Iowa State Vet School Prerequisites: Complete Course Requirements- every prerequisite for Iowa State’s DVM program — which ones you can complete online, which you can’t, and how to plan the full sequence.
| Quick answerIowa State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine requires a defined set of prerequisite courses — general biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry I, biochemistry, physics I, genetics, English composition, and oral communication, plus upper-level biomedical sciences — all completed with a grade of C or higher at a regionally accredited institution. Iowa State explicitly accepts online coursework for prerequisites. Foundation courses like general biology, general chemistry, and English can be completed online; advanced courses like biochemistry, genetics, and physics are best taken at a four-year institution. |
Iowa State University runs one of the most respected DVM programs in the country, and its prerequisite requirements are clearly defined — which makes planning straightforward once you know the full list. Importantly for working students and career changers, Iowa State accepts prerequisite coursework completed online at regionally accredited institutions, so a good portion of the list can be finished flexibly. This guide walks through every requirement, flags which you can complete through PrereqCourses.com and which you’ll need elsewhere, and shows how to plan the sequence.
Always verify the current requirements directly with the program, since they change yearly — the authoritative source is the Iowa State College of Veterinary Medicine, and you can compare programs through the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC).
Applicants must complete a minimum of 64 semester credits of required undergraduate coursework before admission, with the equivalent of the following Iowa State courses. A bachelor’s degree is not required. Here’s the full prerequisite set:
| Prerequisite | Category | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| General Biology I & II + lab | Science | Full-year sequence with lab; used in the science GPA. |
| General Chemistry I & II + lab | Science | Full-year sequence with lab. |
| Organic Chemistry I + lab | Science | Organic Chemistry II is NOT required at Iowa State. |
| Biochemistry | Upper-division | Typically an upper-level course with an organic chemistry prerequisite. |
| Physics I + lab | Science | One semester; Physics II is NOT required at Iowa State. |
| Genetics | Upper-division | Upper-level biology course. |
| English Composition | Gen ed | One year; a bachelor’s counts for half. Business/technical writing accepted. |
| Oral Communication (Speech) | Gen ed | A public speaking or communication course. |
| Upper-level biomedical sciences | Upper-division | Additional advanced science coursework. |
All required coursework must be completed with a C or higher — a C- or lower is not acceptable — and taken for a letter grade, not Pass/Fail. If a course is repeated, Iowa State uses the most recent grade. A required science GPA cutoff is set each year based on the applicant pool (for the 2025 cycle it was 2.8).
This is the key question for anyone planning to complete prerequisites flexibly, and Iowa State’s position is favorable:
| Note: the in-person caveat is about the DVM program, not prerequisitesIowa State describes its DVM curriculum itself as predominantly in-person — that refers to the veterinary program you attend after admission, not your undergraduate prerequisites, which may be completed online at an accredited institution. Don’t let that wording deter you from completing prerequisites flexibly. |
Here’s the honest breakdown of where PrereqCourses.com fits Iowa State’s list and where you’ll need a four-year institution:
PrereqCourses.com is a foundation-course provider. The following Iowa State requirements are upper-division or specialized, and we don’t offer them — plan to complete these at a four-year institution:
We’d rather tell you plainly what we don’t serve than have you enroll in the wrong place. Use PrereqCourses.com for the foundation courses, and a four-year institution for the advanced ones.
For the foundation prerequisites Iowa State accepts online, PrereqCourses.com delivers them through Upper Iowa University — a regionally accredited (HLC) institution, the standard Iowa State requires. Start with the two highest-volume science requirements: General Biology I & II with lab for vet school and General Chemistry I & II with lab for vet school. Then plan the advanced courses at a four-year institution.
What are Iowa State’s vet school prerequisites?
General biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry I, biochemistry, physics I, genetics, English composition, and oral communication, plus upper-level biomedical sciences — all with a grade of C or higher, completed at a regionally accredited institution.
Does Iowa State require Organic Chemistry II or Physics II?
No. Iowa State requires only Organic Chemistry I and Physics I (each with lab), unlike some programs that require the full two-semester sequences. Always verify the current requirement.
Does Iowa State accept online prerequisites?
Yes. Iowa State states that online courses may be taken for credit and a grade, and that prerequisites may be completed at any regionally accredited institution. The ‘predominantly in-person’ language refers to the DVM program itself, not prerequisites.
What grade do I need in prerequisites?
A C or higher in every required course — a C- or lower is not acceptable — taken for a letter grade. A required science GPA cutoff is set yearly (2.8 for the 2025 cycle).
Do I need a bachelor’s degree to apply?
No. A bachelor’s is not required for admission to Iowa State’s DVM program, though it can count for part of the English composition requirement. You need at least 64 semester credits of required coursework.
Which prerequisites can I take through PrereqCourses.com?
The foundation courses — general biology, general chemistry, English composition, and oral communication. Biochemistry, genetics, physics, and upper-level biomedical sciences should be completed at a four-year institution.
Iowa State’s DVM prerequisites are clearly defined and, helpfully, the program accepts online coursework from regionally accredited institutions — so you can complete the foundation requirements flexibly. Take general biology, general chemistry, English, and oral communication through an accredited online provider, and complete biochemistry, genetics, physics, and the upper-level biomedical sciences at a four-year institution. Earn a C or higher in everything, mind the yearly science GPA cutoff, and verify the current list with Iowa State before you enroll, since requirements change each cycle.
Ready to start the foundation courses? Explore General Biology and General Chemistry for vet school through HLC-accredited Upper Iowa University, and confirm acceptance with Iowa State before enrolling.
Plan your full prerequisite sequence:
Iowa State’s prerequisite requirements, grade minimums, science GPA cutoffs, and online-coursework policies are set by the program and change yearly. Details here were drawn from the program’s published materials and should be re-verified against the current Iowa State College of Veterinary Medicine admissions pages before you enroll. This guide is general information only and is not a guarantee of acceptance or admission. Always confirm requirements directly with Iowa State University.
