Prerequisite Courses
D.V.M. applicants must have completed the equivalent of at least three full undergraduate academic years at an accredited college or university and fulfilled 90 semester hours of course work before enrollment.
Candidates must successfully complete the following courses prior to enrolling at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University but not necessarily prior to applying to the school. Recommended, but not required, are additional courses such as cell biology, microbiology, physiology, comparative or developmental anatomy. Please contact the admissions office if you have any questions about whether specific courses fulfill these prerequisites.
Although some online courses (rather than traditional in-class coursework) can be used to fulfill prerequisite courses, we strongly recommend obtaining pre-approval from the Office of Admissions for specific courses. Candidates who do not obtain pre-approval risk having to retake course prerequisites prior to matriculation in the veterinary program.
General Biology with laboratory (two semesters)
A one-year general biology course intended for biology majors and/or students entering veterinary or medical school. Course topics would ideally include the biology of cells (both structure and function); origin and classification of organisms (both prokaryotes and eukaryotes); the biology of plants, animals and populations. Principles of evolution, genetics, biochemistry, cell biology, embryology, anatomy, physiology, ecology and ethology should be included.
General Chemistry with laboratory (two semesters)
A one-year general (inorganic) chemistry course intended for chemistry majors and/or students entering veterinary or medical school. Course topics would ideally include atomic and molecular structure; intermolecular forces and states of matter; the relationship of structure and bonding to the physical and chemical properties of matter; patterns of chemical reactions and energy changes; gases; aqueous reactions and ionic equations; atomic and molecular chemical kinetics and equilibria; acids and bases; electro-chemistry and stereochemistry.
Organic Chemistry with laboratory (two semesters)
A one-year organic chemistry course intended for chemistry majors and/or students entering veterinary or medical school. Course topics would ideally include the structure and reactions of covalent carbon compounds, mono– and polyfunctional compounds, as well as aliphatic and aromatic structures. Stereochemistry, spectroscopy, reactivity, synthesis, polymer and bioorganic chemistry, and electronic interpretations of organic chemistry should also be included.
Physics (two semesters)
A one-year physics course intended for students entering veterinary or medical school. Course topics would ideally include kinematics; Newton’s laws of motion; laws of conservation; elasticity; oscillations and fluid mechanics; principles of classical and relativistic mechanics; electromagnetism and electrical circuits; heat and thermodynamics; sound and wave phenomena; geometrical and physical optics; radioactivity; atomic nuclear, and particle physics; astrophysics.
Genetics (one semester, unless included in General Biology)
The course would ideally include fundamentals of classical, molecular, and population genetics, including genetic mapping, DNA structure and mutation, bacterial and viral genetics, genetic organization and regulation of gene expression.
Biochemistry (one semester)
A one-semester course in biochemistry offered by a chemistry, biochemistry, or biology department. Course topics would ideally include an in-depth examination of the structure and function of major biomolecules; chemical and physical properties of nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids; gene replication and expression; biochemical energetics; principles of enzyme kinetics; vitamins and coenzymes; pH and buffers; and an examination of primary metabolic pathways in the mammalian organism.
Mathematics (two semesters)
May include a statistics course taken in a department other than mathematics.
English (two semesters)
May include composition, reading, and or speech communication.
Social and Behavioral Sciences (two semesters)
May include psychology, sociology, cultural anthropology, political science, and/or economics.
(Note: Animal Behavior courses do not fulfill this prerequisite)
Humanities and Fine Arts (two semesters)
May include literature, music, art, history, philosophy, religion, and/or foreign language.