Online Microbiology with Lab for Vet School Prerequisites- what VMCAS programs require, how to choose a course that counts, and the fastest path through one of the most common vet school prerequisites
Microbiology is required at the majority of US veterinary colleges, and it’s one of the few prerequisites where the policy is genuinely permissive: most schools accept it at either the lower or upper division, most allow it from community colleges or four-year institutions, and most accept fully online microbiology — including the lab — when the institution is regionally accredited. For applicants planning a vet school timeline, that flexibility makes microbiology the prerequisite where an accredited self-paced online course is often the clear best choice.
That said, there are a few specific traps. The University of Florida requires upper-division microbiology and explicitly excludes the nursing-track version of the course. LSU requires four credits including a lab — three-credit microbiology without lab won’t satisfy the requirement. NC State explicitly allows a three-credit microbiology course with the lab included, which is the format most online providers use. This article walks through the school-by-school requirements, explains how the PrereqCourses.com online microbiology course meets them, and shows how to sequence microbiology efficiently with the rest of your vet school prerequisites.
| PrereqCourses.com offers online microbiology with virtual labMicrobiology is available through PrereqCourses.com’s partnership with Upper Iowa University — 3–4 credits, $675–$695, self-paced with monthly enrollment, fully online with virtual lab simulations. Upper Iowa University is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, and the course appears on an official UIU transcript that has been accepted by 1,500+ programs. This article explains how to verify the course meets each of your target vet schools’ microbiology requirements before you enroll, and how to sequence it alongside the other prerequisites in your application. Enroll in online Microbiology or browse the full course catalog. |
Microbiology appears on the prerequisite list at the majority of US veterinary colleges. Some schools require it explicitly by name; others fold it into a broader “advanced life sciences” category that microbiology satisfies. The credit requirements range from three to four semester hours, and lab requirements vary — but the underlying acceptance pattern is consistent: regionally accredited online microbiology, including the lab component, is widely accepted.
The school-by-school table below summarizes microbiology requirements at a representative cross-section of US veterinary colleges. Always check each school’s current prerequisite page before enrolling — these requirements update periodically.
| Vet School | Credits & Lab | Notable rules |
|---|---|---|
| LSU | 4 sem cr including 1 cr lab | Must be for science majors; 3-cr micro with lab is partial credit only |
| Iowa State | 4 sem cr microbiology with lab | Online accepted from accredited institutions |
| Cornell | Required if used to fulfill advanced life sciences | Lab required for science prerequisites (most) |
| UC Davis | Microbiology satisfies advanced life science elective | Can be lower or upper division; community college OK |
| University of Florida | 4 sem hr upper-level microbiology | MUST be at 4-year institution; nursing-track micro NOT accepted |
| Michigan State | Fulfills advanced life sciences category | Upper or lower division accepted |
| NC State | 3-cr microbiology with lab included is acceptable | Explicitly addresses combined 3-cr courses |
| Kansas State | Required science prerequisite; 6-yr recency rule applies to upper-division | Online accepted from accredited institutions |
Three patterns are worth highlighting. First, the credit-hour floor is generally four semester hours when lab is required (LSU, Iowa State, University of Florida) — but NC State explicitly accepts a three-credit microbiology course with the lab included, which is the format most online providers (including PrereqCourses.com) use. Second, the lab requirement is widely enforced but most schools accept virtual labs and at-home lab kits as long as the institution is regionally accredited. Third, the University of Florida is the major exception: it requires upper-division microbiology, mandates a four-year institution, and explicitly rejects the version of microbiology taught for nursing students. If University of Florida is on your target list, plan accordingly.
Lab format is the dimension of microbiology acceptance that confuses applicants most. The good news: for microbiology specifically, virtual labs and at-home lab kits are widely accepted at US veterinary colleges. This is different from the lab situation for organic chemistry (where competitive programs increasingly require in-person labs) or for general chemistry at strict programs like Tufts (which explicitly prohibits online or at-home labs).
The pattern across Kansas State, Colorado State, LSU, NC State, and most other US veterinary programs is that microbiology lab can be completed online when the course is delivered through a regionally accredited institution. Virtual lab platforms (Labster simulations, course-integrated virtual experiments) and at-home lab kits (shipped materials with proctored or assignment-based assessments) both satisfy the lab requirement at these programs. The microbiology course offered through PrereqCourses.com’s Upper Iowa University partnership includes virtual lab simulations as part of the course delivery.
Cornell historically prefers in-person labs for science prerequisites and notes that if your college offers the lecture, but not the lab, you may want to either see if a faculty member would do an independent lab for that course or take the lab (or lab and course) at another college or university. This is a preference statement rather than a hard prohibition, but Cornell applicants should verify directly. Tufts requires pre-approval from admissions for online coursework generally. The University of Florida requires the course to be at a four-year institution but does not appear to prohibit online lab delivery specifically — verify with admissions if UF is on your target list.
| The lab question, in one paragraphFor most US vet schools, an accredited online microbiology course that includes virtual lab simulations or at-home lab activities will satisfy the lab requirement. Verify directly with target schools — particularly Cornell, Tufts, UC Davis, and the University of Florida — before enrolling. Email the admissions office with the specific course code, institution, credit hours, and lab format. Save the written confirmation. This single step protects against acceptance issues after the application has been filed. |
The University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine is the major US vet school with a strict upper-division microbiology requirement. UF’s prerequisite page states: must be an upper-level microbiology course not intended for allied health programs such as Nursing, with a minimum of four semester hours, and all upper-division prerequisite courses: Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology with lab must be completed at a four-year degree-granting institution.
