Pathways into Veterinary Science

For anyone who loves animals, becoming a vet is probably one of the jobs that’s crossed your mind. Making it to becoming a veterinarian (like a doctor or surgeon) takes years of hard work, study, and patience to actually achieve. The good news is that if you’re still in high school, you’re already at the perfect starting point. There’s plenty you can do right now to set yourself up for success, long before you ever step onto a university campus.

What does a vet actually do?

Most people picture vets treating cats and dogs, and that’s a big part of the job. But veterinary work stretches much further than the local clinic. Depending one where you work and what you specialise in, you could be working with all manner of domestic pets from the cute and cuddly, to feathered and scaly, farm animals, large animals like horses, wildlife, and even zoo animals. While some vets specialise in surgery, others focus on nutrition, and some spend their careers in research labs developing new treatments. There are vets who work for government departments checking food safety, and others who travel to disaster zones to help animals after floods or bushfires.

This variety matters because it means there isn’t just one “type” of person who becomes a vet. If you love the idea of working outdoors with livestock, that’s a real pathway. If you’re more interested in microscopes and lab work, that’s a pathway too.

Subjects to focus on in high school

Universities want to see that you’ve built a solid foundation in science before you arrive, so your subject choices in the senior years of high school matter if you’re sure this is the right path for you to take after leaving school.

Biology and chemistry are the two subjects that almost every veterinary science course expects you to have studied. Biology helps you understand how animal bodies work, while chemistry lays the groundwork for subjects like pharmacology and biochemistry later on. If your school offers physics, it’s worth considering as well, since some universities list it as recommended or assumed knowledge for veterinary courses.

Maths is also commonly required, since you’ll need to calculate medication dosages and anaesthetics on wildly different-sized patients, as well as interpreting and analysing stacks of data throughout your career. You might want to consider taking the advanced Maths option at school to ensure you’ve covered all the bases.

English is worth taking seriously too, even though it might seem unrelated. Vets spend a surprising amount of time writing case notes, explaining treatment plans to worried pet owners, and communicating with colleagues, so strong written and verbal skills go a long way.

When your researching courses to apply for, remember to check that you’ll meet all the prerequisites, or work out which bridging or uni prep programs you could complete to get you up to the level you’ll need to be at.

Skills you’ll need beyond the classroom

Veterinary courses are popular, and due to the length and nature of them (lots of lab work, supervision, and placements), places can be limited. Which means that you’ll need good grades to get you through the university door. But great grades alone won’t necessarily help you make it through interviews or make you a good vet. Veterinary work demands a mix of technical knowledge and personal skills that are just as important.

Problem-solving is a huge requirement in this field. Animals can’t tell you exactly what’s wrong, so vets need to piece together symptoms, test results, behaviours, and information from owners or keepers to figure out a diagnosis. Communication deserves a special mention too. A vet who can explain a treatment plan clearly to a stressed pet owner is just as valuable as one with excellent clinical skills. Try to take notice of these moments in your own life. Group projects, part-time jobs, and even babysitting can all help you build the kind of communication and problem-solving skills that translate directly into veterinary work.

Emotional resilience matters a great deal, because the job not only involves dealing with sick and injured animals, but comforting them when they’re frightened or stressed, and sometimes delivering difficult news to owners. You’ll also need physical stamina, as the work can involve long hours on your feet, lifting animals, and more often than not getting your hands quite dirty.

Getting work experience while you’re still at school

Work experience is never a waste of your time, with the skills you’ll gain and networking you’ll do. It could help you determine if this is indeed the right career path for you and help you to start gaining relevant experience, which could make a real difference to your applications later on.

Local vet clinics are a great place to begin. Many are happy to have high school students shadow them for a day or a week during school holidays, even if it’s just observing rather than assisting. It’s worth planning well ahead and getting in touch personally to ask, since spots fill up quickly, and places are often limited.

