Best Universities to Study Veterinary Medicine in Spain

International students who wish to study abroad find Spanish universities some of the best choices for their future careers. Among the many advantages of pursuing a higher education degree in Spain is the Spanish education system, which is considered high quality and welcomes international students to enroll in courses taught in English. 

The field of medicine in Spain is increasingly becoming more popular among international students, along with the high employability rate. When it comes to degrees in Veterinary Medicine in Spain, international students can pursue studies both in Spanish and in English, depending on the institution and student’s knowledge.

Here are some of the best universities in Spain to study veterinary medicine:

University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 

The Veterinary Medicine bachelor’s degree at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is qualified as a master’s degree in veterinary by the Ruling of the Universities Council. This means that students who graduate with a degree in veterinary medicine can directly apply for a Ph.D. program in this field or any related area of research in veterinary medicine. 

The University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria instructs students of veterinary medicine on a variety of subjects such as:

• Animal Medicine and Health
• Animal Production 
• Agro-food Technology 
• Food Health and Safety 
• Public Health 

The degree program in veterinary medicine at this higher education institution is a four-year program with two semesters each. By the end of the final year, students must be able to present an end-of-degree project (as a compulsory part of the curriculum). 

European University of Valencia

The European University of Valencia offers a five-year Bachelor’s degree in Veterinary Medicine, which helps students become experts in their future veterinary careers. The degree is in the face-to-face format, and Spanish is the language of instruction. The degree in veterinary medicine is part of the faculty of biomedical and health sciences at the European University of Valencia. 

The benefits of getting a veterinary degree at the European University of Valencia include the high percentage (60%) of professors and certified doctors. They also give each student full attention, with one tutor available for every student, playing the role of a counselor. There are also two types of internships in veterinary medicine at this university: curricular internships (obligatory) and extracurricular internships (voluntary). 

To be eligible for carrying out curricular internships, students must have at least 50% of credits completed and approved by the academic staff. 

University of Leon

The University of Leon offers a bachelor’s degree in veterinary medicine that takes five years to complete. Graduates are qualified for further advanced training or working in any veterinary-related field. The program is in a face-to-face format, and Spanish is the language of instruction. Students learn several skills regarding animal diseases and how to diagnose and treat them in the most efficient method. 

With a degree in veterinary at the University of Leon, graduates can work in any of the following fields of veterinary medicine:

• Animal production. 
• Food industry.
• Food technology, hygiene, and inspection. 
• Pharmaceutical industry.
• Health and diagnostic laboratories. 
• Teaching and research, 
• Veterinary clinics. 
• Military vet.

Students pursuing a veterinary degree at the University of Leon have access to some of the latest technologies in veterinary medicine, with available modern facilities ready for teaching and research training. 

Complutense University of Madrid 

The bachelor’s degree in Veterinary Medicine at the Complutense University of Madrid focuses on training students on the structure, functions, and behavior of animals, analyzing and deciding whether they are healthy or not. Other aspects of veterinary medicine that students of Complutense University Madrid learn include: 

• Individual clinical activity 
• Transmissible processes to humans
• Preventive medicine
• Food technology and hygiene
• Application of improvements in animal production 

The degree in veterinary medicine at the Complutense University of Madrid is a face-to-face program and is part of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. As part of the curriculum, students must complete a minimum of 24 ECTS Credits of supervised internship work. The internships are typically conducted in the fifth and final years. 

Students of the Complutense University of Madrid can practice their skills in any of the 39 available laboratories in the faculty of veterinary medicine. Laboratories can fit from 700 to 800 students, and they have all the necessary equipment.

University of Murcia

The University of Murcia offers an official doctoral degree program in veterinary sciences that focuses on training graduates in the research aspect of veterinary medicine and sciences. The Ph.D. in veterinary sciences at the University of Murcia is a combination of three doctoral programs that were previously available:

• Ecopathology of Wildlife and its Implications in Animal Health and Public Health.
• The technology of Reproduction and Veterinary Medicine.
• Professional and Scientific Pig Farming. 

A bachelor’s degree in veterinary at the University of Murcia takes five years to complete, and Spanish is the language of instruction. They offer scholarships for both international and national students and grants for exchange/mobility programs. There are three main aspects of the degree in veterinary medicine that include:

• Clinical and Animal Health 
• Animal Production and Hygiene 
• Inspection, Control, and Food Safety 

University of Extremadura

There are three different degree programs available in the Veterinary Faculty at the University of Extremadura: a Bachelor’s Degree in Veterinary, a Bachelor’s Degree in Biochemistry, and a Master’s degree in Food Science and Technology. The five-year program of the veterinary medicine degree divides the elementary subjects in the first two years by introducing students to the basics of veterinary medicine. 

Below you can find some of the courses that students take for the Veterinary Medicine degree:

• Biology 
• Biometrics
• Biochemistry
• Embryology and Anatomy I, II 
• Microbiology
• Immunology 
• Parasitology
• Propaedeutic
• Pharmacology 
• Therapeutics
• Hygiene and Food Security 
• Infectious Diseases I, II

The University of Extremadura is home to around 600 international students, with approximately 2,300 employees in the academic sector. International students can find all degrees at the University of Extremadura, with seventeen faculties available.

University of Cordoba

The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Cordoba offers a five-year bachelor’s degree in veterinary medicine. There are courses available in English for international students who are not fluent in the Spanish language. However, some knowledge of Spanish is required for this degree, as most faculties of medicine in Spanish universities require. 

The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Cordoba offers English itineraries for international and Spanish students with a B1 level of English proficiency. Language proficiency is otherwise measured through previous interviews during the admission process. Below you can find some of the subjects that the English itinerary at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine offers:

• Embryology.
• Cytology and Histology.
• Biochemistry.
• Caring, feeding, and training dogs.
• Neuroanatomy and Topographical Anatomy. 
• Food hygiene.
• Organic Animal Production. 

Alfonso X El Sabio University (UAX)

A bachelor’s degree in Veterinary Medicine at Alfonso X El Sabio University is available for students who wish to train among experts in the veterinary field. The five-year-long program is located on the university’s Villanueva de la Cañada campus. The face-to-face learning format is the only format available for this degree program. 

The training part of the Veterinary Medicine degree program is crucial for students to learn the practical application of the theoretical knowledge that they learned previously. Training is typically held with experts who practice veterinary medicine daily and have a lot of experience in the industry. 

The Alfonso X El Sabio University offers a large number of scholarships and grants for veterinary students, including Official Agency Scholarships by the Ministry of Education, study grants for academic excellence, study grants for family members of UAX students, study grants for athletes, and other funding plans by the university.