Proposed veterinary school at Murray State moving closer to reality

The proposed veterinary school at Murray State University is one step closer to reality.

According to a news release from the school Friday, the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education voted Friday to approve Murray State University’s proposal to start a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program.

Murray State will next seek provisional accreditation from the American Veterinary Medical Association’s  Council on Education. If successful, MSU would be the first public university in Kentucky to offer a veterinary program, with the first students possibly being admitted as early as fall 2028.

The university has been pursuing a veterinary medicine program for over 50 years, dating back to initial legislative efforts in the 1970s

In 2024 and 2025, legislative efforts (House Bill 400 and Senate Bill 189) were introduced to remove prohibitions on placing veterinary schools on regional campuses.

Dr. Laura Ken Hoffman, who was chosen last fall to be the founding dean of the future vet school, said Murray State's proposed DVM program was developed to address the shortage of veterinarians in Kentucky and surrounding areas by focusing on recruiting students who want to work in underserved, rural areas.