Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine

3 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University Of Bern

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Bern is a strong choice for students who are interested in animal health, science, disease prevention, and clinical care. Across the three-year, 180-ECTS bachelor’s degree, students build a solid understanding of how animals function, how diseases develop, and how veterinarians approach animal welfare, diagnosis, treatment, and public health.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1:
The first year focuses on building the scientific foundation students need before moving into clinical veterinary subjects. Modules such as Morphological Foundations I & II introduce anatomy, histology, cytology, embryology, and comparative morphology, while Functional Foundations of Veterinary Medicine I covers areas such as biochemistry, physiology, genetics, and pathology. Students also study Animal Protection, Animal Welfare, Ethology and Animal Husbandry, while early practical training introduces animal handling, hospital hygiene, teamwork, communication, and basic surgical skills.

Year 2:
In the second year, students begin connecting scientific knowledge more closely with veterinary disease and clinical practice. Subjects include Bacteriology, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Pathology, Immunology, and Parasitology, alongside organ-based modules such as the Musculoskeletal System, Blood, Immune Organs and Laboratory Medicine, and the Respiratory and Cardiovascular Systems. This allows students to understand not only how healthy body systems work, but also what changes when disease occurs and how those changes can be recognised and treated.

Year 3:
The third year becomes even more clinically focused. Students study areas such as the Gastrointestinal Tract, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Kidney, Salt and Water Balance, Reproduction and Mammary Gland, and the Nervous System and Sensory Organs. Practical learning also becomes more advanced through clinical, practice, and paraclinical days, species-specific clinical training, surgery, communication work, and exposure to night and emergency services.

Focus areas: Animal anatomy and physiology, pathology, infectious diseases, pharmacology and toxicology, animal welfare, clinical medicine, epidemiology, population medicine, veterinary public health, evidence-based medicine, and practical veterinary skills.

Learning outcomes: Students learn to understand healthy and diseased animal systems, recognise important clinical signs, connect symptoms with possible causes and treatments, evaluate animal welfare, think scientifically, and develop the practical and communication skills needed for further veterinary training.

Professional alignment (accreditation): The Veterinary Medicine programme at Vetsuisse is nationally accredited under Switzerland’s Medical Professions Act. The programme was accredited without conditions by the Swiss Accreditation Council in March 2025. It is also reviewed through the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education, helping ensure that the programme continues to meet recognised standards in veterinary education.

Reputation: Vetsuisse Faculty, shared by the Universities of Bern and Zurich, was ranked 12th worldwide and 4th in Europe for Veterinary Science in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026. This gives students the opportunity to study within one of Europe’s highly regarded veterinary education environments.

Official program link:
https://www.vetsuisse.unibe.ch/studies/study_programs/bachelor_veterinary_medicine/index_eng.html

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

One of the strongest parts of the University of Bern’s Veterinary Medicine programme is that students start developing practical skills during the bachelor itself rather than waiting until the final years of training. From animal handling and hospital hygiene to surgery, communication, clinical demonstrations, and emergency exposure, students gradually become more comfortable working in real veterinary environments.

The Vetsuisse Faculty also gives students access to veterinary hospitals, specialist clinics, laboratories, research institutes, and practical training spaces, so the programme combines classroom learning with hands-on experience:

Bern Animal Hospital: Students study in an environment connected to the Small Animal Clinic, Equine Clinic, and Farm Animal Clinic, alongside specialist services including anaesthesiology, dermatology, neurology, radiology, and laboratory medicine.
Skills Lab: Students can practise veterinary techniques independently and strengthen the practical skills introduced during teaching sessions.
Clinical and emergency exposure: Students take part in clinical, practice, and paraclinical days and gain experience with night and emergency services as they progress through the degree.
Agricultural internship: Veterinary students are required to complete a three-week agricultural internship, helping them gain direct experience with farm animals, husbandry, and agricultural settings.
Research institutes: Students study within a faculty that includes specialist institutes in areas such as Animal Pathology, Parasitology, Virology and Immunology, Veterinary Bacteriology, Veterinary Public Health, Genetics, and Fish and Wildlife Health.
Research infrastructure: Facilities such as the Faculty Clinical Research Platform and the Multidisciplinary Center for Infectious Diseases support advanced research across clinical and infectious disease areas.
Teamwork and communication: Practical training includes communication, teamwork, animal handling, and professional interaction, helping students develop the people skills needed in veterinary practice.
Digital learning tools: Students use platforms such as ILIAS for learning materials and course information and KSL for course and examination administration.
Vetsuisse Library: Students have access to veterinary textbooks, journals, e-books, databases such as PubMed, EMBASE, and Agricola, and academic support for literature searching and reference management.

Facilities link:
https://www.vetsuisse.unibe.ch/about_us/site_plans/index_eng.html

Progression & Future Opportunities

The bachelor is the first stage of the University of Bern’s full veterinary education pathway. Most students continue directly into the Master of Veterinary Medicine, and after completing the master’s degree and passing the Swiss Federal Examination, graduates can qualify for professional veterinary practice in Switzerland.

Typical career paths can include small-animal veterinarian, equine or farm-animal veterinarian, veterinary public-health professional, veterinary laboratory or diagnostics specialist, as well as opportunities in research, academia, government, and the animal-health industry:

Career support: The University of Bern Career Service helps students with career planning, applications, employer contacts, workshops, and job opportunities. Vetsuisse also runs initiatives such as Studis@Lunch, where students can learn more about different veterinary career paths and meet professionals.
Clinical career development: After qualification, graduates can continue into clinical internships, rotating internships, specialist training, and residency programmes through Vetsuisse clinics.
Employment and salary information: The University of Bern does not currently publish a programme-specific employment rate or starting salary for Veterinary Medicine, so there is no reliable official figure to quote.
Industry and practice connections: Vetsuisse works with veterinary practices, research organisations, and industry partners, giving students and researchers opportunities to engage with developments in animal health and veterinary science.
Professional qualification: The bachelor alone does not qualify a student to practise independently as a veterinarian. Students must complete the Master of Veterinary Medicine and then pass the Swiss Federal Examination to receive the professional Federal Diploma.
Accreditation value: National accreditation and European-level veterinary quality review add long-term value to the qualification and help ensure that teaching remains aligned with professional veterinary standards.
Graduate outcomes: Qualified graduates can move into companion-animal practice, livestock medicine, equine practice, veterinary public health, laboratory diagnostics, industry, government services, or academic research.
Strong international standing: Vetsuisse’s high QS Veterinary Science ranking gives students the advantage of studying within a faculty that is well recognised internationally in veterinary education and research.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine (180 ECTS), students can continue into the Master of Veterinary Medicine, which includes a further 150 ECTS. After completing the master’s degree and Federal Examination, graduates can move into a Dr. med. vet. doctorate, PhD programmes, clinical internships, residency and specialist pathways, or postgraduate qualifications such as the CAS in One Health.

Official program link:
https://www.vetsuisse.unibe.ch/studies/study_programs/bachelor_veterinary_medicine/index_eng.html