New information following the change in COVID-19 alert levels. massey.ac.nz/coronavirus
Kia ora (Hello)My name is Eloise Jillings, Associate Dean for Admission and Students. I grew up in Canada, and came to New Zealand to study for my veterinary degree at Massey. I planned to go back to Canada afterwards, but loved it so much I’m still here 20 years later.
Lots of other US and Canadian students have studied for their veterinary degrees here and are back practising in North America.
Fast-track your veterinary career
In New Zealand all professional degrees (medicine, vet, law) are undergraduate degrees, so you start these degrees after finishing high school. When I found this out I was in my first year of a Bachelor of Science at the University of British Columbia. It sounded great to get straight into studying vet, so I moved to New Zealand after completing that year.
A shorter degree = less debt
The pre-requisites are built into the Bachelor of Veterinary Science, so it is 5 years in total. I started vet school at 19, and began practising as a vet just after my 24th birthday. Aside from my career starting earlier, fewer years in vet school means less debt. That was a big factor for me as I had to borrow money to fund my education.
Equivalent to DVM
I know it sounds a little bit unusual to only take five years, as in the US and Canada a veterinary degree is a postgraduate degree. But the Massey veterinary degree is accredited by the Canadian and American Veterinary Medical Associations so you can be assured of its quality. This means graduates can return to practice in North Americay as if they’d graduated from a veterinary program there.
See the world while studying!
This program was a great fit for people like me, who know they want to be a veterinarian and just want to start as soon as possible. It also helps if you are a little bit adventurous, and want to see some of the world while getting your world class veterinary degree.
We have welcomed many vet students from North America and around the world who have gone on to some great careers internationally.
Massey University offers comprehensive support for international students, before, during and after your study.
Latest international prospectus (24,012 KB)