Three implications follow. First, the standard introductory microbiology course (often labeled at the 200-level and taught for nursing or allied health students) will not satisfy UF’s requirement, even if it satisfies microbiology at most other vet schools. Second, the course must be at a four-year institution — which rules out community college microbiology for UF applicants. Third, the four-credit floor is strict; three-credit microbiology with lab included may not satisfy UF specifically, even when NC State and other programs accept that exact format.
Applicants with the University of Florida on their target list have two practical options: take upper-division microbiology at a four-year four-year institution (UNE Online, NC State Distance Education, or an in-person four-year university with an upper-division microbiology offering), or skip UF and target programs with more permissive microbiology requirements. Most applicants with broader target lists complete a lower-division four-credit micro with lab that satisfies the majority of programs, then make UF a stretch application only if they pursue a separate upper-division microbiology course.
The following are the providers most commonly used by vet school applicants completing microbiology online, with the structural details that matter for VMCAS acceptance.
PrereqCourses.com‘s microbiology course is delivered through its partnership with Upper Iowa University. Three to four credits, $675–$695, fully online, self-paced with monthly start dates, with virtual lab simulations as part of the course delivery. Upper Iowa University is regionally accredited under the Higher Learning Commission. Course design is assignment-based with included e-textbooks. The advantages for vet school applicants: monthly enrollment lets you start without waiting for a semester, self-paced scheduling fits around work or other prerequisites, the lab component is included rather than billed separately, and the cost is substantially lower than four-year semester-based alternatives. For applicants whose target list does not include the University of Florida, this is typically the lowest-cost and fastest path to completing the microbiology requirement.
Portage Learning offers online microbiology with virtual experiments through Geneva College, which is regionally accredited (MSCHE). Asynchronous with year-round enrollment, 8–12 weeks average completion. Cost is higher than PrereqCourses.com ($900–$1,200 per course). The lab format is virtual simulations with no at-home kit required. Widely accepted at nursing and allied health programs; verify with vet programs directly.
UNE Online offers a four-credit online microbiology course that is upper-division. UNE is regionally accredited and a four-year institution. UNE’s upper-division microbiology may be the best path for applicants with the University of Florida on their target list, because UNE meets both the upper-division and four-year institution requirements. Higher tuition than PrereqCourses.com but useful when an upper-division designation is required.
NC State offers online microbiology through its Office of Distance Education. Upper-division, top-tier research institution, NC State transcript. An acceptable alternative when an applicant wants the institutional weight of a flagship state university or when target schools require upper-division microbiology.
Most vet schools accept community college microbiology, with the University of Florida as the major exception (it requires a four-year institution). For applicants targeting Iowa State, Kansas State, LSU, Colorado State, and most other US vet schools, community college microbiology with lab is a legitimate path. The trade-offs versus online providers: community college courses follow the academic calendar (less scheduling flexibility), often require in-person lab attendance two days per week, and may have wait lists or prerequisite enforcement that delays start dates. Career changers with daytime jobs often find online providers more practical for that reason.
| Choosing the right microbiology course in three questions1. Is the University of Florida on your target list? If yes: complete upper-division microbiology at a four-year institution (UNE Online, NC State, or another four-year university).2. Are you working full-time? If yes: self-paced online (PrereqCourses.com) is typically the most practical. Community college requires fixed weekly attendance.3. Do your target schools accept three-credit microbiology with lab included? Most do (NC State explicitly addresses this). Verify with LSU and Iowa State specifically, since they specify four credits. |
Microbiology has one of the simplest prerequisite chains of any vet school requirement. The course assumes general biology as a foundation and typically requires general chemistry. Beyond that, microbiology runs independently of organic chemistry and biochemistry — meaning it can be completed in parallel with the chemistry sequence rather than after it. For career changers, this is one of the most valuable scheduling features of the entire vet school prerequisite list.
Microbiology assumes general biology as a foundation. If your general biology was taken more than five years ago, consider refreshing it before microbiology — particularly the cellular biology and genetics content that microbiology builds on. PrereqCourses.com offers General Biology I and General Biology II with lab through Upper Iowa University.
Because microbiology doesn’t depend on the chemistry sequence, it can be completed in parallel with general chemistry — a major scheduling advantage. While General Chemistry I and General Chemistry II are in progress, you can also be working on microbiology and statistics. For working career changers, this parallel structure shortens the total prerequisite timeline by 6 to 9 months versus a strictly serial approach.