Animal shelters and rescue organisations are another option, and they often welcome volunteers from age 14 or 15 depending on local rules. Spending time walking dogs, cleaning enclosures, or helping with adoption days will teach you a lot about animal behaviour, handling, and welfare. If you live near a farm, stables, or wildlife sanctuary, reaching out to ask about volunteering can also open doors, particularly if you’re interested in large animal or wildlife veterinary work. Pet shops are another option for work experience, you’ll learn about caretaking and nutritional requirements for lots of different animals, and practice your business, communication, and customer service skills too.

Whatever you choose, always keep a record of what you did and what you learned. Remember to ask for written references as well. Those details will be useful later when writing personal statements or in interviews with university admissions staff about why you’re committed to this career.

University pathways in Australia and New Zealand

There are eight universities in Australia and one in New Zealand whose veterinary degrees are accredited by the Australasian Veterinary Boards Council (AVBC). Accreditation is important because it means your qualification will be recognised and you’ll be able to register and work as a vet on graduation. Completing an accredited course means you could also be able to register and work in other countries around the world (New Zealand, the UK, Ireland, and South Africa), as well as in all Australian states and territories.

In Australia, these are:

• University of Sydney offer the Bachelor of Animal and Veterinary Bioscience (BVSc) (3 years full time) and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (4 years full time) as well as the joint program Bachelor of Veterinary Biology and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine which can be completed in just six years.

• University of Melbourne run the Bachelor of Science (BVSc) and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM)

• University of Queensland’s Bachelor ofVeterinary Science (Honours) (BVSc (Hons))

• Southern Cross University offer the newest of the accredited degrees which is the Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine (Honours) (BVM(Hons))

• Adelaide University have the Bachelor of Science (Veterinary Bioscience) (BSc (VetBiosc)) and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) pathway. (Note, there’s no direct entry into the DVM, applicants must have completed a Bachelor of Science (Veterinary Bioscience) from Adelaide University to apply). 

• Murdoch University offer the Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (BVMS) and the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) (you’ll need to have completed a Bachelor Degree in Veterinary Science with Honours or a Bachelor Degree in Veterinary Science and satisfy the Dean of Graduate Research requirements)

• Charles Sturt University’s Bachelor of Veterinary Biology (BVBiol)/ Bachelor of Veterinary Science (BVSc)

• James Cook University’s Bachelor of Veterinary Science (Honours) (BVSc (Hons))

In New Zealand, Massey University in Palmerston North offers the only AVBC-accredited veterinary degree with their Bachelor of Veterinary Science (BVSc).

It’s worth checking the accreditation status of any course before you apply, just in case anything has changed.

These universities offer slightly different structures. Some, like Southern Cross Uni and James Cook University, offer a five-year undergraduate Bachelor of Veterinary Science straight after high school. Others, like the University of Melbourne, require you to complete an undergraduate degree first before applying for a graduate-entry Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. Whereas the University of Sydney and the University of Adelaide offer combined degree pathways, where you study a related science degree before progressing into the veterinary qualification.

Entry is competitive, and most courses require a high ATAR or equivalent, although this changes from year to year and between universities. If you’ll have to progress or apply for the Doctor of Medicine then you’ll also need to ensure that you maintain a high Grade Point Average (GPA) throughout your undergraduate studies to meet the entry requirements.

Some universities also use additional selection tools, such as a situational judgement test like Casper test, an interview, or evidence of animal-related work experience, so it’s worth checking the specific entry requirements for each course you’re interested in well before applications open. If your results end up being slightly below what’s needed, don’t panic. Several universities offer alternative pathways into veterinary science, including transferring from a related science degree after a strong first year, or applying as a mature-age or tertiary entry student with relevant university study already completed.

Bear in mind, that’s there’s also the option of studying overseas and then converting your qualifications if you’d like to practice in Australia down the track.

What if you change your mind along the way?

Choosing this path doesn’t lock you into only one outcome. Because many Australian and New Zealand veterinary degrees begin with a broader science qualification before you move into the veterinary-specific years, you’ll come out with skills that are valued well beyond clinical practice, even if your interests shift.

