAS Tariff pointS including a minimum of 30 L3 credits at Distinction. Must not be taking Biology AND Chemistry. And, if the gap between commencement of the Diploma and prior formal study is at least three years, the minimum GCSE requirement is each of Maths, English Language and Science GCSE grades B/6
    GCSE Requirements
    • Normally a minimum of 5 GCSEs at A/7 including Science and Additional Science (or Biology and Chemistry) with at least B/6 in English Language; Maths and Physics (if taken as a separate GCSE). If you do not have this GCSE profile please contact Admissions for further guidance on admissions@keele.ac.uk.

     

    Please note to progress on to this programme from the foundation year, students will be required to pass the Veterinary Medicine and Surgery selection event and successfully complete the Foundation Year at the required threshold grades of 70% in each semester 2 module. Students will also need to have the following work experience; 2 weeks in a vets practice and 4 weeks in an animal environment. The selection event will take place during the Foundation Year.

    If you wish to apply for the Foundation pathway for Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (BVetMS) please state this in the further details box in the choices section of your UCAS application form and also in your personal statement.

    How to Apply 

    Students will need to apply for BSc (Hons) Bioveterinary Science with Foundation Year (UCAS code D103) through UCAS at www.ucas.com. Applicants need to state that the application is for the Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (BVetMS) course in the further details box in the choices section of the UCAS application form and in your personal statement. 

    Direct Entry Students

    If you are a UK student, already have your qualifications, are not expecting any further results and only wish to apply to Keele, please contact the Admissions Office directly.

    The information in this Foundation Year section is for UK/Home applicants. Where an international Foundation Year is available, please see the 'Information for international students' tab.

    We also offer a January start for some of our Foundation Year courses. Adopting a blended learning approach, the January start is particularly useful for students wishing to return to education following time out of studying, or who are seeking a flexible approach to their Foundation Year studies. Our January start is available across most of our Science, Humanities, Social Science, Health and Business courses.

    Whilst still being a full-time course, our blended delivery model combines live teaching sessions - both online and on-campus - with self-directed study, enabling you to predominantly study at a time that suits your lifestyle. You will benefit from weekly online taught sessions which encourage you to engage with your teachers and peers.

    In addition to online study there will be a series of full study days that you will be required to attend throughout each semester. These sessions may include lab-based activities, group work, review of course and assessment materials studied online. They will emphasise opportunities for you to deepen your knowledge and understanding of your chosen route.

    Please refer to the September start tab for more information about the entry requirements and what you will study. The modules that you will take on a January start Foundation Year will be similar to those for the September start, but on a compressed timescale and tailored to a blended learning approach (with the majority of learning taking place online).

    For more information, including fees, the UCAS code for this course, how to apply, and how you will be taught, please visit our January Start Foundation Year webpage.

    Our International Foundation Year is delivered on campus through Keele University International College (KUIC). Find out more about the International Foundation Year options on the KUIC website.

    Our Foundation Year provides an excellent alternative route to Keele, providing a unique opportunity to better prepare for your chosen degree.

    This extra year of study can improve your academic skills, expand your subject knowledge, give you a better understanding of higher education and, perhaps most importantly of all, build your confidence.

    Upon meeting the progression criteria and successfully completing our Foundation Year, you will be eligible to transfer to the Bachelor Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (BVetMS) degree at Harper & Keele Veterinary School.

    Keele University is consistently ranked among the top universities for student satisfaction, and we have over 70 years' experience of teaching a foundation year to students. On the Keele Foundation Year, you'll study on campus, joining our undergraduate community from the outset, with access to all the facilities and support that you'd get as an undergraduate student at Keele.
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    Discover the Keele difference

    Campus life
    Campus life

    Everything’s on your doorstep at Keele, and you’ll soon feel at home and make friends wherever you go.

    Student finance
    Student finance

    We help students manage their money and ensure that they receive any funding for which they may be eligible.

    Enhance your degree
    Enhance your degree

    Make yourself more employable after graduation by taking advantage of the whole host of additional opportunities.

    Harper & Keele Veterinary School

    Book an open day