How GPAs are Calculated

Only coursework completed and verified by VMCAS at the time of application will be used in calculating GPAs for admissions evaluation. 

Note: An applicant's overall/cumulative GPA is not used in the evaluation process - only the Required Courses GPA and the Last 45 Credit Hour GPA as described below.

A minimum grade-point average of 3.0 (“A” = 4.00) in these courses is required for consideration for admission. All prerequisite coursework must be passed with a "C" grade or better. (A "C-" is still considered an acceptable passing grade.) Course requirements are not waived in lieu of work experience and/or earned degrees. Credit earned through advanced standing is acceptable, but is not used in the computation of the grade-point average. Evaluation of the applicant’s record in the pre-professional program is made in accordance with LSU procedures. Credit is not granted for College Level Examination Program (CLEP) general examinations. Granting of credit for CLEP subject examinations may be considered in those subjects recommended by various departments of the University upon receipt of test scores indicating the student meets the minimum acceptable scores required by those departments.

Required Course GPA

In addition to the specific prerequisite courses, also factored into the Required Course GPA are any other Animal Science, Physical Science or Biological Science courses that are taken and in which an "A" grade is earned. Social science, humanities, business, engineering, kinesiology, and any general education courses are NOT calculated into the Required Course GPA; however these courses (with the exception of kinesiology courses) will still be used for the Last 45 Credit Hour as seen below.

Last 45 Credit Hours GPA

The Last 45 Credit Hour GPA is computed by using the most recent 45-60 semester hours of course work, with the exception of kinesiology courses. The entire last semester is included when calculating the Last 45 Credit Hour GPA. (If only 3 more credit hours are needed from one semester during which 18 credit hours were taken, all 18 credit hours would be factored into the Last 45 Credit Hour GPA.) 

Repeated Courses, Substitutions, etc. 

Applicants may choose to re-take a course to better master the subject at any point or to try to improve upon their Required Courses GPA or Last 45 Credit Hour GPA. If a course that is more than six years old is retaken, the most recent grade will be used in calculating the Required Course GPA, otherwise the grades (and credit hours) from both courses are used when computing grade point averages. If a three-credit hour course is taken twice within the past six years, all six credits and both earned grades will be used. (For instance, for possible fall '18 matriculation, any course taken prior to the fall '12 semester is considered outside of this six year time-frame.) If a course substitution is approved by the Admissions Office, the course being used as the prerequisite will be calculated into the Required Course GPA. (NOTE - Course substitutions are on a case-by-case basis and are not guaranteed.) 

Quarter Hours vs. Semester Hours

Courses taken on a quarter term system do not have the same number of contact hours as similar courses on a semester term system; thus, credit hours earned from a school on a quarter system must be converted to semester hours. Typically, one quarter hour converts to a semester hour at 2/3 of its value, while one semester hour converts to one quarter hour at 3/2 of its value. The LSU SVM Admissions Office uses the multiplier of 0.667 for this conversion - (Sem Hrs = Qtr Hrs * 0.667). Typically, applicants taking courses at a school on a quarter term must take three three-quarter hour courses to meet the full six semester credit hours of a two-course sequence. (For instance, General Physics I, II, and III would have to be taken at a quarter term school to meet the six semester hour requirement for General Physics I and II at LSU.)