DVM Education

The Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program is a professional degree program that will prepare students to advance the health and well-being of animals, people, and the environment in the state of Arkansas and beyond.

DVM Program Overview

The Arkansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine is built on a foundation of community and collaboration. From the moment our students enter our DVM program, they become part of a supportive network of faculty and community partners dedicated to advancing veterinary medicine. Our curriculum incorporates both on campus and community-based learning experiences. Students engage in small- and large-group classroom sessions, hands-onlaboratory experiences, and clinical rotations designed to build successful graduates. Our approach ensures that students gain the knowledge and skills needed for veterinary practice, while developing relationships and community connections that strengthen the profession. Our new, state-of-the-art facilities—along with existing student support services and campus amenities—create an environment where students can thrive academically, professionally, and personally. Together, these resources support a rich educational experience and prepare graduates to enter clinical practice as competent, compassionate veterinarians.

Join us and Be Part of the Pack.

Facilities

Our DVM program is based in a brand new, state-of-the art 56,000-square foot College of Veterinary Medicine teaching building located on Arkansas State University’s main campus. This facility is just steps away from a variety of student amenities, including the library, student union, counseling services, recreation center, and more. Our teaching building provides students with access to cutting-edge training spaces, including dedicated anatomy, clinical skills, and surgical skills labs, as well as radiology and dental suites. Flexible classrooms are designed to accommodate both small-group and lecture-based instruction. A 240-acre farm adjacent to main campus provides opportunities for hands-on training with horses, cattle, and small ruminants, including two new bovine and equine barns purpose-built for DVM training.

Year 1-3: Education and Student experience

Our four-year competency-based curriculum is designed to ensure graduates possess the knowledge, clinical abilities, and professional behaviors to be prepared to enter into veterinary practice. From the first day of the DVM program, our students build a strong foundation in the veterinary sciences through targeted discipline and species-specific courses, gain clinical and professional skills training through hands-on laboratories and workshops, and develop clinical reasoning skills through case-based learning, ensuring graduates are practice-ready. Classroom experiences are amplified through powerful community partnerships that provide direct field experience. Our students will gain practical skills in large animal herd health through our collaboration with the Department of Corrections, and they contribute to community wellness while honing their surgical and preventive care techniques with the Northeast Arkansas Humane Society.

Year 4: Clinical Training and Student Experience

Throughout the fourth (clinical) year of the DVM program, our students participate in a community-centered clinical training model designed to provide extensive real-world experience. Students complete their final year through immersion in supervised clinical rotations atveterinary practices and partner organizations across Arkansas, the mid-South, and beyond. This distributed clinical model allows students to work directly alongside practicing veterinarians, encountering varied medical, surgical, and preventive care cases in authentic practice settings. By training within community practices and animal health organizations, our students gain practical experience while contributing to the veterinary needs of local communities. These partnerships ensure that our graduates are practice-ready and prepared to serve animals, people, and the agricultural communities of Arkansas and beyond.

Our students are expected to take initiative in developing as professionals and refining their clinical and surgical skills while representing the university through respectful conduct and appropriate professional behavior. Rotations occur at approved clinical partner sites that meet strict safety and facility standards. When receiving training at these community sites, our students are supported by Primary Clinical Educators (PCEs), who supervise their clinical activities, provide feedback, and evaluate performance, while Clinical Lead Veterinarians (designated Arkansas State University faculty) assign final grades based on evaluations and course assignments.

The clinical year is an exciting period of immersive learning that requires flexibility and self-reliance. Throughout multiple required and elective rotations across varied practice settings, our students will experience the pace, culture, and breadth of veterinary medical practice, working with clients and patients under supervision while honing their clinical reasoning, communicationand procedural skills, and efficiency in case management. Our students should be prepared to adapt to differing teaching styles, workplace cultures, and varying levels of case participation while maintaining professionalism and prioritizing animal and personal safety.

The time commitment of the clinical year is substantial, typically requiring a minimum of 40 hours per week of clinical contact, plus additional time for self-directed study. Because schedules are set by our clinical community partners rather than the university academic calendar, students should anticipate the potential for working weekends, holidays, and/or nights as determined by each rotation's needs.

Rotations generally last 2–4 weeks and must be completed at approved clinical partners or designated clinical hubs across our network. Our students are responsible for arranging their own travel and housing during this time, though some clinical sites may offer support in that regard. Our students have the opportunity to tailor their experiences through electives and externships, which offer valuable opportunities for focused career exploration and more advanced training in specific clinical areas of interest.

