Veterinary Medicine

Veterinary Medicine at UCD is an intensive five-year degree leading to the award of MVB (Medicinae Veterinariae Baccalaureus), which qualifies you to practise as a veterinary surgeon in Ireland and across the EU. You study the science of animal health, disease, surgery, pharmacology, and public health, covering companion animals, farm livestock, horses, and exotic species. The programme combines lecture-based learning with extensive hands-on clinical training at UCD's Veterinary Hospital, as well as placements on farms, in food-industry settings, and occasionally abroad through Erasmus partnerships. In later years, a typical week involves clinical rotations where you examine real patients, assist in surgeries, and work alongside registered vets. By graduation you will have developed diagnostic, surgical, and client-communication skills applicable across a wide range of animal species and practice environments.

Entry to the UCD MVB is through the CAO and is among the most competitive in the country, with points consistently among the highest of any Irish degree programme. You will need a strong Leaving Certificate, with Higher Level Biology and Chemistry strongly recommended, and Higher Level Maths is an advantage. English at Ordinary Level minimum is required, and most successful applicants hold several Higher Level subjects at top grades. There is no substantial QQI/FET progression route into this programme given its highly competitive and structured nature, though mature applicants (aged 23 or over) may apply and are assessed on academic and relevant work experience. HEAR and DARE access routes are available through UCD's standard supplementary admissions processes. Work experience with animals — in a veterinary practice, on a farm, or in a stable — is not formally required but is strongly recommended before applying.

Demand for qualified vets in Ireland is strong and consistent, with a well-documented shortage of practitioners — particularly in rural large-animal and mixed practice. Graduate employment rates are very high, and many newly qualified vets receive job offers before they sit their final exams. Ireland's large agri-food sector, significant equine industry, and growing pet-ownership rates all sustain steady demand. A planned new veterinary school at a second Irish institution — discussed for ATU or SETU — may increase graduate numbers in the longer term, though this remains subject to formal approval and development.