The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies is one of the oldest veterinary school's in the world, founded in 1823 by William Dick. Commonly referred to as the Dick Vet, it is the veterinary school of the University of Edinburgh and part of the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine.

In 2011 a new, purpose-built teaching facility opened, relocating teaching and staff from Summerhall to Easter Bush. For the first time all teaching and almost all facilities were consolidated onto one Campus.

Marking two centuries of veterinary expertise, the Dick Vet celebrated its bicentenary year in 2023 with a series of events and activities throughout the year at the School and beyond, including an alumni event, a gala dinner, lectures and a conference.

The rich interdisciplinary research environment at The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies consistently attracts world-class research scientists and an exceptional level of funding from government, business, and industry. 

Research spans all aspects of veterinary medicine, from molecules and genes through to animal and human populations with a focus on:

• the improvement of health and welfare of domestic animal species;

• the protection of public health;

• alleviation of human poverty (in the context of tropical diseases).

• providing holistic solutions to global challenges in human and veterinary medicine and the livestock industry.

Most research is carried out within the Roslin Institute, which is incorporated within the School and is the major centre of research. Together, they aim to make a real difference to animal and human health and the partnership with the Medical School is summed up in the ethos - One Health. 

The Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies has embarked on an ambitious capital programme to develop innovative large animal hospital facilities to offer clinical, education and research support to the equine industry with construction of an Equine Diagnostic Surgical and Critical Care Unit on the University of Edinburgh’s Easter Bush Campus.

Research Excellence

The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies has an outstanding environment in which to conduct scientific research, enabling outputs with an excellent impact on wider society, according to the latest national assessment of higher education institutions.

A multidisciplinary grouping of animal scientists, within The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, the Roslin Institute and Scotland's Rural College, provide a level of expertise that is unrivalled elsewhere in the world.

Together, over 600 scientists form an internationally unparalleled group focussed on the biology of companion and production animals, tackling pressing issues in animal genetics and genomics, development, health and welfare and their implications for human health.

In the Guardian University Guide 2022 league table for veterinary science, the Dick Vet has come top for the fifth year running. This  accomplishment was reflected in the high scores in teaching satisfaction and course satisfaction, with the School leading the way in both.

The Guardian Guide differentiates itself from other university guides in that it is aimed specifically at students who are trying to choose a course. It ranks universities and programmes on the areas that are most important to young people, such as how much they will benefit from teaching, the opinion of current students and their chances in the job market after graduation.

In a joint submission to the UK Research Excellence Framework 2021 exercise, research at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies (R(D)SVS), of which the Roslin Institute is a part, and Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) has been ranked number one in the UK for agriculture, food and veterinary sciences by combining Times Higher Education’s ratings for each institution.

The institutions’ research environment was classified to be 100 per cent world leading or internationally excellent for agriculture, food and veterinary sciences research. The Vet School and SRUC submission was also assessed as being 100 per cent world leading or internationally excellent in terms of the impact its research work has on wider society.