Doctor of Veterinary Medicine DVetMed

You will undertake SCQF level 12 compulsory courses of specialist training in your chosen discipline and a selection of SCQF level 11 courses. Studying for four years at 180 credits a year is more than a standard professional doctorate but this allows the programme to align with specialist clinical training at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, provides you with increased depth to your clinical training, and provides training and experience in research and clinical teaching.

• Have a critical and comparative knowledge at the level of a specialist in the field of the current background, theories, concepts and technical methodologies relating to their chosen specialty
• Obtain clinical experience and technical/practical skills sufficient to meet requirements of the specialist qualification in their chosen subject.
• Gain all the necessary specialist professional and academic skills to analyse, research, synthesise and critique scientific developments.
• Develop key abilities to communicate fundamental concepts to scientific, clinical and lay audiences, as well as colleagues utilising multiple techniques.
• Have the opportunity to obtain a broad specialist clinical, research and teaching

The specialist training in clinical techniques, research and teaching will afford you many opportunities. After graduating you will be able to seek career advancement/specialism within your clinical setting, as well as following research and/or teaching roles should you choose.

These entry requirements are for the 2025/26 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2026/27 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2025.

A degree in veterinary medicine (BVM&S Veterinary Medicine or equivalent), membership of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (MRCVS), and a minimum of one year's postgraduate clinical experience.

Students from China

This degree is Band D.

• Postgraduate entry requirements for students from China

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country

English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency which will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.5 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 23 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 176 in each component.
• Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 73 with at least 65 in each component. We do not accept PTE Academic Online.
• Oxford ELLT: 8 overall with at least 7 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old at the beginning of your programme of study.

Find out more about our language requirements:

• English language requirements

Tuition fees

For further information on fees for this programme, please contact the Programme Administrator: ​​​​DVetMed@ed.ac.uk

Funding for postgraduate study is different to undergraduate study, and many students need to combine funding sources to pay for their studies.

Most students use a combination of the following funding to pay their tuition fees and living costs:

• borrowing money

  • taking out a loan

  • family support

• personal savings

• income from work

• employer sponsorship

• scholarships

Explore sources of funding for postgraduate study

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

• Search for funding