Basic information about practicals
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Each practical period has its own supervising teacher/professor, to whom a report about the practical must be submitted after the training period. Instructions for the report are provided by the supervising teacher/professor of that particular practical. More information about the practicals can be requested from the responsible teachers/professors, for example by email: (firstname.lastname@emu.ee)
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The teacher responsible for the practical provides guidance on completing the practical as well as on any documents and agreements related to it.
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Some practicals may be credited based on previous experience upon presentation of certificates (either previous work experience or previous practical periods from earlier studies). These include, for example, Practical Training on the Livestock Farm and Artificial Insemination and Veterinary Nurse Training.
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You may negotiate possible payment during the practical with the placement provider, but please remember that they are not obligated to pay students for practicals.
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Before arranging practical-related matters with the supervising teacher/professor, make sure that you have completed the prerequisite courses required for the practical.
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Always remember to have the practical agreement signed by the farm owner before the practical begins.
Mandatory practicals
2nd year or later
20-day production animal practical
(any production animal / stud farm)
Ragnar Leming
VL.0822 Practical training on the livestock farm (3 ECTS)
3rd year or later
20-day veterinary nurse / clinical assistant practical OR artificial insemination practical
(artificial insemination: approx. 50 inseminations)
Ants Kavak
VL.0821 Artificial insemination and veterinary nurse training (3 ECTS)
4th year at our university
Practical training in small animal emergency medicine
VL.0426 (2 ECTS)
Completed during the 4th year at our university
4th year summer – 5th year spring
University clinical practicals
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5 weeks small animals
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4 weeks production animals
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4 weeks horses
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These practicals can only be completed at the university clinic (Estonia, Finland, Erasmus).
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Completion may be possible already after the 4th year depending on completed clinical courses and current legislation.
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Small animals:
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Tuuli Vaino
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VL.1371 Practical training in small animal medicine (8 ECTS)
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Production animals:
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Els Rusi
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VL.1269 Practical training in production animal medicine (6 ECTS)
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Horses:
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Egne Kahro
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VL.1370 Practical training in equine medicine (6 ECTS)
5th year
Slaughterhouse practical (5 days)
Mati Roasto
VL.0833 Practical training in meat inspection (2 ECTS)
Implementation: 5 days at a slaughterhouse
5th year
Veterinary surveillance practical (10 days)
Dagni-Alice Viidu
VL.0828 Practical training in veterinary surveillance (2 ECTS)
Content: animal welfare reports, supervision of animal keeping
Can only be started from 1 February → practically only during the 5th year spring semester
6th year spring
Clinical practical (10 weeks)
VL.0178 / VL.0697 / VL.0468 (15 ECTS)
Specialisation options:
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small animals
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production animals
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horses
Placement:
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university clinic or
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private veterinary clinic
If the food hygiene module is chosen, this practical is not required and studies continue normally in the spring.
At any point during studies
Municipal veterinary practical (5 consecutive days)
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Not organised by our university – external placement
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Mandatory especially for Finnish students → required for veterinary licensing in Finland (see more below)
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Certificate must be submitted to the Finnish Food Authority (Ruokavirasto)
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Can be completed at any time during studies, but is often more useful later in the programme
Temporary permits
Important information regarding obtaining temporary permits can be found on the Finnish Food Authority (Ruokavirasto) website here.
Temporary right to work as a veterinary student in Finland (EMÜ students)
Starting from 1 January 2026, veterinary medicine students at the Estonian University of Life Sciences (EMