Skip to main content

FdSc Veterinary Nursing (Foundation Year)

About the course

The Foundation year to Veterinary Nursing will give you the opportunity to progress to our 3-year FdSc Veterinary Nursing and other programmes.

This course is suitable for students from a wide range of backgrounds. Modules include science relevant to veterinary medicine, integrated bio veterinary sciences, and animal husbandry, they are delivered to help prepare you to study.

This gateway course is perfect if you don't have a science background or the usual academic requirements.

Course modules

Year 1

Foundation Global Applications of Bioveterinary Sciences

How to evaluate scientific research. The importance of an evidence-based approach, critical analysis of the evidence and identification of gaps in current research and Exploration of ethical perspectives. The role and use of animals in society science, ethics and law (case studies).

Foundation Animal Welfare, Husbandry and Health

Animal welfare – an understanding of the science and applications, Animal husbandry – exploration of appropriate husbandry of a variety of species and how this may influence animal welfare and Animal health – the relationships between stress and disease and the interplay between husbandry health and welfare.

Foundation Body Systems and Biology

Biomolecular Structure and Function, Cell Structure, Inheritance Of The Genome, Cellular Metabolism, Principles of science and evidence in scientific study and research, Introductory statistics and Information technology, use of statistical software including Microsoft Excel and SPSS/Minitab in handling, summarising and presenting numerical data from biological systems and medical related examples.

Foundation Bioveterinary Science and Research

Designing, analysing and communicating scientific research, Basic Principles, which covers the very fundamentals including aspects such as ethics and identifying a problem. Types of Basic and Clinical Research, Application and Research Methodologies, Data Collection, Data Analysis and results.

Entry requirements & additional information

Entry requirements

5 GCSE passes at Grade C (4) or above (including Maths and English or equivalent and one other science subject). Equivalent qualifications may be acceptable but must be approved by the RCVS.

Plus 56 UCAS tariff points from one or more of the following:

A Levels

BTEC/C&G Level

T Level - P - D*

Alternative equivalent qualifications will also be considered positively, for example Scottish Highers, Irish Leaving Certificate, International Baccalaureate, NVQ Level 3 and Access to Higher Education (Please note: this is not an exhaustive list of potential equivalencies).

Progression

Students wanting to progress onto the FdSc Veterinary nursing must achieve a pass mark on all modules to be eligible. Any student exiting after completion of this year will gain a Foundation Certificate.