As long as you have satisfied the AAVSB guidelines, you may apply: Penn Vet requires you to have qualified as a veterinarian already, and to be proficient in the English language. Take a look at the application guidelines, or contact the Program Coordinator at docsam@vet.upenn.edu to register your interest.

Candidates will join final year students, and follow a series of rotations through the year, at the Ryan Hospital for small animals, and at our large animal facility, New Bolton Center, about 40 miles from Philadelphia. You will also be required to complete a set of core competencies. The Penn Vet curriculum has recently been updated to incorporate a greater focus on using the knowledge being acquired.

This page will give you a glimpse of life at Penn Vet. Read about our new curriculum here; look in particular at the structure of Year 4.

Tuition and fees for 2026-27 will be $85,000. This will be invoiced in three equal parts during the year.
When budgeting, it is important to allow also for your living expenses (accommodation, etc). This page will give you some idea of additional expenses involved (note that at present these estimates are for 2025-26, so you’ll need to take inflation into consideration).
A deposit of $4,000 is required when a candidate accepts a place. This is not refundable, but it will be offset against your first tuition-fee invoice.
There is no initial application fee.

No, grants and other types of funding are not typically available. As this is not in itself a degree program, you will need to make this clear if you are applying for a loan in the US, or in your home country; you will need to borrow from a private lender that allows borrowing for a non-degree program.

If you are not a native speaker, you will need to demonstrate at interview that you are able to understand and communicate in English, so that you can derive maximum benefit from your time at Penn Vet. See the AAVSB website for required standard of English. You should take every opportunity to speak and listen to the English language.

An invoice is sent out each trimester (Summer, Fall and Spring). For 2025-26, payments are due by May 5, August 25 and January 2, respectively. An invoice for $4,000 will be raised upon acceptance into the program (this is not refundable, but it will be offset against the first trimester’s fees). Payment is by check or wire transfer using Flywire; at present we do not accept credit card payments. There is no fee for your initial application.

Here’s what we require. (You may send these documents via email.)
i. Curriculum vitae and diploma/transcript (translated into English)
ii. Your letter of intent (it would be helpful if you could include an overview of your education, your veterinary experience thus far, and your future goals)
iii. Names and contact details for three referees, plus their letters of reference for you (you may provide these, or you may ask your referees to email the letters to suejenks@vet.upenn.edu)
iv. English language ability/official score
v. QSE result, or date on which examination will be taken
vi. Form of identification (screenshot/photocopy of passport)

This page has general information about the visa process. Unless you have a US passport, green card or other right to remain here, you will need an F-1 visa. The University of Pennsylvania’s Office of International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) will provide the necessary documentation to support your application and prepare the I-20 proof of eligibility. (There is a $180 fee for this service.) For the application, you will need to demonstrate that you have sufficient funds to support yourself during the year.

October 1, 2025: this link provides information about the visa process during the US Government shutdown period.

No, as a US citizen and US passport holder, you do not require an I-20/DS-2019.

There is good advice about passport validity/expiry here.

Our Office for Students (OFS) will send you a copy of our Visiting Student Information Form. You will need to complete and return this promptly, so that the I-20 application process can begin. You may not be able to fill out certain fields initially – the US Social Security Number (SSN), a Philadelphia address, health insurance, etc – you can insert these later, and we’ll contact you if anything vital is missing. In the month following receipt of this form, your Penn Vet email address will be created, and you’ll be able to register for your PennKey (which will give you access to many resources). This should all be in place by the end of March, in readiness for your arrival in May. Other important factors to consider are vaccination requirements and insurance: read this overview to get started. This leaflet offers valuable information about the SSN.

Philadelphia is a cosmopolitan and cultural city, with a deep history. There is plenty for visitors to do and see, from museums and art galleries to a vibrant sports scene. Find out more here; check out the deals and disounts available to the Penn Vet community.

Your safety is very important to us; we want to ensure that everyone feels supported and confident in the resources available. Try to find accommodation in reasonably close proximity to the university campus. Penn has its own police that monitor the area continuously. In an emergency, contact Penn Police directly on (215) 573 3333, or 511 from a campus phone; they are familiar with our hospital’s layout and they respond swiftly (see our public safety site); an escort can be made available if you need to work late.

You’ll find a list of suggestions and resources here. One year’s lease will suffice. (Your clinical rotations span one year, and you will need to arrive a week early for your induction, but in practice it is unlikely that you will need more than 12 months’ accommodation.) Penn’s Off-Campus Housing Fair is a great resource (2026 live days are March 25 and April 16).
As a very rough guide, monthly rents for a place in a reasonable location and proximity to the school start at around $800 for a studio, $1,100 for 1 bedroom + 1 bathroom, $1400 for 2 bedrooms + 1 bathroom.

Departing students are a very good source of second-hand furniture and domestic items; and here are a few places that may be worth exploring:
– Circle Thrift
– Philly AIDS Thrift
– Bargain Thrift Center

Parking can be a challenge. There is very good local public transport, and you can rent a bicycle in multiple locations. Try to find accommodation reasonably close to the University, and you should not need a car. You’ll be able to get a ride to New Bolton Center – some students do have cars to get between the campuses and others carpool. There are also dormitories at New Bolton Center, where students may live during rotations there. Uber and Lyft are good car services, and Philadelphia airport is well served by taxis. When you have a weekend free and wish to explore the surrounding area, it could be useful to hire a car. This City of Philadelphia page has more detail. As a PennCard holder, you can travel free of charge on the Lucy Loop shuttle service, which operates Mon-Fri around the university district, and to 30th St Station.

Yes, a bicycle is useful. Philadelphia is a good city for cycling, as long as you are careful. There are also city-wide, bicycle-share and rental schemes, such as Indego.

The year begins in May. You will be notified of the dates of the induction sessions, which will take place prior to the first day of your clinical rotations. You should plan to arrive in Philadelphia before these induction sessions. You will be asked to come to the Matthew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital at 3900 Spruce Street and to announce yourself at the front desk or see the security guard. They will inform us, so we can come and collect you.

Yes. But if you do find a significantly cheaper ticket –  into Newark Airport, for example – you can get a train or a bus from there to Philadelphia.

You can take a bus, taxi or Uber from Philadelphia Airport. It will be useful for you to have some US dollars to cover initial, incidental expenses like this.

Dress code is business casual; no sneakers or sports attire. We will provide you with two white coats with the Penn logo and your name embroidered on them. You’ll find size information here: women’s sizes (Style 7202); men’s sizes (Style 7102). Along with your size information, please state exactly how you would like your name to appear; we’ll need this information by mid February. You will also need scrubs – solid color, not patterned fabric (most people wear blue or green); you can buy the scrubs once you are here (from FIGS). You’ll find more detail on our clothing policy here.