If you’re passionate about animals and their welfare, our program in pre-veterinary medicine may be just what you are looking for. UMW’s experienced advisors will help you plan your courses; they know what veterinary schools want in prospective students. We have an active pre-veterinary club, state-of-the-art labs, research opportunities, and partnerships with regional veterinarians who welcome students as volunteers and interns.
Career Opportunities
Follow UMW’s pre-vet alumni to top schools to become a veterinarian, or build a career in education, wildlife conservation, and other related fields.
Internships
Veterinarians in the Fredericksburg area provide internship and volunteer opportunities to UMW students. In addition there are out-of-state internships available, including many offered across the U.S. through the Rochester Institute of Technology.
“The biology program at UMW was the perfect stepping-stone on my way to veterinary school. The professors and other faculty were so encouraging to me and my peers, and having small classes where I could know them personally made that relationship all the more meaningful. I got a solid education and felt very prepared for my entrance into a professional school.”
– Alexis Pennings ’14, student, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine
Honors
Students may pursue honors in their major course of study. To receive honors in biology you must have a 3.0 grade-point average overall and 3.25 in the major. You’ll complete a research project, write an honors thesis, and deliver an oral presentation to department faculty.
Requirements
Most pre-vet students pursue a biology degree, but other degrees majors work, too. Most veterinary schools require a rounded undergraduate curriculum including classes in English, biology, chemistry, biochemistry, physics, math, and humanities.
Scholarships
The Department of Biology presents several scholarships and awards annually to outstanding biology majors.