Many applicants treat microbiology as a late-stage prerequisite to be completed alongside biochemistry. This is a planning mistake. Microbiology can be completed early in the prerequisite sequence — even in the first six months — and doing so frees up the final year before VMCAS to focus on the courses that are actually hard to schedule (organic chemistry, biochemistry, physics). The self-paced format of PrereqCourses.com microbiology makes early completion practical for working applicants.
Before VMCAS opens in May, email the admissions office of every school on your target list with the specific microbiology course code, institution, credit hours, and lab format. Ask for written confirmation that the course will count. This is the step that separates applicants who get accepted from applicants who get rejected on a technicality after the application has already been filed. VMCAS application materials are available through AAVMC.
For career changers returning to vet school after time in another field, microbiology is one of the friendliest prerequisites in the sequence. The content load is moderate (10–15 hours per week of study time is typical at a sustainable pace), the prerequisite dependencies are minimal, and the self-paced online format works well with a full-time job. Three principles apply.
Career changers often feel intimidated by the length of the vet school prerequisite list. Microbiology is a strong early-momentum course because it can be completed in 2 to 3 months at a sustainable pace, it requires no chemistry or organic chemistry prerequisite, and the course material is genuinely interesting (host-pathogen interactions, antibiotic mechanisms, immune response). Completing microbiology in the first few months of the prerequisite sequence builds confidence and demonstrates current academic readiness on the transcript.
Semester-based providers require you to start in August or January, complete a fixed weekly schedule, and finish on the semester calendar. Self-paced providers like PrereqCourses.com let you start on the first of any month, study at whatever pace your work schedule allows, and finish as quickly as your time permits. For career changers with demanding jobs, business travel, or family obligations, this flexibility is the difference between completing the course in a quarter and stretching it across two or three semesters.
A small number of US vet schools don’t require microbiology explicitly. But microbiology counts as an upper-division biomedical science elective at programs that use that structure (Colorado State’s nine-credit upper-division requirement, Michigan State’s advanced life sciences category), so it strengthens applications even where it isn’t a named requirement. The downside risk of completing microbiology is essentially zero; the upside is meaningful for borderline applications.
Not for most US vet schools. Virtual lab simulations and at-home lab kits both satisfy the lab requirement at the majority of programs. The relevant question on the admissions side is whether the institution is regionally accredited, whether the course appears on an official transcript, and whether the credit hours and content meet the school’s specification. The delivery format of the lab is rarely the deciding factor. Verify directly with target schools, particularly Cornell, Tufts, UC Davis, and the University of Florida.
PrereqCourses.com microbiology is delivered self-paced through Upper Iowa University, with monthly enrollment start dates. Students can complete the course as quickly as their schedule allows. Plan for 10 to 15 hours per week of study time; at that pace, completion in 2 to 3 months is realistic for most working applicants. Reddit testimonials from r/prenursing report completion in as little as one month for accelerated students.
Admissions committees evaluate the transcript — institution accreditation, course title, credit hours, and grade. When a course appears on an official transcript from a regionally accredited four-year institution like Upper Iowa University, the delivery format isn’t visible to the committee and isn’t a factor in evaluation. The relevant question is whether the course meets the credit hour, lab, and (where applicable) upper-division requirements of your target schools. If it does, it counts.
Colorado State requires nine credits of upper-division biomedical science coursework beyond the specifically required upper-division courses (biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, systems physiology). Microbiology counts toward this requirement when it is taught at the upper-division level (300/3000-level or higher). Lower-division microbiology — including most online microbiology courses — generally does not count toward this specific nine-credit requirement at Colorado State, though it does count toward the microbiology category broadly at programs that require microbiology as a named prerequisite.
One semester of microbiology with lab satisfies the requirement at almost every US vet school. The standard requirement is three to four semester credits — equivalent to a one-semester course. Microbiology II is rarely required; some schools specifically note that one semester is sufficient. The exception is when microbiology is being used to satisfy a broader “advanced life sciences” requirement that requires more than one course in the category, in which case microbiology I plus another upper-division biomedical science (immunology, molecular biology, pathology) typically completes the requirement.
Microbiology is required at the majority of US veterinary colleges, and online microbiology with virtual lab is widely accepted when the course is delivered through a regionally accredited institution. PrereqCourses.com’s online microbiology course, delivered through Upper Iowa University with virtual lab simulations included, is one of the most cost-effective and time-efficient options for vet school applicants — particularly career changers and applicants completing prerequisites while working full-time. UNE Online and NC State Distance Education are the main alternatives for applicants targeting the University of Florida or other programs that specifically require upper-division microbiology at a four-year institution.
The microbiology requirement is one of the most permissive on the vet school prerequisite list. The course can be completed early in your prerequisite sequence, in parallel with general chemistry, and with no organic chemistry dependency. For working career changers building a vet school timeline, this makes microbiology the prerequisite to consider scheduling first — it builds early momentum, demonstrates current academic readiness, and clears the path to the more demanding courses that come later.Verify acceptance with target vet schools before you enroll. Save the written confirmation. Browse the PrereqCourses.com course catalog to view the microbiology course and the supporting prerequisites available through Upper Iowa University, and consult the AAVMC Veterinary Medical School Admissions Requirements (VMSAR) for the authoritative prerequisite list at each US veterinary college.
