University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice

Image of people walking around in a courtyard with green trees and a horse statue

Study veterinary medicine in Slovakia and meet animals every day. You have a unique opportunity to do so at the University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice.

It is a place where you will gain knowledge, but also necessary professional experience and skills. Over 2,200 young people study here and a quarter of them in English language. International students come from France, Norway, Iceland, Greece, Ireland, Israel, India, Malta and Cyprus as well as from many other countries of the EU and outside. If you care about a healthy world, you too can be among them.

The university is guided by the concept of One World – One Medicine, which emphasizes mutual relationship between the health of animals, people and the quality of the environment. If you want to build a healthy world, join the students of the university, which has successfully passed the international assessment process and its diploma is accepted in EU countries as well as many other countries of the world.

Image of a student standing with a large brown horse looking at the horse and smiling

University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice offers for international students General Veterinary Medicine study programme in English language which is a 6-year study programme that ends with the achievement of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree. The study plan is drawn up in accordance with the Directive of the European Parliament and the Council. This assures high quality of the graduates and they readiness for veterinary practice right after finishing school. University offers also a Veterinary Nurse study programme, which is a 3-year bachelor study programme aimed at becoming an assistant to a veterinary surgeon.

A high level of practical training and constant contact with animals is provided by five clinics – the clinic for horses, ruminants, pigs, small animals, birds, exotic and wild animals. All of them are located directly on the school campus as they are part of the University Veterinary Hospital. Older students are involved in practice directly in the outpatient clinics, younger students gain first experiences in the Clinical Skills Centre, where they work on animal models. In addition, everyone regularly goes to the school farm with cattle and pigs, to the riding area for horses and to a purpose-built facility where wild forest animals, fish and bees are bred.

Image of a student using a bottle of milk to feed a small brown and white calf

The University Veterinary Hospital can be compared with world-class clinics in terms of space and technical equipment. It provides highly specialized services 24 hours a day, all year round. Clients will find surgical, oncological, ophthalmological, internal, infectious, traumatological, neurological, dermatological and dental outpatient clinics. It is part of the Medical University Science Park in Košice and it is a clinical and research workplace. Its results contribute to the improvement of diagnostic, surgical and therapeutic procedures not only in veterinary but in human medicine as well.

The university provides opportunities for contact with animals also in your free time. There are many student clubs for lovers and breeders of dogs, cats, birds of prey, reptiles and aquarium fish, small mammals and exotic birds, or bees. Conditions for the club activities are created both at the school and in student dormitories located near the university.

Image of a small brown dog lying down on a table, with a student holding a back leg

At the university, you will also meet other young people who, in addition to General Veterinary Medicine, also study Food Hygiene and Pharmacy or other related study programmes (e.g. bachelor programmes Cynology, Veterinary Nurse, Man-Animal Relationship and Its Use In Canistherapy and Hipotherapy, Feed and Foodstuffs Safety, etc.). University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice also offers postgraduate study with 10 accredited programmes.

Image of a red and yellow building behind a pond with a water fountain in it, surrounded by trees

University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice was founded in 1949 and it is the only university in Slovakia that trains veterinarians. It is located in a historical area with a beautiful park, which is a national cultural monument.

The premises were built in 1903, during the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, as the Royal Reformatory. Some of the historical buildings have been renovated and they still stand today and serve students. Later in 1919, after the establishment of the Czechoslovak Republic, the reformatory was transformed into the Comenius Institute for the Education of Abandoned Youth.

During the Second World War, the situation in animal production in this part of Slovakia was very complicated. Animal farms were threatened by several diseases, they were chaotically relocated and concentrated in common farms. There were few veterinarians, so the government at the time decided to establish a new university so that future veterinarians would not have to travel to neighbouring countries for education.

Image of a large horse statue with people standing around it

Today, the campus is part of the wider centre of the second largest Slovak city – Košice, which has 230 thousand inhabitants. It is quickly becoming a university city as The Technical University and P. J. Šafárik University are also located here.

Aside from studying, Košice offers many opportunities to enjoy the life outside school. For those interested in culture and social life, there are The National Theatre, the State Philharmonic, the Eastern Slovak Museum, the Eastern Slovak Gallery, and numerous cinemas, clubs, and discos. Those interested in sports will enjoy the oldest European marathon held in Košice every year since 1924 – the International Peace Marathon.

Forest parks and forests that are all around the city are great for hiking. You can also go to the ZOO, which is the largest in Central Europe. Those who like the city will certainly be enchanted by the historical centre with its monuments of Gothic, Baroque and Classicist architecture. It is the largest urban monument reserve in Slovakia. In its centre stands the Gothic cathedral, the Cathedral of St. Elizabeth. There are also many cafes and restaurants along the entire Main Street, offering opportunities for relaxation and entertainment.

Košice is a great place for student life, and the University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice is a great place to study veterinary medicine. If you want to connect your life with the health of our planet, do not hesitate and choose Košice.

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