Education
The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Utrecht University is the only institution in the Netherlands training students to become veterinarians. The main focus is on the health and welfare of animals, seen in relation to their living environment and to public health. For students from other universities in the Netherlands and abroad, as well as for professionals, there are also electives, clinical teaching courses, research placements and other academic and post-academic courses on offer. In addition, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine also provides a challenging and dynamic research environment for PhD candidates engaged in veterinary or non-veterinary research.
Certified veterinarians
The veterinary study programme consists of a three-year Bachelor’s study programme (in Dutch) and a three-year Master’s programme (in Dutch).
The Master’s programme trains students to become certified veterinarians. The programme curriculum is in Dutch and consists of 180 EC (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System), spread over three years.
Educational accreditation
Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes in Veterinary Medicine
The Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes in Veterinary Medicine are accredited by European organisations, but also by the relevant organisation in the United States and Canada.
NVAO
The Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO) is the quality assurance agency that accredits higher education study programmes in the Netherlands and Flanders. It also performs institutional audits.
The Bachelor’s and Master’s programme in Veterinary Medicine at our faculty are accredited by the NVAO. The last on-site evaluation took place in 2021. The next site visit will take place in 2026.
Related information
EAEVE
The European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE) is the official European accreditation body for veterinary educational establishments. Part of EAEVE is the European Committee of Veterinary Education (ECOVE), which carries out the accreditations.
The undergraduate and graduate programmes in Veterinary Medicine at our faculty are accredited by the ECOVE. The last site-visit took place in 2024. The self-study written for this purpose and the EAEVE's report following the visitation can be viewed via this EAEVE website.
AVMA
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is the leading advocate for the Veterinary profession in de United States of America. Besides many services, the AVMA Council on Education (COE) offers Vet schools in and outside the Unites States a highly regarded accreditation.
In May 2023, the Bachelor’s and Master’s programme in Veterinary Medicine at our faculty were visited by the AVMA COE. This visit resulted in probationary accreditation, due to faulty floors in the ICU and the west wing of our companion animal clinic. These defects make proper cleaning more difficult. Reparations of the floor will start mid-April of this year and will be completed before the end of May. The next AVMA site visit is foreseen for May 2030.
Bachelor’s in Clinical Sciences
The Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO) is the quality assurance agency that accredits higher education study programmes in the Netherlands and Flanders. It also performs institutional audits.
The Bachelor’s programme in Clinical Sciences at our faculty is accredited by the NVAO. It received its initial accreditation in 2022 and its Special feature small-scale and intensive education in 2023. The next site visit will take place in 2026.