Vet school
Veterinary Gateway Courses in the UK: What They Are and Who They're For
Everything you need to know about UK veterinary gateway and foundation year courses: which universities offer them, the entry requirements, costs, and whether this route is right for you.
Veterinary gateway courses are part of a widening participation effort that allows students who would not otherwise meet the standard entry requirements to study veterinary medicine. The programme adds a preparatory foundation year designed to build the knowledge and skills you need before progressing into the main degree, so the course runs for six years in total rather than five. For many talented applicants from under-represented backgrounds, it is the route that makes vet school possible.
Which universities offer a veterinary gateway course?
The Royal Veterinary College, Bristol and Nottingham all offer veterinary gateway or widening participation routes with a foundation year. Several other schools, including the RVC, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Nottingham and Surrey, also make reduced contextual offers to eligible applicants without a separate foundation year. You can check each school's contextual offer on our UK vet schools hub.
Who is eligible for a gateway course?
Gateway courses are for UK students, and each vet school sets slightly different criteria. These may include household income below a threshold, being the first in your family to attend university, the type of school you attended, time in care, or area based measures such as POLAR4 or IMD. If your grades are below the standard offer, these routes can widen your options considerably, as we explain in our guides to GCSE and A Level requirements.
Common questions
What is a veterinary gateway course?+
A gateway course is a six year veterinary degree that begins with a preparatory foundation year. It is part of widening participation and is designed for students who would not otherwise meet the standard entry requirements, giving them the grounding to progress into the main veterinary degree.
Which UK universities offer veterinary gateway courses?+
The Royal Veterinary College, Bristol and Nottingham offer veterinary gateway or foundation year routes. Several other schools make reduced contextual offers to eligible applicants without a separate foundation year, so it is worth checking each school individually.
Who is eligible for a veterinary gateway course?+
Gateway courses are for UK students who meet specific contextual criteria, which vary by school but can include lower household income, being first in your family to attend university, your school type, time in care, or area based widening participation measures.
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