Pre-Veterinary Medicine
Essential Courses
| Course # | Title | Credit Hours | Prerequisites |
|---|---|---|---|
| BI 105 | Biological Diversity and Ecology | 3 | None |
| BI 121 | Biology Lab I | 1 | BI 105 (corequisite) |
| BI 106 | Structure and Function of Cells and Organisms | 3 | BI 105 and CH 105 |
| BI 122 | Biology Lab II | 1 | BI 105 and BI 121; CH 122 (corequsite) |
| CH 105 | Organic Chemical Concepts I | 3 | None |
| CH 121 | Organic Chemistry Lab I | 1 | CH 105 (corequisite) |
| CH 106 | Organic Chemical Concepts II | 3 | CH 105 (with C or better) |
| CH 122 | Organic Chemistry Lab II | 1 | CH 121; CH 106 (corequisite) |
| CH 230 | Intro to Bioinorganic Chemistry | 3 | CH 105 |
| CH 250 | Analytical Chemistry | 5 | CH 115 or CH 230 |
| PC 200 | General Physics I | 3 | PC 206 (corequisite) |
| or | |||
| PC 202 | Introductory Physics I | 3 | MA 130 and PC 206 (corequisite) |
| PC 206 | Physics Lab I | 1 | PC 200 or PC 202 (corequisite) |
| PC 201 | General Physics II | 3 | PC 200; PC 207 (corequisite) |
| or | |||
| PC 203 | Introductory Physics II | 3 | PC 202 and MA 130; PC 207 (corequisite) |
| PC 207 | Physics Lab II | 1 | PC 201 or PC 203 (corequisite) |
| BI 207 | Dynamics Of Biological Processes | 4 | BI 106, CH 106, CH 230 |
| CH 301 | Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I | 3 | BI 207 and CH 250 |
| BI 305 | Biostatistics | 4 | BI 106 and ES 100 |
| BI 399C | Advanced Genetics | 3-4 | BI 105 and BI 106 |
| BI 316 | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology II | 3 | BI 207 and CH 301 |
| MA 130 | Calculus I | 4 | None |
| EN___ | English Course | 3 | Varies |
Important Notes:
- Strongly recommend physiology, genetics, psychology/behavioral sciences. Also recommend comparative anatomy, vertebrate zoology, comparative animal behavior, environmental science, developmental biology, immunology, invertebrate zoology, statistics, foreign language (especially Spanish), sociology, ecology, evolution, economics, accounting and business courses, communication courses, and ethics.
- Although this course list will be sufficient for most programs, make sure to check requirements of other schools in which you are interested no later than your sophomore year.
- This course list does NOT represent a POE, nor does it cover College requirements. Design a POE, preferably in an academic area, in consultation with your advisor.
- Make sure to have an advisor on the Health Professions Committee who specializes in Pre-veterinary Medicine, preferably Dr. Kysor.
- In addition to your course work you are urged to gain some experience in veterinary medicine either during the school year or over the summer.
Students concentrating in Biology should take Cell Biology in the fall after they complete Organic Chemical Concepts II, as many upper level biology courses require this as a prerequisite.
Continue with recommended courses during the senior year.
Competitive credentials: Science and overall GPA of 3.4-3.5; GRE scores of 575-700 in each category
Note: Take admission exams no later than October of the senior year
Helpful websites:
Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges - http://aavmc.org
American Veterinary Medical Association - http://www.avma.org
SUGGESTED CORE PROGRESSIONS FOR
Pre-VETERINARY MEDICINE
Regular Start and No Study Abroad Junior Year
Bolded courses are offered only in the indicated semester and/or require a specific sequence due to Juniata prerequisites. Non-bolded courses are either offered in both semesters or represent open-ended choices, making them more flexible in when they can be taken.
| FALL | SPRING | |
|---|---|---|
| Freshman Year | BI 105 | Biology II Lab |
| Biology Lab I | Organic Chemistry Concepts II (if C or better in OCC I) and Lab | |
| Organic Chemistry Concepts I and Lab | Calculus I (any semester) |
| FALL | SPRING | |
|---|---|---|
| Sophomore Year | BI 106 | Analytical Chemistry |
| Bioinorganic Chemistry | BI 207 | |
| English course |
| FALL | SPRING | |
|---|---|---|
| Junior Year | Physics I and Lab | Physics II and Lab |
| Biostatistics | Advanced Genetics | |
| Biochemistry & Molecular Biology I | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology II |
* To take Cell Biology together with Organic Chemistry Concepts II you must have C or better in Bio I OR Bio II AND B or better in OCC I)
Finish the Junior Year courses for either the regular start or delayed chemistry progression no later than the summer before the year you intend to apply OR during senior year (this latter plan may delay your application until after you graduate from Juniata).
If you delay the start of Organic Chemistry I to the spring of freshman year be aware that Organic Chem Lab I is offered ONLY in the fall and Organic Chem II lab is offered ONLY in the spring. Also consider whether or not it is wise in your particular situation to take Organic Chem II with Bioinorganic Chemistry your sophomore year.
If you study abroad the SAFEST strategy is to take ALL prerequisite courses for professional school in the U.S., which may require you to take courses in the U.S. over the summer, preferably at a 4 year institution. However, if this is extremely difficult for your situation, check with the professional schools you wish to attend to see if they will accept courses taken abroad and if so, get their response in writing. Also if you have a Biology POE and will not have BI 207 by the time you go abroad, check with the Biology Department to see if there is a Cell and Molecular course you can take abroad that will enable you to take upper level biology offerings at Juniata your senior year that require BI 207 (ex. Physiology, Immunology, and Microbiology)
Be mindful of your POE courses, which are NOT indicated here. For example, if you have a Biology POE, you will need to take Freshman seminar the fall of your freshman year, Frontiers of Biology either semester your sophomore year, and Biology 207 at your earliest opportunity after completing Bioinorganic Chemistry.

