Accreditation
The Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine is fully accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association's Council on Education (AVMA COE). The last AVMA COE site visit was in 2021, and the next visit is scheduled for 2028.
The accreditation process involves a comprehensive and detailed examination of the college's programs and aspirations. A comprehensive self-study is conducted by the institution in close association with the AVMA COE, and the accreditation team conducts an extensive site visit during which the physical plant and facilities, budgets, operations, and policies are rigorously inspected and evaluated. The team also conducts wide-ranging interviews with faculty, staff, students, alumni, and university administrators in order to ascertain their perspectives on the strengths and weaknesses of the college's programs.
Information on VA-MD Vet Med's board examination pass rates is located on the Office of Academic Affairs' website.
The college's Master of Public Health program received full accreditation by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) in June 2013, and was reaccredited in 2018 for a seven-year term through 2025.
The only independent agency recognized to accredit graduate schools of public health and graduate public health programs outside schools of public health, CEPH assists schools and programs in evaluating the quality of their instructional, research and service efforts, and grants accreditation to those schools and programs that meet its published criteria.
The college was awarded full accreditation by AAALAC International in October 2008, and has since received continuing accreditation three times, most recently in December 2017 (AAALAC accreditation # 001123).
Earning AAALAC accreditation is a rigorous process that involves a detailed examination of an organization's institutional policies, procedures, and performance regarding animal care and use in the areas of research, education, testing, and breeding. Teams of professionals evaluate a comprehensive written document and conduct a site visitation that analyzes institutional performance in animal husbandry, veterinary care, physical plant, and other areas.
Along with meeting all applicable local and national regulations regarding the use of animals in science, AAALAC-accredited institutions must also demonstrate that they are achieving standards outlined in the National Research Council's Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. Developed in 1996, these standards exceed those that are required by law.
In October 2017, Virginia Tech Animal Laboratory Services (ViTALS), a full-service veterinary diagnostic laboratory at the college, became the first diagnostic laboratory in Virginia to receive full accreditation from the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD), an internationally recognized accrediting body. The laboratory achieved full accreditation/all species again in 2022, effective until Dec. 31, 2027.
A comprehensive laboratory inspection and accreditation program encompassing all laboratory disciplines, the AAVLD Accreditation Program is conducted as a peer-review process; inspections are performed by experienced, working professionals also trained in auditing techniques specific to the AAVLD accreditation requirements.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State Institution (Virginia Tech) is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate, baccalaureate, masters, educational specialist, and doctorate degrees. Degree-granting institutions also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of Virginia Tech may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website.