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Education
Our role in the education of veterinary surgeons spans the continuum from veterinary undergraduate degree courses to continuing professional development (CPD) and the award of postgraduate qualifications. You can read brief statements on our activities below, or for more detailed information please use the links on the left to navigate through our pages.
Approving veterinary degree courses
Professional Development Phase (PDP)
Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
Careers for veterinary surgeons
General Information
Contact us - you can contact the Education Department on our general enquiries line
In General information you can find out about developments in the Education Department, such as the Gateway to the Professions project and the RCVS's long term education and training strategy.
Approving veterinary degree courses
Through its Education Policy and Specialisation Committee, RCVS monitors the standard of undergraduate education, undertaking 'visitations' to each of the veterinary schools and reporting to the UK Privy Council. Visitors are appointed by the committee and applications are welcomed from RCVS members who meet the criteria set out on our RCVS Visitors page. In this section you can also learn about what approval criteria we look for in a degree course and also view the list of degrees which RCVS recognises for registration purposes.
Extramural Studies (EMS)
EMS is the period during which students spend time developing their veterinary skills and knowledge in veterinary practices and in a wide variety of other work-related environments.
It is made up of two distinct phases. One is the 'pre-clinical' or animal husbandry phase, which comprises a total of 12 weeks and the other is 'clinical EMS', which comprises 26 weeks towards the latter part of the degree course.
Professional Development Phase (PDP)
The Professional Development Phase covers the new veterinary graduate's first year or so in practice when they are continuing to develop their professional and clinical skills. RCVS has defined a set of "Year One Competences" and developed an on-line password protected database which enables the new graduate to record their clinical skills and measure their development in a structured way. More information about taking part in PDP can be found by following the link on the menu to the left.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
All practising veterinary surgeons must maintain and continue to develop their professional knowledge and skills, in order to make continuous improvements to the standard of service they provide to their patients and clients. Currently the recommended minimum CPD is 105 hours over three years with an average of 35 hours per year. You can read more about RCVS's policy on CPD and download a copy of the CPD Record Card by following the link on the left.
Careers for veterinary surgeons
Once qualified, veterinary surgeons are not limited to solely working in practice. There are a multitude of career opportunities open to graduates from pathology and research to public health. You can read more general information on veterinary careers in our visitors web page or use the menu on the left to get a more detailed account.
Postgraduate qualifications
We currently offer a range of qualifications at a postgraduate level, ranging from Certificates and Diplomas in specialist subjects to Fellowships. The structure of RCVS Certificates is changing and you can learn more about the new modular certificates in Advanced Veterinary Practice from the menu.
Recognised Specialists
RCVS Recognised Specialists are veterinarians who have a high level of specialised knowledge and skills, and who are available to take referrals. They must meet rigorous criteria laid out by RCVS, and their status is reviewed at least every 5 years. This section provides more information about the criteria and procedures involved in joining the list of RCVS Recognised Specialists.
Research
Veterinary research relates to the study of animal species, in terms of their health, disease and behaviour. It also plays an important role in human medicine through comparative studies. In addition, veterinary research contributes to quality and safety throughout the whole food chain, and is linked to sustainability of our environment and biodiversity.
For more information on any of the above activities, please use the menu on the left. Alternatively, you can contact the Education Department using the contact details at the top of the page.
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