Combine your love of animals and passion for science to create a meaningful career.
From caring for companion animals — our furry, feathered and scaled family members — to ensuring the country’s food supply is safe, veterinarians play an incredibly important role in society.
Pet ownership has more than doubled since 1988. Advances in veterinary medicine and nutrition, coupled with a bigger focus on preventative care, life expectancy for cats and dogs has risen. The Midwest, particularly, is seeing a shortage of livestock/food-animal veterinarians.
For these reasons and more, demand for veterinarians (DVM) nationwide is expected to increase 16% by 2029, and the need will be even higher in Indiana.
national median salary for veterinarians (BLS, 2019)
100 Best Jobs in America (U.S News & World Report, 2020)
expected increase in demand for veterinarians in Indiana through 2029, higher than the national average growth (BLS)
Nationally recognized for its high-quality, values-based health professions programs, the University of Saint Francis is an ideal place to begin your journey toward becoming a vet.
USF’s comprehensive, academically rigorous pre-vet curriculum, coupled with practical learning experiences and personalized advising, will equip you for the GREs, MCATs and, ultimately, for admission to a doctor of veterinary medicine (DVM).
As a biology/pre-vet major, you will learn by doing through project-based courses, community service and even independent research. In addition to a strong science foundation, becoming a vet requires real-world experience with animals (and their owners!)
Off campus, you will participate in job shadowing and pursue internships at local veterinary practices and hospitals, including Northeast Indiana Veterinary Emergency and Speciality Hospital and Southlane Veterinary Hospital. Biology majors can also prepare for careers with animals through real-world experiences through internships at places such as:
As you take courses across the disciplines, from animal nutrition to vertebrate physiology, you will engage with faculty-scientists and working practitioners with a diverse range of research interests, including:
Many of our natural and biological sciences faculty have even spent some of their research careers with animals: armadillos, black bear, freshwater mussels and shorebirds to name a few.
USF biology pre-vet majors will build much of their skills and knowledge at Achatz Hall of Science, a state-of-the-art facility with modern learning spaces and cutting-edge laboratories.
USF students will find many ways to get involved on campus and in the community. Organizations that might appeal to biology and pre-vet majors include:
Additionally, you’ll often find biology and health sciences students, especially on exam-eve, studying together in Achatz’s meeting rooms and collaboration spaces.
Veterinarians most often work in private or group practice; however, becoming a vet can also lead to careers with animals in settings like:
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AMVA) offers an excellent veterinary jobs resource for students.
A bachelor’s in biology with a pre-vet focus can prepare you for other science- and health-related careers with animals — or people! USF alumni have found roles at:
Our biology/pre-vet students have been accepted at into doctor of veterinary medicine and Ph.D. programs at institutions such as:
USF had everything I needed. I knew the faculty, they knew me, and the instruction was one-to-one.
Dr. Theresa Schenkel ’99
Veterinarian and feline advocate, Pine Valley Veterinary Clinic
Your first step to becoming a USF Cougar is applying for admission. Our online application makes the process as convenient as possible.
Apply NowWhether you know what you want to see, who you want to meet or are just exploring your options, we will personalize your campus visit to fit your needs.
Visit USFAn academic plan is a general blueprint showing how one might complete the degree, semester by semester. Get an idea on what each semester could look like.