History
The school admitted its first students to the professional curriculum during the 1973–1974 academic year. The initial entering class consisted of 36 students, all residents of Louisiana. Class size increased significantly in subsequent years. The school participates in the Southern Regional Education Board’s program for education in veterinary medicine. Training contracts provide a limited number of entering spaces for qualified candidates from Arkansas. In addition, a limited number of highly qualified, nonresident applicants are admitted under the school’s special admission policy.
The LSU SVM was founded in 1968 and was the 19th veterinary school in the United States.
We accepted our first class of students in 1973, and 35 men and women (all from Louisiana) received their DVM degrees in 1977. We have granted more than 3,600 DVM degrees since 1977 and 480 MS and PhD degrees.
Accreditation
The AVMA Council on Education (COE) is the national accrediting agency for veterinary medical education in the United States. The AVMA COE assures that minimum standards in veterinary medical education are met by all AVMA-accredited colleges or schools of veterinary medicine, and that students enrolled in those colleges or schools receive an education that will prepare them for entry-level positions in the profession. The LSU program has met all essential requirements for an acceptable college or school as established by the AVMA COE. Accreditation was granted in 1977 and reaffirmed in 1984, 1991, 1998, 2005, 2010, 2013, and 2020. The next site visit is anticipated in 2026.
The LSU School of Veterinary Medicine was the first program in veterinary medicine that was fully accredited by the AVMA Council on Education before graduating the first class.
The LSU School of Veterinary Medicine was the first program in veterinary medicine that was fully accredited by the AVMA Council on Education before graduating the first class.
Students are encouraged to complete an anonymous survey that allows them to make comments, suggestions, or complaints about the accreditation process to the COE.