Admissions Planning FAQs

No, the GRE is no longer required.

No, a Bachelor's degree is not required for admissions. 

By applying to both programs, the applicant increases their options of finding a match to their individual career goals and interests. The SDSU program will mirror the veterinary curriculum of the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine (UMN CVM). Although the UMN CVM has the ability to offer a more broad spectrum of veterinary medicine, the SDSU Professional Program in Veterinary Medicine (PPVM) will emphasize the rural, mixed animal or food animal aspects of veterinary medicine. Even though the SDSU program will concentrate on mixed animal and production animal medicine, the curriculum will cover companion animal medicine concepts as well. Also, there is a reduced application fee when selecting both programs. Applicants save $35 when applying to both programs. There are only advantages to applying to both programs.

The Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS) system has operating expenses associated with its organization and must recover these costs. This is true for both the UMN CVM and SDSU’s veterinary admissions offices. For example, additional employees are required to manage applicant questions, schedule interviews, collate and validate information, etc.

If you are accepted by both programs, you would carefully consider and select the program that best matches your interests and career goals. The SDSU program will focus on rural or mixed animal or farm animal aspects of veterinary medicine. Even though the SDSU program will concentrate on mixed animal and production animal medicine principles, the curriculum will also include and integrate companion animal medicine concepts. In addition to offering veterinary students an extensive food animal and mixed animal focus, the UMN CVM is able to offer an exceptional companion animal medicine program, as well as other aspects of veterinary medicine. It is important to note that both the UMN CVM and SDSU’s PPVM program will teach the same courses with the same learning objectives for year’s one and two of veterinary school.

Year 1:

Year 2:

Year 1:

Year 2:

Yes, as long as the student has successfully met all of the Year 1 and Year 2 Veterinary School requirements. The UMN CVM and SDSU have established a formal partnership where students admitted to the PPVM program will complete the same curriculum as their UMN CVM colleagues while at SDSU. Then after two years they will transfer to the UMN CVM to complete the last two years of Veterinary School.

The residency classification of students while enrolled at South Dakota State University will be made through the SDSU Admissions Office, as described under residency requirements. Once a student transfers to the University of Minnesota, their residency status will be reviewed by the UMN's Office of the Registrar and a separate classification will be assigned in accordance to the definitions described in the Residency, Reciprocity and Tuition Exemption Handbook.