Degree Requirements

To earn a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree at Arkansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine (A-State CVM), students complete both preclinical and clinical coursework. The preclinical curriculum includes 110.5 credit hours, followed by 45.0 credit hours in the clinical curriculum. Altogether, students need 155.5 credit hours with a passing grade to graduate.

Curriculum Overview

The College of Veterinary Medicine Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program is intentionally structured as a four-year curriculum. This thoughtful pacing provides students with dedicated summer periods between the first and second years, and between the second and third years, to pursue career-aligned experiences such as hands-on clinical training, public health projects, and research opportunities.

These experiences reinforce the knowledge gained in coursework and laboratories and strengthen professional networks, which help prepare students for the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE®) and successful entry into the veterinary workforce.

The tables below provide an overview of our DVM curriculum, outlining the courses and clinical rotations that shape each stage of an A-State DVM student's journey. The curriculum may be updated to incorporate the latest innovations, breakthroughs, and advances in veterinary medicine, ensuring our students are always learning the most current and relevant skills for their future careers.

Year 1 - Fall Semester

Subject Area	Course Name	Credits
DRVM 712V	Anatomy and Physiology I	4.5
Course Description Structure and function of organ systems of domestic animals at both the macroscopic and microscopic levels, using a systems-based approach. Clinically relevant context of normal anatomy and physiology, including how alterations of normal are principal drivers for most pathophysiological processes.
DRVM 7114	Anatomy and Physiology II	4.0
Course Description Builds on Anatomy and Physiology I. Extends systems-based approach to additional body systems. Continues to provide clinically relevant context of normal anatomy and physiology, including how alterations of normal are principal drivers for most pathophysiological processes.
DRVM 7132	Veterinary Foundations I	2.0
Course Description Foundations of veterinarians and animals in society, including animal characteristics, human-animal interactions. Current topics in veterinary medicine.
DRVM 7141	Clinical Skills I	1.0
Course Description Hands-on restraint and physical examinations across veterinary species using models and live animals. Includes animal handling, basic physical examinations, basic surgical, and procedural skills.
DRVM 711V	Becoming a Veterinary Professional I	1.5
Course Description Basic communication and its importance in veterinary medicine. Includes basic financial literacy, concepts of giving and receiving feedback professionally, and interpersonal skills development. Introduction to medical records.
DRVM 7151	Veterinary Medical Science	1.0
Course Description General medical knowledge foundation required of a veterinarian, including medical terminology (nomenclature), medical math, and medical physics.
DRVM 7131	Gathering Evidence and Clinical Decision Making I	1.0
Course Description Fundamentals of the scientific approach emphasizing how to derive and interpret information needed for evidence-based decision making. Introduces clinical reasoning using a case-based approach, including integration of information from client history, patient examination and other sources to identify problems.
DRVM 7152	Veterinary Immunology	2.0
Course Description Current concepts in basic and clinical immunology with emphasis on protective immunity against infectious diseases and the role of aberrant immune responses in disease.
Total Credits Year 1 Fall Semester		18.0

Year 1 - Spring Semester

Subject Area	Course Name	Credits
DRVM 7124	Anatomy and Physiology III	4.0
Course Description Builds on Anatomy and Physiology I and II. Expands on the systems and animal species being taught. Continues to provide clinically relevant context of normal anatomy and physiology, including how alterations of normal are principal drivers for most pathophysiological processes.
DRVM 718V	Anatomy and Physiology IV	3.5
Course Description Builds on Anatomy and Physiology I II, and III. Expands on the systems and species being taught. Further provides clinically relevant context of normal anatomy and physiology, including how alterations of normal are principal drivers for most pathophysiological processes.
DRVM 713V	Becoming a Veterinary Professional II	1.5
Course Description Building on Becoming a Veterinary Professional I, communication and professional skills, including basic communication, financial literacy, concepts of professional identity, professional ethics and jurisprudence, giving and receiving feedback professionally, and interpersonal skills.
DRVM 7181	Gathering Evidence and Clinical Decision-Making II	1.0
Course Description Builds on Gathering Evidence and Clinical Decision-Making I. A case-based approach to integration of information from a variety of sources to identify and approach problems. Focuses on development of a problem list and fundamentals of diagnostic testing.
DRVM 7123	Veterinary Parasitology	3.0
Course Description Study of parasite identification, life cycles, diseases, treatment, and control of parasites of animals, with laboratory training in diagnostic and identification techniques.
DRVM 717V	Veterinary Virology	1.5
Course Description Study of viral diseases of animals, including pathogenesis, clinical signs, diagnosis, and principles of prevention and control.
DRVM714V	Veterinary Bacteriology and Mycology	2.5
Course Description Study of bacterial and fungal diseases of animals, including pathogenesis, clinical signs, diagnosis and principles of prevention and control.
DRVM 7171	Clinical Skills II	1.0
Course Description Builds on Clinical Skills I. Expands physical examination skills, and basic diagnostic and surgical skills using models and live animals. Foundations of specific equipment including anesthetic machine and ultrasonographic/radiographic imaging equipment. Introduces vaccine handling, IV fluids, and hoof care.
Total Credits Year 1 Spring Semester		18.0

