Dec 09, 2025  
2025-2026 University Catalog 
    
2025-2026 University Catalog

Veterinary Nursing, BSVN

Location(s): West Lafayette


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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.

To begin Year Two requires succesful completion of mandatory courses with a C- or better and a 2.5 cumulative GPA.

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)


Veterinary Nursing Selectives


Choose 9 credits from Veterinary Nursing Selectives  

Other Program Course Requirements (35-38 credits)


Electives (2.5-5.5 Credits)


Grade Requirements


  • By the end of the spring semester of first year, students must obtain the following to continue to year 2:
    • minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA
    • C- or higher in the following courses by the end of the Spring semester: BIOL 11000, BIOL 11100, CHM 11100/CHM 11200 or CHM 11510 and CHM 11520 or CHM 11510 and CHM 11530/CHM 11610 and CHM 11620 or CHM 11610 and 11630, MA 15300, ENGL 10600 or ENGL 10800 or SCLA 10100, COM 11400 or SCLA 10200.
  • All other courses must be completed with a grade of D- or higher.
  • Any retaken course must be completed with a grade of C- or higher.

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


University Core Requirements


For a complete listing of University Core Course Selectives, visit the University Senate Website.
  • Human Cultures: Behavioral/Social Science (UCC: BSS)
  • Human Cultures: Humanities (UCC: HUM)
  • Information Literacy (UCC: IL)
  • Oral Communication (UCC: OC)
  • Quantitative Reasoning (UCC: QR)
  • Science #1 (UCC: SCI)
  • Science #2 (UCC: SCI)
  • Science, Technology, and Society (UCC: STS)
  • Written Communication (UCC: WC) 

Civics Literacy Proficiency Requirement


The Civics Literacy initiative is designed to develop civic knowledge of Purdue students to graduate a more informed citizenry. For more information visit the Civics Literacy - Office of the Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning - Purdue University.

To obtain the Civics Literacy credential, all Baccalaureate degree seeking students will complete the  Civics Literacy Podcast pathway - Complete 12 podcasts created by the Purdue Center for C-SPAN Scholarship & Engagement that use C-SPAN material and pass the required quizzes per episode.  After the pathway has been successfully completed, students will take the Civics Literacy knowledge test.  Civics Literacy does not impact a student’s GPA or bear any finical costs. 

More details about each pathway and how to complete the requirement can be found on the Civics Literacy Student Dashboard in myPurdue.

Upper Level Requirement


  • Resident study at Purdue University for at least two semesters and the enrollment in and completion of at least 32 semester hours of coursework required and approved for the completion of the degree. These courses are expected to be at least junior-level (30000+) courses.
  • Students should be able to fulfill most, if not all, of these credits within their major requirements; there should be a clear pathway for students to complete any credits not completed within their major.

Notes


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

Sample 4-Year Plan


15-17 Credits


15.5-16.5 Credits


14 Credits


14 Credits


Summer between 2nd and 3rd Year


3.5 Credits


13.5 Credits


Spring 3rd Year


15.5 Credits


Summer between 3rd and 4th Year


4 Credits


12.5-15.5 Credits


Spring 4th Year


17 Credits


Pre-Requisite Information


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

World Language Courses


World Language proficiency requirements vary by program. The following list is inclusive of all world languages PWL offers for credit; for acceptable languages and proficiency levels, see your advisor. (ASL-American Sign Language; ARAB-Arabic; CHNS-Chinese; FR-French; GER-German; GREK-Greek(Ancient); HEBR-Hebrew(Biblical); HEBR-Hebrew(Modern); ITAL-Italian; JPNS-Japanese; KOR-Korean; LATN-Latin; PTGS-Portuguese; RUSS-Russian; SPAN-Spanish)

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.

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