Widening Participation & Outreach

SRUC’s School of Veterinary Medicine and Biosciences is committed to enabling participation in its programmes to all students regardless of background or location.

As well as our contextual admissions policy, we take part in a range of outreach activities, including visits to schools, STEM fairs, the Scottish Funding Council's REACH programme, and our own VetExplore programme.

We seek to identify those applicants who can reasonably be expected to achieve the BVSci award and become members of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS). For further information on the BVSci programme, including entry requirements, please visit the course page.

Outreach activities:

VetExplore 2026

VetExplore is a 3-day programme at SRUC’s School of Veterinary Medicine and Biosciences campus in Aberdeen. In 2026 this will run from 31 March to 2 April and be open to all S3 boys in Scotland; there are up to 30 places available.

Why boys? There is a poor gender balance within veterinary degree programmes in the UK, with vet schools only having around 20% male students. Fewer boys are applying to vet school, and we want to change that.

VetExplore has three main objectives:

Engage boys in a range of practical activities that inspire them about veterinary medicine
Promote a range of career options within veterinary medicine
Provide information on applying to study veterinary medicine and sources of support

Participants will hear from SRUC staff, students and local vets who will provide insight into studying and working in the field of veterinary medicine, and the REACH programme.

The programme is non-residential and therefore pupils should be able to make their way each day to SRUC’s Craibstone Campus in Aberdeen (AB21 9YA). It is free to attend, and some applicants may be eligible for support with travel and accommodation.

If you have any queries, please contact svmboutreach@sruc.ac.uk

Applications close on 5 December

Apply to VetExplore

VetExplore Application Timeline

2026

Applications open	14 November 2025
Applications close	5 December 2025
Teacher statements close	12 December 2025
Decisions announced	w/c 12 January 2026
Programme takes place	31 March - 2 April 2026

REACH

The Reach Programme is a programme that aims to provide information, advice and support to S4-S6 pupils considering professional degrees such as veterinary medicine.

REACH North is hosted by Aberdeen University and is part of a national widening access project for pupils from State Schools in Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Moray, The Highlands, Orkney and Shetland. Pupils from these areas have the opportunity to get support from the Reach Programme, which is funded by the Scottish Funding Council.

To take part in Reach you must attend a state school and meet one of the following eligibility criteria:

Resident in a SIMD20 (Quintile 1) or SIMD40 (Quintile 2) postcode area according to the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation. You can check your postcode using our SIMD Postcode Checker.
You are care experienced
You are a young carer - i.e. you look after a relative with a disability, illness, or addiction
You are estranged - i.e. living without a family support network
Eligible for free school meals
Eligible for EMA
You are a refugee or asylum seeker
Resident in an area considered to be Remote & Rural (4-8 on the 8 fold Urban Rural Classification). You can check your classification on the Scottish Government website.

To take part in the programme, you must firstly apply to register with Reach. If you are unsure if you are eligible please email reach@abdn.ac.uk. The eligibility criteria is set at a national level with the Scottish Funding Council who fund the Reach Programme.

Apply to register with Reach

Veterinary Schools Council - Admissions Guide

The Veterinary Schools Council is the representative body for the UK’s Vet Schools and provides a range of information for prospective vet students, including an annual guide to the admissions processes and entry requirements for each school.

Below is the link to the Veterinary Schools Council admissions guide:

Admissions guide

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