The Faculty endeavours to meet the veterinary nursing needs of the country and the region. The recruitment and selection process addresses an informed career choice, excellence, equity and geographic distribution. The full-time BVetNurs programme is only offered by the Faculty of Veterinary Science of the University of Pretoria and it is the only faculty of its kind in South Africa.

Veterinary nursing requires a dedicated and motivated person with a special interest in working with animals and their owners. The veterinary nurse is a member of a professional team that includes veterinarians, and is expected to show a high degree of responsibility, organisational skills and patience. Self-discipline, compassion, honesty, dedication and a sense of humour are recommended attributes.

The programme is demanding and requires dedication and hard work. It is a career with long and often irregular hours. The ability to work with both people and animals is essential.

• The language of tuition at the University of Pretoria is English.
• Applications for the BVetNurs programme close on 31 July.
• The BVetNurs programme requires three years of full-time study. The first and second years of the programme are devoted to didactic teaching and practical skills training. In the third (final) year of the programme students will undergo work-integrated clinical training.
• The BVetNurs programme consists of a combination of lectures, electronic learning opportunities, discussions, demonstrations, assignments and group work, practicals and clinical work. The latter is offered mainly in the Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital and its community clinics, but may also include exposure to private practices and other facilities.
• Student support provided includes tutoring and academic support.
• Entry into the BVetNurs programme is highly competitive due to its popularity and limited available spaces.
• Selection is based on merit and the Veterinary Nursing Value Added Form (VNVAF).
• A graduate who successfully completed the programme will have received broad-based training in veterinary nursing. It is regarded to be at the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) level 7. A graduate can enter a post graduate diploma in veterinary nursing which is at NQF level 8.

The South African Veterinary Council (SAVC) controls the ethics and standards of veterinary nursing education and practice in South Africa. All students must register with the Council at first registration in the BVetNurs programme and are subject to its rules. Registration with the SAVC is a prerequisite for practising as a veterinary nurse in South Africa.

• Private veterinary practice that could range from urban to rural; mixed general or species-specific. The veterinary nurse assists with anaesthesia, operating theatre management, intensive care, radiography, laboratory analysis, animal patient care and nursing, disease prevention, administration and practice management.
• Employment in the Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital, as well as in the pharmaceutical and animal feed industries.
• Veterinary nurses are also employed in some provincial and national government departments and in animal welfare societies throughout South Africa.
• Zoological gardens, game parks, laboratory animal units, rehabilitation centres, research centres, boarding establishments, organised agriculture, dairies and farming operations also offer gainful employment.

• The Faculty offers the following undergraduate programmes:
  • Bachelor of Veterinary Science (BVSc)
  • Bachelor of Veterinary Nursing (BVetNurs)
• Both undergraduate programmes in this Faculty include selection procedures, which are based on merit within different categories.
• The following persons may be considered for admission:
  • applicants who are currently in their final school-year and have applied with their final results of the preceding year of schooling (Grade 11 or equivalent);
  • applicants who have completed their final school-year, but have not yet commenced further studies;
  • applicants who are in possession of a certificate that is deemed by the University to be equivalent to the required National Senior Certificate (NSC) with university endorsement. This certificate must be certified by Universities South Africa (USAf);
  • applicants who are currently enrolled for tertiary education;
  • applicants who are graduates from another tertiary institution, or have been granted the status of a graduate of such an institution; and
  • applicants who are graduates of another faculty at the University of Pretoria.
• In order to retain conditional admission applicants need to comply with the minimum subject requirements based on their final school-year examination results.
• South African school-leaving applicants enrolled for the NSC or IEB who have forfeited their placement and who still comply with the minimum requirements will automatically be considered in the second round of selection in January.

