Veterinary Nursing, BSVN

About the Program

The Veterinary Nursing Program is a science-based veterinary nursing program offering an Bachelor of Science in Veterinary Nursing (BSVN). The Veterinary Nursing Program at Purdue University is designed to allow a student to gain the knowledge, information, and skills necessary to practice as a veterinary technician. It is an AVMA accredited program. Upon graduation, students are eligible to take the Veterinary Technician National Exam (VTNE).

This unique program is a four-year curriculum with an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) embedded within the Bachelor of Science in Veterinary Nursing degree. Years 2-3 offer students over 1200 hours of clinical experience in Purdue’s Veterinary Hospital.

New beginners (freshmen) are admitted to year one of the curriculum. Year Two requires a competitive entry process.

For more information, see the Veterinary Nursing website.

Veterinary Nursing Major Change (CODO) Requirements  

Careers

As part of the veterinary team, credentialed veterinary technicians perform a wide range of veterinary nursing, imaging, anesthesia, dental hygiene and diagnostic laboratory procedures in a veterinary practice. Other career opportunities include specialty practice, clinic/hospital team leaders, research, veterinary technology program educators, pharmaceutical sales, wildlife rehabilitation, zoo and shelter medicine.

Credentialed veterinary technicians are required to maintain continuing education according to state regulations. Information about continuing education programs is available through the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine’s Office of Lifelong Learning.

The BSVN plan of study in veterinary nursing does not meet the requirements for application to veterinary school to become a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM).

Degree Requirements

127.5 Credits Required

Departmental/Program Major Courses (87 credits)

• BMS 23100 - Anatomy-VN Credits: 4.00 ♦
• BMS 23200 - Physiology-VN Credits: 2.00 ♦
• BMS 23300 - Introduction To Pharmacology-VN Credits: 0.50
• BMS 33100 - Pharmacology-VN Credits: 1.50
• CPB 25500 - Clinical Pathology-VN Credits: 4.00
• CPB 35100 - Microbiology-VN Credits: 2.00
• CPB 35200 - Parasitology-VN Credits: 2.00
• CPB 46400 - Clinical Toxicology-VN Credits: 2.00
• CPB 48000 - Seminar In Animal Welfare And Human-Animal Interaction-VN Credits: 2.00
• VCS 22100 - Veterinary Nursing Techniques For The Normal Animal (SA & LA) Credits: 4.00
• VCS 22200 - Dentistry-VN Credits: 0.50
• VCS 22300 - Surgical Nursing-VN Credits: 1.00
• VCS 22400 - Small Animal Nursing I Credits: 2.00
• VCS 22500 - Large Animal Nursing I Credits: 2.00
• VCS 22600 - Principles Of Anesthesia-VN Credits: 2.00
• VCS 22800 - Small And Large Animal Nutrition-VN Credits: 1.00
• VCS 25100 - Introduction To Diagnostic Imaging-VN Credits: 0.50
• VCS 25200 - Diagnostic Imaging-VN Credits: 2.00
• VCS 32100 - Large Animal Nursing II Credits: 2.00
• VCS 32200 - Small Animal Nursing II Credits: 2.00
• VCS 46700 - Medical Equipment & Maintenance-VN Credits: 2.00
• VM 20100 - Introduction To Veterinary Nursing Credits: 1.50
• VM 24100 - Occupational & Public Health I Credits: 1.00
• VM 24300 - Clinic Rotations I Credits: 1.50
• VM 24400 - Clinical Rotations II Credits: 1.50
• VM 24900 - Clinical Rotations III Credits: 3.50
• VM 32300 - Laboratory Animals & Exotic Pet Medicine-VN Credits: 2.00
• VM 34210 - Integrations-VN Credits: 2.00
• VM 34300 - Clinic Rotations IV-VN Credits: 5.00
• VM 34400 - Clinic Rotations V-VN Credits: 5.00
• VM 34500 - Veterinary Management Topics I-VN Credits: 1.50
• VM 44100 - Occupational & Public Health II-VN Credits: 1.00
• VM 44200 - Veterinary Management Topics II-VN Credits: 1.50
• VM 44300 - Clinic Rotations VI-VN Credits: 2.00
• VM 44500 - Senior Project-VN Credits: 4.00

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• VM 39000 - Practicum Credits: 4.00 or
• VM 41001 - International Practicum Credits: 4.00

