School Accreditation
(opens in a new window)AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association)
The UCD School of Veterinary Medicine is one of only nine veterinary schools currently accredited by the AVMA in Europe. As a result, graduates from the UCD programme can receive a license to practice veterinary medicine in the US or Canada without having to complete a special ‘foreign graduates’ exam.
The UCD School of Veterinary Medicine has full accreditation from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Council on Education. Full reaccreditation was awarded after a site visit in November 2020 and the next visitation will be in 2027.
(opens in a new window)AAVMC (Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges)
The School is also a member of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges. Their e-bulletin, the Vet-Med Educator provides a summary of AAVMC news and events to keep you informed throughout the year - please see (opens in a new window)www.aavmc.org/news/newsletters/#vet-med-educator-newsletter
NAVLE Pass Rates
The (opens in a new window)North American Veterinary Licensing Exam or NAVLE is a requirement for licensure to practice veterinary medicine in all licensing jurisdictions in North America. Senior students and recent graduates of AVMA-accredited veterinary colleges must pass the NAVLE in order to gain licensure. The NAVLE is comprised of 360 clinically relevant multiple-choice questions and is administered as a computer-based examination throughout North America and at certain overseas sites during a four week testing window in November/December, and a two week window in April.
The pass rate of our students in the NAVLE is one of the criteria considered by the AVMA in its annual review of the accreditation status of our School; in order to maintain full accreditation, the AVMA requires a minimum pass rate of 80% on the NAVLE. Maintaining a high pass-rate is not only important for students, but also important for the School. Students are asked to take this into consideration when deciding whether or not to take the NAVLE. The School provides the NAVLE Support programme (twice/year) for students who wish to sit the NAVLE.
| UCD Full Yr | No. NAVLE Candidates | No. Passing | % Passing | No. Conferring |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 - 2010 | 29 | 24 | 86 | 75 |
| 2010 - 2011 | 25 | 24 | 96 | 68 |
| 2011 - 2012 | 27 | 26 | 96 | 74 |
| 2012 - 2013 | 56 | 49 | 88 | 93 |
| 2013 - 2014 | 57 | 52 | 91 | 104 |
| 2014 - 2015 |
63 | 56 | 89 | 110 |
| 2015 - 2016 |
60 | 52 | 87 | 103 |
| 2016 - 2017 |
66 | 52 | 79 | 125 |
| 2017 - 2018 |
52 | 48 | 92 | 98 |
| 2018 - 2019 |
63 | 56 | 89 | 115 |
| 2019 - 2020 |
50 | 45 | 90 | 112 |
| 2020 - 2021 |
65 | 55 | 85 | 114 |
| 2021 - 2022 |
68 | 57 | 84 | 130 |
| 2022 - 2023 |
79 | 53 | 67 | 127 |
| 2023 - 2024 |
77 | 57 | 77 | 135 |
(opens in a new window)European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education 
The UCD School of Veterinary Medicine is also accredited by the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE). The mission of the EAEVE is to evaluate, promote and further develop the quality and standard of veterinary medical establishments and their teaching within, but not limited to, the member states of the European Union (EU).
The EAEVE/FVE evaluation system gives assurance to:
• the public – to know they can trust the quality of graduating veterinary surgeons and the service they deliver
• veterinary students – to know their education reaches agreed and acceptable standards
• veterinary establishments – to know that their curricula and School reaches agreed benchmarked levels
The European System of Evaluation of Veterinary Training (ESEVT), which is managed by EAEVE, has as its main objective to check if the professional qualifications provided by the veterinary educational establishments are compliant with the relevant EU directives and the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG).
The School's Self-Evaluation Report and EAEVE's Visitation Report can be accessed by clicking on the links below:
Self-Evaluation Report - EAEVE Visitation 2021
EAEVE Visitation Report - 2021 (Final Report)
Click on the link below to access the EAEVE website:
(opens in a new window)RCVS (Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons)
Following a 2020 visitation to the University College Dublin (UCD) School of Veterinary Medicine, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) has granted the status of Full Accreditation to the Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine (MVB) from UCD.
UCD’s programme in Veterinary Medicine is now accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the Australasian Veterinary Board Council (AVBC), the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE), RCVS and the Veterinary Council of Ireland.
Dean and Head of School, Professor Michael Doherty said that the School was delighted to receive this recognition of academic excellence from RCVS. ‘It is a wonderful story, which has historical resonance for a school that was established as the Royal Veterinary College of Ireland in 1900.’ The confirmation of RCVS accreditation brings further international recognition to the quality of veterinary education in University College Dublin.