The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), has highlighted the importance of opening up the veterinary profession to a more representative, diverse body of vets.
The Harper and Keele Veterinary School recognises that some potentially strong, academically able future vets have been being discouraged from aspiring to the profession by lack of access to work experience opportunities and/or the fierce competition for vet school places. Mindful of this, both institutions are developing alternative routes to enter the new School in the form of Year 0 and Foundation options.
All applications for the course should be submitted via UCAS. The Institution code for the Harper & Keele Veterinary School is H25 and the course code is D100.
The deadline for applications for September 2025 entry is the 15th October 2024.
Applicants are also required to submit a Vocational Experience form. Applications will not be progressed until this form is submitted (Note: the deadline to submit the form is midnight on Sunday, 20th October 2024 ).
Applicants should ensure that they are available for a selection event between November 2024 and January 2025. Due to the number of applicants who will attend the selection events, we may not be able to offer alternative slots. All applications will be assessed and scored taking into account the personal statement, reference, work experience and entrance qualifications. Due to the large numbers of applications expected, we will be unable to invite all applicants to a selection event. The selection events will take place on site and will consist of a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format, and will be designed to assess the various attributes of the applicants.
Applicants will also have the opportunity to indicate their preferred ‘host’ campus once they have received an offer, but this cannot be guaranteed.
The outline Admissions Policy for the programme can be found below. Additional information and aligning policies will be added as they are developed and in time for the UCAS application window.
For all admissions queries please contact admissions@hkvets.ac.uk.
We will send important information during the early stages of your application, and reminders to the email address that you’ve provided in your UCAS application. Your application to the Veterinary School may be affected if you do not respond.
We will contact you from time to time using the following email addresses:
Please add these addresses to your contact list so that emails sent from the University aren’t rejected or filtered into your junk or spam folder by your email provider.
All correspondence should be between the applicant and the University. We do not discuss applications with third parties, for example parents and careers advisors.
Once your application has been received the following reviews will take place:
Applicants who pass the academic screening and Vocational Experience screening, including reflective question scoring, will be invited to participate in a selection event. These will take place from November through to January and will be designed to assess the various attributes of the applicants.
The selection event will take the form of a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI). This is a series of activities, each lasting around 10 minutes, exploring the personal competences key to becoming a successful vet. Activities include discussions, practical tasks and scenario-based simulation. The structure allows you to be interviewed by a variety of different people, giving us good all round insights into your suitability in terms of communication skills, problem-solving, insights into the profession and ability to navigate challenging situations. Our interviewees tell us that they enjoy the experience and it gives them opportunities to engage with us in a variety of ways in a relaxed and friendly environment.
Watch the video below to discover more about what to expect at one of our selection events.
Your performance at the Selection Events will be scored and ranked. Details of our standard offer can be found on the Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (BVetMS) page, however you may receive a lower offer if you are eligible for a contextual offer.
Once a decision has been made to make an offer the Veterinary School will contact you through email and details of the offer will be confirmed through UCAS.
If you are not to receive an offer, you will be declined by email.
Any offers will be subject to an Occupational Health Form and a Criminal Convictions and Conduct Form being satisfactorily completed.
Details of the course fees and other additional costs for the 2025/26 academic year will be available soon.
Information on Student Finance support can be found at:
For a full list of entry requirements, please visit the Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (BVetMS) course page.
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) requires all students, who graduate with an accredited Veterinary degree, to meet all ‘Day One’ competencies at the point of graduation.
We welcome confidential pre-application discussions with potential applicants regarding the practical implications of any disabilities or health conditions on ability to meet ‘Day One’ competencies. During such discussions we can outline any potential reasonable adjustments the school can take to support you in your studies, in order to assist us with this you will be required to complete a health assessment questionnaire. All discussions will be held in confidence and will not impact on an applicant’s subsequent application.
If you have queries on the above please email in the first instance to admissions@harperkeelevetschool.ac.uk
Please see the following links for further information:
At the Harper and Keele Vet School we recognise that pursuing your dream career in veterinary medicine can be costly (but totally worth it!), and we’re here to support you every step of the way.
There are transport and accommodation costs associated with completing extra-mural studies (EMS) and whilst you may get some paid opportunities along the way, such as working during lambing season, there will be other opportunities that will be unpaid and the reward is in the essential experience you gain. However, this can add up and is why we have a flexible package of support to help students with these placement costs, when they need it. Support is available throughout your studies and you can apply for the support once you are on the course. You would have to meet our eligibility criteria and demonstrate a need for the additional financial support, as well as a sensible approach to spending and EMS planning.
There is also further support available through hardship funds (either a grant or a loan, depending on personal circumstances against common published criteria), managed by your host institution. These funds are available for all students to apply for, and are there to support those who find themselves in further or unexpected financial difficulty, such as emergency dental treatment or a car repair, or for those students who simply find that there is more money going out on essentials, than there is coming in, once they’ve planned their budget. We also offer advice on budgeting and ways to make your money stretch a bit further and staff at both sites can assist students in seeking part-time work and scholarship opportunities.
A contextualised offer is an offer which is reduced, by one grade or more from the standard entry requirement and is made to those applicants who may have experienced personal circumstances which might have hampered their education, such as attending a low achieving, target school and also living in an area where it is unusual to go to university or which is disadvantaged or being a Care Leaver. The aim of the scheme is to make the University more accessible for those applicants who may not have previously thought that they were eligible to apply.
To be eligible for a contextualised offer you:
OR
Your application will routinely be checked to see if you qualify for a contextualised offer and you will be advised if this is the case in our offer communications.
If you are eligible for a contextual offer you will receive a two grade drop from level 3 standard entry requirements.
This programme provides a preparatory year of study before students are assessed for access to the BVetMS degree. Students must achieve a minimum pass rate of 70% in year zero and pass the Multi-Mini Interview assessment, as required by all vet school candidates. Up to 10 places are available on this programme each year.
For full details visit the course page on the Harper Adams website.
This programme provides a preparatory year of study before students are assessed for access to the BVetMS degree. Students must achieve a minimum pass rate of 70% in year zero and pass the Multi-Mini Interview assessment, as required by all vet school candidates. Up to 10 places are available on this programme each year.
Full details about how to progress from the Bioveterinary Science foundation year at Keele University can be found on the course page.
Students completing year 1 of the following awards at Harper Adams, with a minimum pass rate of 70% and subject to results of the Multi-Mini Interview assessment, can also progress on to the BVetMS. Up to 5 students will be accepted for transfer into Year 1 of the Vet School on this basis. Candidates will be ranked by performance and the top five will be eligible to progress.
Students completing year 1 of the following award at Keele University, with a minimum pass rate of 70% and subject to results of the Multi-Mini Interview assessment, can also progress on to the BVetMS. Up to 5 students will be accepted for transfer into Year 1 of the Vet School on this basis. Candidates will be ranked by performance and the top five will be eligible to progress.
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