Information and Resources for Prospective Students
Pre-Vet Advising
The Program Coordinator for the UAF Department of Veterinary Medicine works closely with the CSU Veterinary Medicine Department of Admissions to provide pre-vet advising. Contact us at uaf-vet-med@alaska.edu to schedule an advising appointment either in-person on UAF Troth Yeddha' campus or virtually via Zoom.
You can also set up a virtual advising appointment with CSU's Veterinary Medicine Admissions Department
DVM Application Procedure
Because UAF veterinary medicine students ultimately earn their DVM degree from Colorado State University (CSU), the admissions process is done through CSU with members of the UAF faculty sitting on the committee and assisting in the selection of students for the UAF cohort. All applications will be submitted via the CSU application process and evaluated by their standards and practices. To learn more about the application review process, please visit the page.
How do I know when I'm ready to apply?
Before applying, you must meet the , which includes completing several upper-division courses and obtaining three letters of recommendation.
Prerequisite Courses:
All DVM prerequisite courses must be completed with a grade of C- or above, by July 15 before matriculation, and at an institution accredited by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). A list of prerequisite courses can be viewed . UAF offers courses that meet all of the prerequisite course requirements. Examples can be viewed HERE.
Letters of Recommendation:
Candidates must submit three letters of recommendation with their VMCAS application. We highly recommend at least one be written by a veterinarian and suggest selecting an academic and an employment source for the remaining two.
Select your references carefully and contact them early. If you haven't already, start building a working relationship with them now. Ensure the people you choose to write your letters of recommendation really know who you are and share your educational and career goals with them. Ask them well in advance so they have time to prepare a genuine recommendation. Ultimately, select recommenders with whom you are most comfortable, with at least one being a veterinarian. Recommendations that can speak to both academic and non-academic experiences will provide valuable insights - these can be from faculty, advisors, or supervisors, for example.
Additional Recommendation:
Keep a log of all animal related work and activities you participate in (personal pet ownership does not count). This log will be very useful when you go through the application process. It will be easier to have a list of experiences you can draw from in front of you when writing essays and responses than if you're trying to go from memory. It will also help you calculate a more exact number of hours you've spent gaining animal experience.
Application Timeline
The application period opens approximately 19-20 months and closes approximately 11-12 months before your desired start date. This means if you are applying to start in the Fall of 2027, the application period opens at the end of January 2026 and closes in September 2026. You can view a more detailed breakdown of the application timeline .
Applying
There are two applications that need to be completed to successfully apply for the UAF/CSU veterinary medicine program.
- The Veterinary Medical College Application Service, or VMCAS for short, is typically open from late January - September. VMCAS is a centralized
application service for 31 US, 2 Canadian, and 12 international colleges of veterinary
medicine. Through VMCAS you complete one application and send in all your required
materials. That application is then processed, verified for accuracy, and sent out
to multiple veterinary schools of your choosing. When designating which schools your
application will be sent to, make sure to include Colorado State University.
- For more information on how to prepare for and submit the VMCAS, visit their website .
- The VMCAS must be completed before submitting your CSA
- The Colorado Supplemental Application, or CSA, typically opens up during the summer in June or July and closes in September. The
CSA is a supplemental application with additional questions and required essays to
help determine if an applicant is a good fit specifically for the CSU program.
- Within the CSA, there is a section for the Combined UAF/CSU Program. Filling out this section indicates that you are applying to be part of the UAF cohort.
- Acknowledging the need for veterinarians in ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ and demonstrating genuine interest in returning to work in ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ after completing your DVM can give you an advantage against other candidates with similar qualifications and skills who do not demonstrate interest in returning to AK.
- To see additional information or to complete the CSA, go then click the link near the bottom in the "Complete the CSA" section