B.S./D.V.M. Early Acceptance Program

Last updated: Spring 2019

This program provides an opportunity for students to apply for admission to the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in the spring of their sophomore year. A limited number of students are admitted, and upon acceptance, are guaranteed a space in the Tufts - Cummings veterinary school class conditional on the maintenance of a 3.4 GPA and the completion of a bachelor's degree with D.V.M. prerequisite courses. To be eligible to apply, candidates for this program must be sophomores and have completed a year of introductory biology and chemistry. Successful applicants will have strong scores on the SAT, have demonstrated academic proficiency in their freshman and sophomore coursework, particularly in the prerequisite science courses, and have engaged in veterinary medicine-related experiences, and display maturity, responsibility and a high level of motivation. Preparation of an application, even of an unsuccessful application, will prepare the student well for application to veterinary colleges in the summer before their senior year. For more details, consult the Tufts website: (vet.tufts.edu/admissions/dvm-admissions/bachelordvm-program/). Freshmen or sophomores contemplating application to the Tufts Early Acceptance Program are encouraged to speak with a Pre-Veterinary advisor, enroll in an Animal Management course, join the Pre-Vet club, and gain early veterinary medicine-related experiences with small animals, large animals, wildlife, or research.

Honors

The department has a strong honors program in conjunction with Commonwealth Honors College. Honors colloquia have been appended to several courses offered by the department and vary from year to year. Further information is available in online course listings on SPIRE each semester. Graduate courses at the 600 level or above are open to undergraduates as Honors courses.

Independent Study/Biotech Research

The department encourages students to pursue work outside the conventional classroom and to undertake independent academic work under the direction of a faculty member. Credits are graded and projects vary from 1 to 6 credits ranging from library-directed topic development to working closely with faculty to develop significant laboratory research projects. Students undertaking independent study/biotech research present their work at a “Science Day” each spring.

Practica

The department encourages students to develop practical skills through work in various settings such as farms and veterinary clinics, animal shelters, zoos, marine aquaria, research laboratories, educational facilities, animal-related industries, government agencies or private foundations. A summer practicum is normally awarded 4 Pass/Fail credits. A maximum of 15 credits is allowed for practica.