Will CAO points for veterinary medicine drop as a result of additional course places?

My daughter wants to study veterinary medicine when she leaves school but the CAO points are ridiculously high. I heard that two new courses will be offered in the coming years. What will these courses be like, what are the points requirements likely to be and will they be internationally recognised?

You’re correct: two new veterinary medicine schools are due to open; one operated by Atlantic Technological University (ATU) and one by South East Technological University (SETU). The move will almost double the number of graduates who join the Irish veterinary ranks each year. These, along with the current programme on offer at UCD, will bring to three the number of veterinary medicine programmes in Ireland.

Veterinary medicine is one of the most in-demand courses available in higher education in Ireland. CAO entry points requirements were about 589 in 2023 and 2024, beyond many students’ capacity.

Up to now, the limited number of places in Ireland meant many students had no option but to travel abroad. It is estimated, for example, that at least 120 young Irish people – who do not meet those points requirements – travel abroad each year to study veterinary science at universities in the UK and in cities such as Warsaw in Poland and Budapest in Hungary.

If the 80 additional places projected for 2025 materialise, and application patterns remain at current levels, I would expect some students in the 555-560 range to secure a place on one of the three programmes.

There has been some grumbling that other universities missed out. The Government says its decision to locate the two new veterinary medicine courses at SETU and ATU was based on recommendations made by the Higher Education Authority following the work of an expert advisory panel.

When it comes to the course itself, the Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI) sets the standards for veterinary education in Ireland, in line with international best practice, and these new programmes will be required to meet these standards.

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This oversight means that students will graduate with the appropriate training and professional expertise required to register and practise as vets.

The VCI accreditation panel that will review the two new programmes will consist of national and international veterinary expertise across a range of topics to include veterinary medicine, paraclinical subjects, clinical expertise in a range of species, public health and food hygiene.

Subject to VCI accreditation, the courses may then afford eligibility to graduates of VCI-accredited programmes to practise as far afield as Australia, New Zealand, the UK and mainland Europe.

All of this means that SETU and ATU will be in a position to compete with the best veterinary medicine schools in Europe, which is great news for students interested in studying in this area.