Medicine and healthcare
Veterinary nursing
BSc or FdSc accredited for veterinary nursing
Overview
Veterinary nursing trains you to nurse animals under the direction of a vet: monitoring anaesthesia, medical nursing, diagnostics and client advice. A degree or foundation degree can be one route, alongside work-based training. It does not qualify you as a vet. Students who enjoy it like practical animal care and clinical routine, and they are realistic about the physical and emotional demands of practice.
You want to register as a veterinary nurse rather than as a vet.
Veterinary medicine is a longer degree and a different register.
People who like animals and hands-on clinical support.
What you will study
Universities do not teach the same modules. The lists below are a general shape, not a syllabus.
Across the course
- Animal anatomy
- Medical nursing
- Theatre practice
- Practice placement
Skills
Useful before you start
- Animal handling
- Reliability
- Science
Developed during the degree
- Anaesthesia monitoring
- Nursing care
- Client communication
Teaching and assessment
Teaching often includes Lectures, Clinical skills, Practice placement.
Assessment often includes Exams, Practical skills, Work-based assessment.
Typical weekly commitment
Estimate. Work-based routes do not have a campus timetable.
Entry requirements
Indicative patterns from published UK admissions information. Not an offer. Actual requirements vary by course, university and year. Pearson Edexcel International A Level and Cambridge International A Level are not treated as the same qualification as GCE A level.
Indicative requirements by qualification
The A-level band is the catalogue reference. IB and American lines come from the named university guides under the table. They are not a conversion every university uses, and they are not an offer.
| Qualification | Indicative requirements |
|---|---|
| A Levels | CCC–BBC. Biology is useful. Formal subject rules depend on the provider. |
| IB Diploma | No UCL figure is stored for CCC or BBC. The stored UCL table runs from ABB to A*A*A. A required A-level subject must be Higher Level in UCL's rule. Each Higher Level subject in that table is at least 5. UCL equates A* to 7, A to 6 and B to 5. This is one university's table. |
| American curriculum | No Manchester social-sciences AP example is stored for CCC or BBC. Bristol publishes a GPA of 3.2, or 3.4 for competitive courses, and does not use one AP pattern for every degree. |
- University College London: Undergraduate entry requirements. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
- University of Manchester, School of Social Sciences: Americas country guide. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
- University of Manchester, Civil Engineering: USA country entry requirements. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
- University of Bristol: USA international qualifications. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
A-level subjects
Biology is useful. Formal subject rules depend on the provider.
Often recommended: Biology.
Useful preparation: Chemistry.
GCSE and IGCSE
English, mathematics and a science are commonly requested. Grades vary.
Some routes are work-based rather than a standard A-level degree. No selective-university band is stored.
Other ways in
- A foundation degree is not a veterinary medicine degree.
- Registration rules are set by the veterinary nursing regulator, not by the course title alone.
Admissions tests and extra requirements
No admissions test is stored as usual for this course. A university can still set one for a particular year.
Course costs
For many standard full-time courses in England, the home-fee maximum in 2026 to 2027 is Up to £9,790. This is the maximum standard full-time fee published for approved English providers with a TEF award and an access and participation plan. It is not the fee a named university charges, and it does not decide whether you pay home or international fees.
Clinical, laboratory and studio courses are not given a different home-fee figure here, because the regulated maximum is not the same thing as an international or clinical fee.
International tuition is set by each university and is not stored here. Clinical courses are often much higher than classroom-based courses. A school in Qatar does not decide home-fee status.
Source: Changes to tuition fees: 2026 to 2027 academic year. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Living costs, field trips and professional fees are not included.
Where you could study
UK degrees in this subject are numerous. This page does not list every university, because a list without a checked entry requirement would look more certain than it is.
No individual UK course page is stored yet for this subject. Use the university site.
No overseas course has been checked for this subject yet.
Where could this degree take you?
Veterinary nurse
Direct qualifying route
Use an accredited veterinary nursing course. A vet degree is a different profession.
Explore your pathway
A course sits between school subjects and a career. It does not guarantee either admission or a job.