Veterinary Medicine (Tiermedizin, Staatsexamen) at University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover

Programme overview

The Tiermedizin course leads to the state veterinary examination under the TAppV approbation regulations. Around 250 places are available each year and the standard period of study is 11 semesters. It is the main degree of the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover.

Faculty: University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover | Duration: 11 semesters (5 years 6 months) | Study mode: full-time; Staatsexamen; German-taught | Intake: Wintersemester | Location: Hannover, Niedersachsen, Germany

What you will study

The pre-clinical examination has a natural-science section (physics, chemistry, zoology, botany) and an anatomical-physiological section (anatomy, histology and embryology, physiology, biochemistry, animal breeding and genetics). The veterinary examination consists of 20 subject examinations in semesters five to eleven, from animal husbandry and nutrition to virology, pathology, internal medicine, surgery and forensic veterinary medicine, plus practical placements mostly in the fifth year.

Career pathways

Graduates work in veterinary practice (small animal, equine and farm animal medicine), research, public veterinary services and the pharmaceutical and other industries.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Nationwide restricted admission. Requires a higher education entrance qualification under section 18 NHG (Abitur, subject-related access, or vocational qualification such as Meister or Techniker; or a three-year recognised related apprenticeship plus three years' full-time work, with a prior eligibility application to the university). Admission is via hochschulstart.de for the winter semester only, with deadlines of 31 May (entrance qualification obtained by 16 January) or 15 July. Places are allocated through the Abitur best-grade quota (30%), the university selection procedure (60%) and the additional aptitude quota (10%), with hardship (2%) and second-degree (3%) reservations and a lottery for unfilled places. Non-EU applicants without a German entrance qualification apply through uni-assist (5% quota, 1 May to 15 July for WS 2026/27) and must show German proficiency (DSH-2, TestDaF level 4, Goethe C1 or equivalent) by enrolment. Latin is not required.

Intake: Wintersemester

Duration: 11 semesters (5 years 6 months)

Apply through the official page: https://www.hochschulstart.de

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