Program
The Small Animal Specialty Veterinary Internship at the University of Saskatchewan is for D.V.M. graduates seeking their first step toward specialty training. You’ll build clinical skills, knowledge, and experience in a selected small‑animal specialty, preparing you for competitive residency and graduate programs.
Why choose USask
- Gain focused clinical experience under faculty specialists.
- Build specialty skills in areas such as zoologic, exotic and wildlife medicine, ophthalmology, diagnostic imaging, internal medicine, surgery or neurology.
- Train in a state‑of‑the‑art, AVMA- and AAHA‑accredited teaching hospital and referral centre.
- Develop broad knowledge that strengthens your pathway to residency and board‑certified specialty training.
Quick facts
-
Expected length Thesis-based Course-based G.Cert. 1 year - Certificate requirements
- Class delivery in-person
- Supervisor approval is not required to apply
- Deadlines and admission details below
Groundbreakers in small animal clinical practice
Sharpen your clinical judgment and prepare for advanced specialty training. Grow as a confident clinician while contributing to high‑impact veterinary care.
Faculty
You do not need to identify a research supervisor for this program. You may however, be interested in the research interests of our faculty.
| Name | Research areas |
|---|---|
| Pain management, electrical impedance tomography | |
| Veterinary Ophthalmology | |
| Avian and canine orthopedic and soft tissue injuries | |
| Resuscitative techniques, Fluid resuscitation, Acute kidney injuries, Sepsis | |
| Patient quality of life, human-animal bond, novel cancer therapy development, comparative oncology | |
| Veterinary radiation oncology, medical physics, oncologic imaging | |
| Avian, exotic and wildlife medicine including projects related to avian renal portal system, ferret diseases and the rabbit's gastrointestinal system | |
| Veterinary ophthalmology, congenital stationary night blindness, equine recurrent uveitis | |
| Soft tissue surgery, lumbosacral stenosis, neurosurgery, urogenital surgery | |
| Radioisotopes as an alternative treatment for infectious diseases in dogs and cats, feline obesity, intraosseous bone marrow | |
| Medical education and cross sectional imaging (CT and MRI) | |
| Oncology | |
| MRI technology, degenerative myelopathy in the German Shepherd dog |
Tuition and funding
Funding
The College of Western Veterinary Medicine will provide salary support for qualified students. Further, a fellowship is available from the College to cover a portion of tuition costs for both Canadian and international students.
Tuition
Course-based master's, certificate or postgraduate diploma program
Students in course-based programs pay tuition for each class they take. Every class is assigned a number of credit units (usually three) which determines their cost. If a student is not enrolled in any classes for a term, they will need to register in a 'Maintenance of Status' class that is assessed tuition equivalent to 3 credit units to stay in their program.
Graduate students in course-based programs registered in any undergraduate classes will be assessed tuition for these classes at the undergraduate rate. International graduate students in these programs registered in undergraduate courses, whether or not the classes are part of their program of study, will also be assessed the undergraduate international tuition.
| Canadian students | International students | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per graduate credit unit | ||
| Maintenance of Status course | ||
| Cost per 3 credit unit graduate class |
Student fees
In addition to tuition above, students also pay fees for programs like health and dental insurance, a bus pass, and other campus services. The amount you need to pay depends on if you are taking classes full time or part time, and if you are on campus or not. The table below assumes you are on campus full-time.
| Fall 2026 | Winter 2027 | Spring 2027 | Summer 2027 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student fees | $617.36 CAD | $854.96 CAD | $46.75 CAD | $46.75 CAD |
Tuition is typically billed and due in instalments, four times per year. Tuition information is accurate for the current academic year and does not include student fees. For detailed tuition and fees information, visit the official tuition website.
Admission requirements
Graduate Certificate (G.Cert.)
Applicants must be accepted for an internship to be eligible for admission to the certificate program.
- A Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.), or equivalent, from a recognized college or university
- A cumulative weighted average of at least a 70% (USask grade system equivalent) in the last two years of study (i.e. 60 credit units)
- Eligibility for restricted, educational SVMA licensure to practice veterinary medicine in Saskatchewan
- Language Proficiency Requirements: Proof of English proficiency may be required for international applicants and for applicants whose first language is not English
Application process and deadlines
Deadlines and important dates
Most applications will be completed through VIRMP (Veterinary Internship and Residency Matching Program).
| Start Term | Application Deadline |
|
July 15 |
Consult the VIRMP website for admission deadlines. |
Submit an online application
International Students - Master’s and doctoral students applying for a study permit do not need a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL). Certificate and Postgraduate Diploma students, as well as Visiting Research students studying over six months, still need a PAL. Review federal international study permit policies before you apply.
Interested students can begin an application through the American Association of Veterinary Clinicians residency matching program. We typically offer eight internship opportunities each year.
Once you have been successfully matched to this program, you will be asked to being a formal application to the University of Saskatchewan. Further details will be provided at that time.
Please contact the department below if you have any questions at all about this program or how to apply.
Note: Applications to some internships, such as Ophthalmology, are made directly to the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences.
Contact
Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences
52 Campus Drive
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4
Graduate Chair – Clinical Programs
Valerie MacDonald Dickinson
Email: valerie.macdonald@usask.ca
Graduate Chair - Thesis Programs
Behzad Toosi
Email: behzad.toosi@usask.ca
Graduate Program Co-ordinator
Marissa Evans
Email: sacs.gradstudies@usask.ca
- Small Animal Clinical Sciences
Learn more about the academic unit offering this program - Program and Course Catalogue
To view official admission and program requirements