Animal science and biology graduates often move into research roles, working in laboratories on things like disease control, genetics, or new treatments for animals and humans alike. Others head into conservation and wildlife management, using their understanding of animal biology to support environmental agencies or zoos. There are also opportunities in government, where animal health inspectors and biosecurity officers help keep diseases out of farms, ports, and borders.

If you enjoy the science side more than hands-on animal care, pharmaceutical and biotech companies regularly hire science graduates for research and development work. Some people find they’re drawn to teaching, eventually becoming science teachers or lecturers, while others move into health-related fields entirely, like physiotherapy or nutrition, using their existing science credits as a head start.

None of this means you’re giving up on veterinary work for good either. There is always the option to pause after completing your undergraduate degree, try working in other fields, then re-enter veterinary study later, once you’ve had time to think things through or gain more work and life experience.

Didn’t get the ATAR you wanted? There’s still a way in

A lower-than-hoped-for ATAR doesn’t have to be the end of the road, and plenty of vets started out taking a longer, less direct route to get there.

One popular option is starting with a vocational qualification, such as a Certificate III in Animal Care or a Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing through TAFE or a registered training provider. These courses could get you working hands-on with animals (and earning) far sooner than a university degree would, and they’re a career in their own right. But they can also double as a stepping stone. Completing a vocational qualification like this can grant you general entry into university, even without an ATAR, and some universities will credit your studies towards relevant units in a related degree, such as Charles Sturt University’s Bachelor of Veterinary Technology.

Another route is to start in a related university science degree with a lower entry requirement, do well in your first year or two, and then apply to transfer into veterinary science once you’ve proven yourself academically. Several universities run this kind of internal transfer pathway, sometimes called advanced standing, and it can be a smart option if your school results don’t quite reflect your ability or potential. Examples of courses include (but are not limited to) La Trobe University’s Bachelor of Veterinary Nursing and Technology. Or Murdoch Uni’s Bachelor of Agricultural Science with a major in Animal Science or Animal Health which they state on their website as a pathway “after one successful year, apply for transfer into the vet science integrated degree.”

There are no shortcuts, just alternative routes. They make take you a bit longer and involve a few more steps, but they could lead to exactly the same outcome of becoming a vet.

Jobs in the veterinary field that don’t need a degree

Not everyone who wants to work with animals needs to spend years at university, and there’s a whole range of veterinary-adjacent jobs open to people without a degree at all.

Veterinary nursing is an obvious example. With a Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing, you can work alongside vets monitoring patients, assisting with procedures, and supporting pet owners through difficult moments, all without needing a university qualification. Animal attendants and kennel or cattery workers are entry-level roles that often require little more than enthusiasm and a willingness to learn, and many people use these jobs to get a foot in the door before deciding whether to study further. Veterinary receptionists keep clinics running smoothly and need strong people skills more than scientific ones, while groomers and pet stylists build a trade-based career working closely with animals, often through a vocational certificate rather than a degree.

Outside of a veterinary practice, there are stacks of jobs working with animals that you might also like to consider. From dog walking and pet grooming to working in agricultural roles, conservation and wildlife positions, there are lots of ways to work with animals.

These jobs are worth considering even if your end goal is still to become a fully qualified vet. Working in any of these roles while you’re studying, or even during your gap year, gives you valuable hands-on experience and a much clearer picture of whether veterinary work is really the right fit for you.

Where to next?

Yes the road to becoming a vet is a long road, but it’s one that lots of people have successfully walked before you, so you know it’s achievable and there’s already a clear set of steps you can start ticking off right now. Choose your science subjects carefully, look for small ways to gain experience with animals, and start researching the universities that interest you so you know exactly what they’re looking for.

If you’d like to keep exploring your study options and compare different universities and courses, you can find more helpful guides on our university page.

Read full post on CareerWise >