Admissions Policy
The University of Edinburgh is committed to admitting the very best students, who demonstrate the potential to benefit from, and contribute to, the academic experience we offer.
Overview
Full details of the University's Policies and Procedures are available here:
BVM&S Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study (DPRS)
To find out more about the BVM&S Degree Regulations, including information on exclusion, progression and maximum length of study, please refer to the University's Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study (DRPS) which sets out the regulatory framework along with the regulations and codes that govern the general context of a student’s academic career at the University.
It is recommended that any student referring to the Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study in the context of decisions about their study do so in consultation with their Personal Tutor or Student Adviser once on the BVM&S programme.
Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study (DPRS)
Available Places
UK applicants applying to Veterinary Medicine as their first degree
Applicants resident in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (RUK) and the Republic of Ireland (ROI) are funded differently from those in Scotland (SFR) and therefore the places available are allocated separately. These allocations have been determined by the Scottish Funding Council and are based on historic intake patterns.
EU applicants
Now that Britain has left the EU, your fee status depends on your circumstances and what ongoing agreements exist between the UK and your country. New students living in the EU (excluding if you are from the Republic of Ireland) and who do not have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, will be charged an international tuition fee rate.
The School has a number of full fee places available each year - for international and graduate candidates. The Scottish Funding Council does not fund places on these programmes. International and graduate candidates are therefore considered at the full fee tuition rate. This includes UK and EU graduates.
For 2024 entry the following places are available:
5-year BVM&S programme
| Applicants with a Scotland fee rate | 45 |
| Applicants with an England, Wales, Northern Ireland or Republic of Ireland fee rate | 30 |
| Applicants with a graduate or international fee rate | 35 |
4-year BVM&S Graduate Entry Programme
| Applications with an international and graduate fee rate | up to 60 places |
For 2023 Entry, we received 1094 applications for the 5-year programme and 594 applications for the 4-year Graduate Entry programme.
BVM&S admissions statistics
We publish BVM&S admissions statistics for the past three years.
Each October, at the end of the admissions cycle, we aim to publish admissions statistics for the last three years.
This includes information on applications, interviews and offers for our 5-year BVM&S programme and our 4-year BVM&S Graduate Entry Programme.
Each cycle year for the past three years is shown in a separate document below.
Resit Examinations
Candidates must achieve our minimum entry requirements in one sitting and at the first attempt. Candidates applying with resit examinations (unless there are extenuating circumstances which can be supported by documentary evidence) will not be considered.
A level candidates: please note that a resit of an AS module is normaly acceptable provided A2 level examinations are gained within the normal 2-year period.
If you are unhappy with your assessed grades, you should first of all contact your exam centre (normally your secondary school or college) as soon as possible as they may be able to make a formal appeal to the exam board to review your grades. We cannot appeal on your behalf.
Deferred Entry
Due to the high number of applications received for the BVM&S each year, deferred entry applications are not considered. Candidates should therefore apply by 15 October (UCAS applications) and 15 September (VMCAS applications) prior to the year they wish to be considered for a place.
Selection Process
We give equal consideration to all candidates who submit their application by the required deadline and meet all academic requirements.
We assess and select each application individually by two criteria. We give equal weight to both academic results (achieved or predicted) and non-academic qualities. We place applications in rank order and call approximately 400 S/RUK/ROI and approximately 500 overseas/graduate candidates for interview each year. We then make offers to the candidates who have achieved the highest assessment at interview.
Successful applicants are likely to have performed very highly in both academic and non-academic criteria. As a result of the level of competition for a small number of places, many high quality applicants are unsuccessful.
Due to pressure on places each year, the Admissions Committee will only consider two consecutive applications from candidates. Third applications will not normally be considered.
Once all applications are assessed, candidates are invited for an interview.
If your application has not been successful, the guidance below may be helpful in explaining our decision regarding your application.
Widening Participation (WP) to higher education is a strategic priority for the UK and Scottish governments, the higher education sector in general and the University of Edinburgh in particular. You can find out more about our strategy below:
Equal Opportunities
The College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine complies with the Equal Opportunities Policy of the University of Edinburgh published in the Prospectus
Care Experience
The University of Edinburgh is committed to care experience. Please note that for Veterinary Medicine, other factors on top of academic performance are taken into consideration, such as relevant work experience, non-academic achievements and an interview. You can find out more about the University's Care Experience policy here:
Candidates applying with disabilities, health problems and allergies
We support the University's guidelines on applications from disabled students.
Veterinary Medicine is, however, a practical subject and students must able to handle and examine all animals safely and humanely, and to ensure the safety of themselves and involved personnel.
All applicants are therefore strongly urged to read the guidance provided by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies. In addition, Higher Education Occupational Physicians/Practitioners (HEOPS) have also produced a document outlining the fitness standards expected of veterinary medicine students.
Applicants who have health problems or a disability, which may have an impact on their ability to carry out these or any other practical procedures, are invited to discuss this in confidence with us before making a formal application.
We assess your application purely on the basis of academic and non-academic suitability as outlined in our entry requirements. Discussions about support requirements will be separate from the application assessment and will only take place once we know an applicant is in offer range.
Suitable applicants with disabilities will be asked for further information prior to offer to make sure they do not fall into any of the three categories above.
You should notify us of any condition at application stage. However, if a condition develops or is diagnosed after this point, even when you become a student, you should notify us so we can look into support arrangements for you.
Further information on our Disability and Learning Support Service can be found here.
Health Questionnaire for all entrants to the BVM&S
All applicants with an Unconditional Firm offer will be required to complete a health questionnaire prior to entry to the programme regardless of whether a disability or health condition was declared on application or not. Enrolment onto the BVM&S is subject to Health Clearance.
On the very rare occasion whereby the University will withdraw a place from the BVM&S programme, it is likely to be on the grounds of:
- The chosen course of study leads to a professional qualification and the relevant professional body has regulations which would preclude membership by people with particular impairments (see HEOPS guidance).
- There are overriding health and safety concerns.
- In rare circumstances when a necessary reasonable adjustment cannot be made.
Further information on the health clearance process for students entering the BVM&S programme is available here:
Feedback, appeals and complaints
Feedback
Unsuccessful applicants can request feedback on the outcome of their applications via the EUCLID Portal or by contacting the BVM&S Admissions Team directly.
Requests must be made either by the applicant, the UCAS nominated access contact or with the specific written permission of the applicant.
Feedback after interview can be requested by email the Admissions Team at vetug@ed.ac.uk. Candidates should provide their full name and UCAS Personal ID (or VMCAS ID if requesting feedback from North America)
Appeals and Complaints
You can access the general University appeals and complaints procedure online here