Accreditation
The Royal Society of Biology (RSB) accredits the School’s undergraduate degrees in Marine & Freshwater Biology, Veterinary Biosciences and Zoology.
Following virtual and in person accreditation visits in 2021 and 2022, the School currently holds accreditation status from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Council on Education, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), the Australasian Veterinary Boards Council (AVBC) and the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE).
The Degree of Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (BVMS) from Glasgow is also recognised by the South African Veterinary Council (SAVC).
Glasgow has been accredited by the AVMA Council on Education since 1999. All Schools undergo accreditation assessment every seven years; our last assessment was in 2021, at which we were confirmed with full accreditation. Our next assessment and site visit is due in 2028.
Performance of graduating students in the NAVLE is an important consideration for accreditation, with a pass rate of >80% required for accreditation by the AVMA Council on Education. Historically, the School's NAVLE pass rate has consistently been above 80% (2018/19 – 85%, 2019/20 – 88%, 2020/21 – 88%). However, the pass rate for 2021/22 and 2022/23 were 67% and 62%. This means that the School has been put on probationary accreditation.
Probationary accreditation is not an adverse decision and does not affect the degree status of current students and graduates.
We have always provided support for students who wish to sit the NAVLE, and as we move forward we have plans in place to provide increased levels of support. Through these efforts we anticipate that the NAVLE scores will improve for 2024 and beyond and a return to >80% will mean no impact on enrolled students.
We have 4 members of staff allocated to provide support to students intending to sit the NAVLE. Active support from this team is initiated in year 3 of the BVMS programme.
All students wishing to sit the NAVLE are provided with:
- Funded access to Vet Prep and/or Zuku review NAVLE preparation packages both pre- and post-graduation as needed
- Funded access to ICVA self-assessment exams
- Individual review meetings
- Guidance around optimal preparation for and decision on timing of NAVLE attempts
- Dedicated support resources
As of 2025 we will also be employing the ICVA Veterinary Education Assessment (VEA) from year 3 to help assess students' state of knowledge relative to their preparation for the NAVLE.
The cause of Probationary accreditation must be corrected within two years of notification (April 2026) to avoid a further change in the School's accreditation status. See COE Accreditation policies and procedures classifications for further information on accreditations status, eligibility for the NAVLE examination and licensure in the USA and Canada.
Should a School lose AVMA accreditation, graduates of that School would be required to qualify for the NAVLE by alternative pathways. However, RCVS (UK) and EAEVE (Europe) accreditations would be unaffected. It is also important to note that our students sitting the fall diet of the 2024-25 testing cycle (Dec 2024) had a pass rate of >90%. We are hopeful that our students will also perform well in the Spring diet, in which case we will achieve an overall pass rate of 80% and return to full accreditation. Should that not be the case, the 2025-26 testing cycle, which is available to our School, will provide us the opportunity to improve our NAVLE score above 80%.