Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine
at Murdoch University, Western Australia.
A five-year veterinary medicine degree at Murdochs South Street campus, which hosts the only veterinary school in WA. Strong focus on production-animal medicine and tropical and rural practice through the Animal Hospital and partner mixed practices.
ATAR cutoff history
Published cutoff data for the Murdoch University Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine. We never invent figures; entries marked "not published" mean the university or admissions centre has not released a verified cutoff for that intake.
| Intake year | ATAR cutoff | Admissions centre |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | ATAR cutoff not published | TISC |
| 2024 | ATAR cutoff not published | TISC |
| 2023 | ATAR cutoff not published | TISC |
No verified cutoffs are available. Confirm the latest figure on the official TISC cutoff release.
Prerequisite Year 12 subjects
Brush up on each prerequisite with our state-syllabus explainers and dot points.
What you will study
Early years build the biological foundations of veterinary science: animal anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, microbiology and the comparative biology of companion, production and exotic species. Practical classes and animal handling start early, drawing on the farm and animal facilities at the South Street campus. Middle years move into the mechanisms of disease: pathology, pharmacology, parasitology and the diagnosis and management of illness across species. Clinical skills, surgery fundamentals and imaging are taught in dedicated facilities, and Murdoch emphasises production-animal, equine and tropical and rural practice relevant to WA agriculture and biosecurity. Final years are clinical and placement-intensive. Students rotate through the veterinary hospital and partner practices, working up real cases in companion-animal, equine, livestock and emergency settings under supervision, alongside extramural placements on farms and in clinics. Graduation leads directly to eligibility for veterinary registration.
Example first-year subjects
- Animal Anatomy
- Animal Physiology
- Veterinary Biochemistry
- Animal Husbandry and Handling
- Microbiology and Cell Biology
- Foundations of Veterinary Science
How you will be assessed
- Final exams across biomedical and clinical-science units
- Practical and laboratory assessments
- Clinical skills and animal-handling examinations
- Clinical rotations and case write-ups in later years
- Extramural placement logbooks and reports
- Oral case presentations and problem-based learning tasks
Career outcomes
- Graduates are registered veterinarians, working in companion animal, equine, livestock and mixed practice across WA and regional Australia.
- First-year jobs typically include rural mixed practice, small animal clinics in Perth, livestock-focused practice in the Wheatbelt and roles with the WA Department of Primary Industries.
- Many alumni pursue specialty registration, move into research at Murdochs School of Veterinary Medicine or work in biosecurity and policy roles.
Professional accreditation
- Australasian Veterinary Boards Council accredited
- Veterinary Surgeons Board of WA registration eligible
Typical first jobs
- Companion-animal veterinarian in a small-animal clinic
- Rural or mixed-practice veterinarian
- Equine or livestock veterinarian
- Emergency and after-hours veterinarian
- Government or biosecurity veterinarian
- Veterinarian in animal welfare or shelter medicine
Graduate starting salary
$58,000 - $68,000 per year
Source: https://www.qilt.edu.au/surveys/graduate-outcomes-survey-(gos). Last reviewed 2026-05-24.
After graduation
Graduates are eligible to register with the Veterinary Surgeons Board of Western Australia and enter practice immediately, since the degree is accredited by the Australasian Veterinary Boards Council. Most begin in companion-animal, mixed or rural practice. With experience, vets pursue specialty residencies and board certification in fields such as surgery, internal medicine or pathology, or move into research, government biosecurity, public health or industry roles. A research Honours or PhD supports academic and specialist research careers.
Is this the right degree for you?
You probably thrive here if
- People deeply committed to animal health and welfare
- Students who were strong in biology and chemistry
- Resilient learners who cope with a heavy, demanding workload
- Those comfortable with hands-on animal handling and clinical work
- People open to rural, livestock and emergency settings
It is probably not for you if
- Students squeamish about surgery, illness or animal death
- People wanting a light workload or short degree
- Those uncomfortable handling large or distressed animals
- Students seeking a desk-based or non-clinical career
Related courses at Murdoch
Sources
Course details are summarised by ExamExplained, not copied from the university. Confirm course content and ATAR cutoffs on the Murdoch University handbook and on TISC before applying. Page generated at https://examexplained.com.au/uni/murdoch/bachelor-of-veterinary-medicine.