Marine Veterinary Programs

Marine veterinarians are responsible for the healthcare of marine animals. This includes fish, sea‑dwelling mammals, and essentially any animal that spends its life in the water. Marine veterinarians can work in the fishing industry, zoos, and aquariums, carrying out aquatic animal research, or just as general vets (although those positions are much more limited). Marine veterinarians’ work is incredibly varied, not just in terms of the animals they treat but also the job options.

They can be responsible for pharmaceutical products, diagnosis, treatment, surgery, nutrition, and more.

This is a highly specialized position, but like all veterinarian positions, it starts in the same way at an education level. This means starting with a bachelor’s degree, getting into veterinary school to gain a doctorate, working in a residency program that specializes in marine veterinarian tutoring, and, finally, passing the licensing exam. It is a multi‑year process.

Those who become marine veterinarians can enjoy an average salary of $103,000 per year. However, there is a potential for a major increase in the next decade as the demand for marine veterinarians is said to rise by about 20% in that time.

On this page, we will discuss the best marine veterinary programs and highlight the basic process for becoming a marine veterinarian.

• Bachelor’s Degree: You’ll begin your journey by getting a bachelor’s degree. The most relevant bachelor’s degrees to become a marine veterinarian include marine science, biomedical science, animal science, and biology. Basically, anything that could assist with marine work or medical work.
• Get
  
  Experience:
  
  while you are studying for your bachelor’s degree, you should try to get a bit of experience in marine veterinary work. This is essential when applying for veterinary school. To be honest, in some areas, it could be hard to find marine veterinary work. So, any experience working with animals can be important here. Just do something to gain experience and demonstrate you’re committed to the role.
  
  Plus, working with other animals can still prepare you with some of the knowledge you need to succeed with marine animals.
• Veterinary School: once you’ve graduated, you’ll need to look for veterinary schools. This is the most important step in your marine veterinarian journey, and you may need to consider the various vet schools years in advance. This is why we’ve included a list of the best marine veterinary programs on this list. You’ll be gaining your doctorate here, and the whole process takes about four years.
  
  Aim for programs focusing on marine vet work. Some marine veterinarians did do a general veterinary course, but you’re just making life harder for the next step of the process. You should constantly work to gain more experience here. Your selected veterinary school should help with this.
• Residency Program: once you’ve graduated from veterinary school, you’ll need to look for a residency program that specializes in marine veterinary work. This is where you’ll learn the core skills to become a marine veterinarian. You may wish to choose what area you wish to specialize in here (the type of animal, type of practice, etc.) to ensure that you get the right course.
• Get Licensed: The final step, once you’ve graduated, is to get your license to practice. This involves completing the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE). You’ll need to renew your license every so often.

Campus Only

Cornell University is said to have the best marine veterinary programs in the US. It has been running since 1977 and goes by the name AQUAVET. Those who undertake this program will be working with some of the best marine vet tutors in the world.

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Campus Only

The University of Florida course lasts 4 years and is incredibly in-depth. The courses cover everything somebody really needs to know about marine vet work. This includes diagnosis, disease, treatments, etc. There will also be a lot of…