Selection categories

School-leavers

• A valid NSC/IEB or equivalent qualification with admission for degree purposes.
• Subject requirements and the required Admission Point Score (APS) are indicated in the table below. The APS is calculated from the achievement levels obtained in the six 20-credit subjects of the NSC.
• Life Orientation is excluded when calculating the APS.
• Conditional admission is based on Grade 11 final examination results, or equivalent, being the final results of the year preceding the last year of schooling, final admission on NSC/IEB or equivalent performance in Mathematics, English and Physical Sciences, as well as the Veterinary Nursing Value Added Form (VNVAF).
• Additional admission criteria may be used including an interview and additional selection tests.
• School-leaving applicants who are conditionally admitted based on their Grade 11 results will forfeit their placement if their NSC APS is more than 2 points lower than the Grade 11 APS used for conditional admission.

Applicants with previous higher education exposure

• There is an opportunity for students with previous higher education experience to also apply for the BVetNurs programme.

International students

• A small number of international students are admitted to the programme, including those from neighbouring Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries.
• Applicants who are accepted receive a letter of confirmation from the University, which will facilitate their application for a study permit.
• A valid study permit, obtained in the country of origin, is a prerequisite for registration.
• International applicants must comply with all UP’s and the Department of Home Affairs’ regulations related to international students.
• Please consult the International Cooperation Division’s Newcomer’s Guide for more information: click here

Conditional admission

• Conditionally admitted applicants will forfeit their placement if they do not comply with the relevant conditions.

* *Cambridge A-level candidates who obtained at least a D in the required subjects, will be considered for admission. Students in the Cambridge system must offer both Physics AND Chemistry with performance at the level specified for NSC Physical Sciences in the table above.

* *International Baccalaureate (IB) HL candidates who obtained at least a 4 in the required subjects, will be considered for admission. Students in the IB system must offer both Physics AND Chemistry with performance at the level specified for NSC Physical Sciences in the table above.

Only 50 students are admitted to the BVetNurs programme every year. The Faculty endeavours to meet the veterinary nursing needs of the country and the region.

The recruitment and selection process is therefore structured in such a way that it will address diversity, excellence, equity, gender and geographic distribution.

The procedure will be reviewed on an annual basis, but typically makes provision for the following categories of students:

• South African school-leavers enrolled for the NSC or IEB: first round of selection in September
• South African school-leavers enrolled for the NSC or IEB: second round of selection in January
• South African school-leavers enrolled in other educational schooling systems (IGCSE/GCSE/NSSC OL/O level or HIGCSE/NSSC HL or A/AS level or IB Diploma or ABITUR)
• Applicants with university exposure
• Applicants with university exposure: graduates (degree completed)
• School-leavers from countries other than South Africa
• Applicants from countries other than South Africa, with university exposure

The Veterinary Nursing Value Added Form (VNVAF)

The VNVAF is used in the Faculty of Veterinary Science to ensure that the applicant makes an informed decision about his/her career choice. This form will indicate prior exposure to veterinary nursing as profession and the Faculty will alllocate a score based on the prospective student’s veterinary profile.

(It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the online VNVAF is completed by the relevant deadline and that all related documents are uploaded).

Why you should complete the Veterinary Nursing Value Added Form (VNVAF)

Although submission of the VNVAF is not compulsory for selection, it will help you to make an informed decision about the profession as a career choice for you.

• The score achieved for the VNVAF can improve an applicant’s chances for selection.
• The VNVAF will help to prepare you for your studies, by providing you with prior learning opportunities in the particular profession.

As the only Faculty of Veterinary Science in the country, we play a distinctive role in the training of veterinarians and veterinary nurses who are indispensable for the country’s farming and animal welfare needs. We are also the leading Faculty of Veterinary Science in Africa and enjoy wide-ranging international recognition.

In 2018 the Faculty was ranked 37th among the top 50 veterinary schools globally by the Shanghai ranking system.

Our graduates and research programmes are vital to enhancing public and animal health, promoting biosecurity and welfare, and ensuring that our pets are safe and sound. The quality of its training is such that graduates from this Faculty have no difficulty competing for and entering postgraduate programmes at universities in countries around the world.