Year 2 - Fall Semester

Subject Area	Course Name	Credits
DRVM 7213	Veterinary Pathology I	3.0
Course Description General principles of pathology relevant to all organ systems. Specific pathology using a systems basis for domestic animals of veterinary importance. Methods of carcass disposal (biosecurity).
DRVM 7223	Clinical Pathology	3.0
Course Description Clinical pathology of disease, including selection and interpretation of clinical pathological tests. Integration of laboratory data to inform differential diagnosis lists and next steps in patient diagnosis and management.
DRVM 723V	Becoming a Veterinary Professional III	1.5
Course Description Builds on Becoming a Veterinary Professional I and II. Additional skills pertaining to client communication, incorporating spectrum of care and cultural contexts, conflict management, financial literacy, case referral, and becoming a professional (e.g., career exposure).
DRVM 7283	Veterinary Foundations II	3.0
Course Description Husbandry and welfare of domestic and exotic animal species and their inter-relatedness as affects health and disease. Identification of animal neglect or mistreatment.
DRVM 7252	Clinical Decision Making: Organ Dysfunction I	2.0
Course Description Builds on Gathering Evidence and Clinical Decision Making I and II. Critical thinking, communication, resource identification, evaluation, and clinical decision making. Focuses on diagnostic test selection and differential diagnosis prioritization, incorporating spectrum of care.
DRVM 7241	Clinical Skills III	1.0
Course Description Builds on Clinical Skills I and II. Using both models and live animals, continues to strengthen and broaden veterinary examination skills, anesthesia and surgical skills, bandaging, and introduces more diagnostic skills (including imaging, palpation, & dentistry).
DRVM 7253	Diagnostic Imaging	3.0
Course Description Methods of image generation and fundamentals of image interpretation, including both normal and diseased animals. Emphasis on radiography and ultrasonography; includes computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and scintigraphy. Application of diagnostic imaging to case scenarios.
DRVM 722V	Animal Populations I	1.5
Course Description Principles of preventive care and the diagnosis and management of diseases in groups of animals. Foundations of epidemiology, including disease surveillance and application of diagnostic tests to animal populations.
Total Credits Year 2 Fall Semester		18.0

