Veterinary Medicine

UCD Veterinary Medicine Courses

UCD Veterinary Medicine is the only centre for veterinary medical education in Ireland. It enjoys a long and proud tradition, and the school has achieved an international reputation. It provides excellent facilities for the care of animals and offers outstanding training opportunities for veterinary medical and veterinary nursing students.

Why UCD Veterinary Medicine?

• UCD Veterinary Medicine is one of the leading veterinary schools in Europe. As well as having Irish and European accreditation, it has been granted full accreditation by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), whose educational standards of excellence are recognised worldwide as the gold standard in veterinary education.
• Our state-of-the-art facility in the Veterinary Sciences Centre, on UCD’s main Belfield campus, is also home to the UCD Veterinary Hospital. The hospital offers high-quality veterinary services for both farm and companion animals, and this caseload provides vital opportunities for our students to complete their clinical training requirements.
• Our facilities, our staff and the environment of a major research-intensive university allow us to expand the frontiers of knowledge in veterinary research, thus advancing animal health, animal welfare and human health. This research informs our educational programmes to give our students a world-class education, whether they are studying to be veterinary nurses, veterinarians, veterinary specialists or pursuing advanced research degrees.

First Year Experience in UCD Veterinary Medicine

From the very start, you will receive a strong grounding in normal animal structure and function, animal handling, welfare, nutrition, breeding and management, ensuring you are well prepared for your later study. You will also be introduced to aspects of your development as a professional person in preparation for the professional work setting after you graduate. As well as lectures, small group tutorials and practical classes are a great way to get to know your fellow students and make new friends.

In first year you will benefit from a mix of campus-based and off-site educational experiences. At the Veterinary Sciences Centre in Belfield, you will study the foundations of biomedical science, while at UCD Lyons Farm, you will have practical sessions to help you handle a variety of animal species safely, and learn about their normal management, feeding and breeding. You will also have the opportunity to study elective modules from the wide menu provided right across the University, as well as being introduced to university life and a wide range of clubs and societies.

You may be interested in the following Blog posts: Reasons to study Veterinary Medicine in UCD, Studying Veterinary Medicine in UCD (student perspective) & A student experience of their Veterinary Equine Clinical Medicine Rotation.