Other Program Course Requirements (35-38 credits)

• BIOL 11000 - Fundamentals Of Biology I Credits: 4.00 ♦ (satisfies SCI for core)
• BIOL 11100 - Fundamentals Of Biology II Credits: 4.00 ♦ (satisfies SCI for core)
• COM 11400 - Fundamentals Of Speech Communication Credits: 3.00 (satisfies OC for core) or
• SCLA 10200 - Transformative Texts, Critical Thinking And Communication II: Modern World Credits: 3.00 (satisfies OC for core)

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• MA 15300 - College Algebra Credits: 3.00 ♦ (satisfies QR for core)

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• CHM 11100 - General Chemistry Credits: 3.00 ♦ (satisfies SCI for core) or
• CHM 11500 - General Chemistry Credits: 4.00 ♦ (satisfies SCI for core)

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• CHM 11200 - General Chemistry Credits: 3.00 ♦ (satisfies SCI for core) or
• CHM 11600 - General Chemistry Credits: 4.00 ♦ (satisfies SCI for core)

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• ENGL 10600 - First Year Composition With Conferences Credits: 4.00 (satisfies WC and IL for core) or
• ENGL 10800 - First Year Composition Credits: 3.00 (satisfies WC and IL for core) or
• SCLA 10100 - Transformative Texts, Critical Thinking And Communication I: Antiquity To Modernity Credits: 3.00 (satisfies WC and IL for core)

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• EDPS 31500 - Collaborative Leadership: Interpersonal Skills Credits: 3.00 or
• ENGL 41900 - Multimedia Writing Credits: 3.00 or
• ENGL 42000 - Business Writing Credits: 3.00 or
• ENGL 42201 - Writing For The Health And Human Sciences Credits: 3.00 or
• ENGL 42100 - Technical Writing Credits: 3.00 or
• COM 31800 - Principles Of Persuasion Credits: 3.00 or
• COM 32000 - Small Group Communication Credits: 3.00 or
• COM 32400 - Introduction To Organizational Communication Credits: 3.00 or
• COM 37800 - Introduction To Health Communication Credits: 3.00

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• Science, Technology & Society Selective - Credit Hours: 3.00 (satisfies STS for core)
• Human Cultures: Humanities - Credit Hours: 3.00 (satisfies HUM for core)
• Human Cultures: Behavioral & Social Sciences - Credit Hours: 3.00 (satisfies BSS for core)

Electives (2.5-5.5 Credits)

Grade Requirements

• All courses must be completed with a grade of D- or higher.
• Any retaken course must be completed with a grade of C- or higher.
• A successful application for competitive entry into Year 2 requires a C- or higher in the following courses: BIOL 11000, BIOL 11100, CHM 11100/CHM 11200 or CHM 11500/11600, MA 15300, ENGL 10600 or ENGL 10800 or SCLA 10100, COM 11400 or SCLA 10200.

GPA Requirements

• 2.0 Graduation GPA required for Bachelor of Science in Veterinary Nursing degree.

Course Requirements and Notes

• Courses must be taken in specified order.

Pass/No Pass Policy

• No courses may be taken under the Pass/No Pass grade except the following: VM 10900, VM 41001, VM 41003, VM 44400.

Transfer Credit Policy

• No transfer credit is allowed for any BMS, CPB, VCS, or VM course.

University Requirements

Notes

• The Veterinary Nursing Program has additional academic standards, found here.​​​​​​​

Sample 4-Year Plan

Pre-Requisite Information

For pre-requisite information, log in to mypurdue.purdue.edu and click here.

Critical Course

The ♦ course is considered critical.

In alignment with the Degree Map Guidance for Indiana’s Public Colleges and Universities, published by the Commission for Higher Education (pursuant to HEA 1348-2013), a Critical Course is identified as “one that a student must be able to pass to persist and succeed in a particular major. Students who want to be nurses, for example, should know that they are expected to be proficient in courses like biology in order to be successful. These would be identified by the institutions for each degree program.”

Disclaimer

The student is ultimately responsible for knowing and completing all degree requirements. Consultation with an advisor may result in an altered plan customized for an individual student. The myPurduePlan powered by DegreeWorks is the knowledge source for specific requirements and completion.

Comparative information about Purdue University and other U.S. educational institutions is also available through the College Navigator tool, provided by the National Center for Education Statistics, and through the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.