Year 2 - Spring Semester

Subject Area	Course Name	Credits
DRVM 7243	Veterinary Pathology II	3.0
Course Description Extends learning of systems-based organ-specific pathology. Pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for disease. Appropriate diagnostic tests for various diseases and how to interpret results. Methods of carcass disposal (biosecurity).
DRVM 7222	Veterinary Nutrition	2.0
Course Description Companion animal, equine, livestock, and exotic animal nutrition, including digestion, assimilation and metabolism of nutrients, nutrient analysis of food, ration formulation, and the interaction between nutrition and disease.
DRVM 7242	Toxicology	2.0
Course Description Introduction to the principles of toxicology with relevance to domestic animal species. Basic principles of toxin exposure and decontamination, including how to locate toxicological information.
DRVM 727V	Clinical Skills IV	1.5
Course Description Builds on Clinical Skills I-III. Using both models and live animals, expands diagnostic examination skills, surgical and anesthesia training, and veterinary procedures across domestic animal species.
DRVM 7262	Principles of Veterinary Surgery	2.0
Course Description Principles of surgery, including basic surgical instruments, suture material, suturing, wound healing, and bandaging.
DRVM 7282	Anesthesia & Analgesia	2.0
Course Description Foundational principles of anesthesia, pain, and pain management. Application of anesthesia and analgesia to clinical cases (e.g. healthy animals undergoing anesthesia for elective surgery).
DRVM 724V	Animal Populations II	1.5
Course Description Builds on Animal Populations I. Diagnostic investigation of population disease and disease outbreaks. Applies epidemiologic principles to management of disease outbreaks.
DRVM 7272	Clinical Decision Making: Organ Dysfunction II	2.0
Course Description Builds on Clinical Decision Making: Organ Dysfunction I. Critical thinking, communication, resource identification, evaluation, and clinical decision making. Focuses on diagnostic testing selection and differential diagnosis prioritization, incorporating spectrum of care.
DRVM 7232	Veterinary Foundations III	2.0
Course Description Distribution, diagnosis, and control of zoonotic/transboundary diseases. Disease interrelatedness between individual and population, human/animal health, and environment. Principles of One Health and food safety. Completing regulatory certification and prescription writing.
DRVM 725V	Becoming a Veterinary Professional IV	1.5
Course Description Builds on Clinical Decision Making: Organ Dysfunction I. Critical thinking, communication, resource identification, evaluation, and clinical decision making. Focuses on diagnostic testing selection and differential diagnosis prioritization, incorporating spectrum of care.
Total Credits Year 2 Spring Semester		19.5

Year 3 - Fall Semester

Subject Area	Course Name	Credits
DRVM 7312	Small Animal Surgery	2.0
Course Description Diagnosis, management, prevention and prognosis of common canine and feline surgical diseases and disorders, including lameness.
DRVM 7382	Veterinary Pharmacology I	2.0
Course Description Fundamentals of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Classes of drugs used for common diseases, including indications and adverse effects. Introduction of antimicrobial stewardship. Application of principles of drug use for common diseases in a systems-based approach.
DRVM 7322	Theriogenology	2.0
Course Description Diagnosis, management, prevention and prognosis of common reproductive disorders of domestic and exotic animal species. Normal estrous cycles, breeding management, pregnancy, dystocia management and parturition in domestic animal species.
DRVM 7313	Small Animal Medicine I	3.0
Course Description Diagnosis, management, prognosis and prevention of common canine and feline medical diseases and disorders.
DRVM 7352	Equine Medicine & Surgery I	2.0
Course Description Diagnosis, management, prognosis and prevention of common disorders of horses.
DRVM 734V	Clinical Skills V	2.5
Course Description Builds on Clinical Skills I-IV. Advanced clinical skills of domestic species. Anesthesia and common surgical procedures on small animals, including pre-operative and post-operative care.
DRVM 7333	Livestock Medicine & Surgery I	3.0
Course Description Diagnosis, management, prognosis and prevention of medical and surgical disease of livestock (bovine, ovine, caprine, porcine, camelid).
DRVM 735V	Becoming a Veterinary Professional V	1.5
Course Description Builds on Becoming a Veterinary Professional I-IV. Advanced training in communication, conflict management, team dynamics and euthanasia and medical records. Professional ethics. Introduction to veterinary practice business models (e.g., corporate and private practice). Contract negotiation. Introduction to the clinical year.
DRVM 736V	Clinical Decision Making: Patient Management I	1.5
Course Description Builds on Clinical Decision Making: Organ Dysfunction I and II. Critical thinking, communication, resource identification, evaluation, and clinical decision making. Focuses on treatment selection (including empirical treatment) and patient triage, incorporating spectrum of care.
Total Credits Year 3 Fall Semester		19.5

