Mission and Requirements

Mission and Values

The mission of the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine (LSU Vet Med) Office of Admissions and the Veterinary Admissions Committee is to annually recruit, admit, and enroll veterinary candidates that represent and will serve the needs of local, regional, and global communities through fair and responsible practices.

We value candidates who demonstrate:

  • a dedication to and broad understanding of the veterinary profession. 
  • academic excellence and a commitment to advancing their professional medical knowledge and competence. 
  • potential to contribute unique perspectives, skills, and ideas to the veterinary community. 
  • potential to better lives through public service, education, and discovery.
  • LSU Vet Med institutional values of innovation, compassion, and integrity.

General Requirements and Policy

To be considered for admission to the 4-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) Program, a candidate must submit a completed application via the Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS). This includes submission of the LSU Vet Med Supplemental Application housed within VMCAS and payment of all fees through VMCAS and LSU by the posted deadlines.

Candidates for admission must complete a minimum of 66 semester credit hours and all prerequisite courses by the Spring semester before matriculation. All official transcripts associated with the candidate at the time of application must be submitted through VMCAS. Failure to meet deadlines, remit fees, or have transcripts verified by VMCAS may result in the rejection of the application. 

Three letters of recommendation, including one from a veterinarian, are required and will only be accepted through the VMCAS. Letters directly received by the Office of Admissions and Student Success will not be included for review. Committee letters are accepted and count as one letter.

LSU Vet Med reserves the right to decide annually whether or not to conduct interviews for Louisiana, Arkansas, Puerto Rico, or out of state candidates. Candidates will be notified in December if interviews will take place in January/February. A candidate must participate in the interview, if held, to be considered for an offer to the program. 

If admitted to the program, candidates must submit official transcripts for coursework completed during the application cycle even if they do or do not include prerequisite courses. Severe negative changes (i.e. D's, F's, I's, W's) in academic performance may warrant additional consideration of the candidate's offer status by the Faculty Committee on Admissions. 

LSU Vet Med reserves the right to rescind an offer of admission or to expel a candidate from the program if it learns of applicant misrepresentation, concealment of pertinent information requested, or use of unoriginal responses in the application or during an interview.

International Applicants

International applicants are welcomed to apply and will be considered as an out-of-state applicant. International transcripts (including those from Canadian schools that issue transcripts in French) must be electronically processed through the World Education Services credential evaluation and received by VMCAS before September 15.

  • You should request a "course-by-course" evaluation report.
  • It is recommended that transcripts be submitted to the WES translation service at least one month before the VMCAS deadline.
  • VMCAS/LSU does not require a WES credential evaluation for transcripts from English-speaking Canadian institutions.
  • WES will expedite your request for an additional fee.

TOEFL scores are required for all international applicants from a country whose primary language is not English. Students are exempted from the TOEFL requirement if the official language of their country is English or they have recently earned a degree at an American university.  Candidates from the U.S., Puerto Rico, and English-speaking Canadian territories are not required to submit a TOEFL score. 

  • Web- or paper-based TOEFL IBT is accepted. TOEFL Essentials is not accepted.
  • Send scores to LSU (VMCAS) using code D271 through Educational Testing Service (ETS).