Year 3 - Spring Semester

Subject Area	Course Name	Credits
DRVM 7351	Avian & Exotic Animal Medicine	1.0
Course Description Disorders of small mammals, avian, reptilian, and other exotic species. Husbandry and approach to diagnosis and management of common diseases.
DRVM 7343	Livestock Medicine & Surgery II	3.0
Course Description Builds on Livestock Medicine and Surgery I. Diagnosis, treatment, prognosis and prevention of medical and surgical disease of livestock species.
DRVM 737V	Clinical Skills VI	2.5
Course Description Builds on Clinical Skills I-V. Advanced clinical skills of domestic species using models, specimens, and live animals. Perform dental extraction, soft tissue surgical techniques and emergency procedures, and basic large animal surgeries (e.g., castration, dehorning).
DRVM 7363	Equine Medicine & Surgery II	3.0
Course Description Builds on Equine Medicine & Surgery I. Diagnosis, medical and surgical treatment, and prognosis of common disorders of horses
DRVM 7324	Small Animal Medicine II	4.0
Course Description Builds on Small Animal Medicine I. Diagnosis, management, prognosis and prevention of common canine and feline medical diseases and disorders.
DRVM 739V	Becoming a Veterinary Professional VI	1.5
Course Description Builds on Becoming a Veterinary Professional I-V. Basic veterinary business principles (fee setting, creating estimates). Regulatory elements of drug management (e.g., controlled drugs, extra-label drug use). Orientation to clinical year.
DRVM 7392	Veterinary Pharmacology II	2.0
Course Description Builds on Veterinary Pharmacology I. Applies principles of drug use for common diseases in a systems-based approach.
DRVM 738V	Clinical Decision Making: Patient Management II	1.5
Course Description Builds on Clinical Decision Making: Patient Management I Critical thinking, communication, resource identification, evaluation, and clinical decision making. Focuses on treatment selection (including empirical treatment, triage, and end of life care), incorporating spectrum of care.
Total Credits Year 3 Spring Semester		18.5

Year 4 - Clinical Rotations

Subject Area	Subject Area	Credits	Location
DRVM 7462	CR-Transition to Clinics	2.0	Jonesboro
Course Description On-campus faculty-supervised advanced clinical skills (diagnostic and surgical) and professional skills to facilitate successful entry into community-based rotations.
DRVM 741V	CR-Small Animal General Practice	6.0	Arkansas or Nationwide
Course Description Supervised clinical instruction in a selected, pre-approved, high-quality, small animal general practice (canine, feline, pocket pets) with a wide variety of medical, surgical, and dental cases.
DRVM 7432	CR-Specialty Practice	2.0	Arkansas or Nationwide
Course Description Supervised clinical instruction in a selected, high quality, specialty practice (canine, feline, lab animal, exotic, zoological, equine and/or large animal). Instruction will take place in practices with board certified specialists (e.g., internists, radiologists, surgeons, anesthesiologists, or other specialists).
DRVM 7452	CR-Career Specialty Emphasis	2.0	Arkansas or Nationwide
Course Description Supervised clinical instruction in a selected, high quality, specialty practice with resident(s) and/or interns in the student’s career area of interest.
DRVM 7412	CR-Diagnostic Veterinary Medicine	2.0	Arkansas
Course Description Supervised clinical and diagnostic pathology instruction in a selected, pre-approved, high-quality, diagnostic pathology lab, inclusive of necropsy. with a diverse array of veterinary species.
DRVM 7442	CR-Large Animal	2.0	Arkansas or Nationwide
Course Description Supervised clinical instruction in a selected, pre-approved, high-quality, large (or mixed) animal general practice. Clinical experience will focus on diagnosis, management, and prevention of disorders of large animals (livestock or horses).
DRVM 7422	Clinical Diagnostic Imaging	2.0	Jonesboro
Course Description Performance of diagnostic imaging (radiology and ultrasound) techniques. Interpretation of diagnostic images, with a focus on radiographs and ultrasound. Some integration of more advanced techniques (e.g., MRI and CT).
DRVM 745V	CRE-Clinical Elective	12 total	Arkansas or Nationwide
Course Description Supervised clinical instruction in a selected, pre-approved, high-quality, practice of student preference.
DRVM 746V	CRE-Clinical Externship	12 total	Arkansas or Nationwide
Course Description Supervised clinical instruction in a student-selected practice.
DRVM 7430	NAVLE Preparation and Administration	0.0	Jonesboro
Course Description Study skills and topical review in preparation for the North American Veterinary Licensing Exam (NAVLE®).
DRVM 7472	CR-Small Animal Emergency and Intensive Care	2.0	Jonesboro
Course Description Supervised clinical instruction in a selected, pre-approved, high-quality small animal emergency practice (canine, feline, pocket pets). Clinical focus is emergency and intensive care cases.
DRVM 7451	Assessment of Clinical Year	1.0	Jonesboro
Course Description Last rotation on campus and will include grand rounds presentations, financial aid repayment options, completion of surveys and feedback regarding clinical rotations, and preparation for entry into veterinary practice.
Total Credits Year 4 Clinical Rotation Credits		45.0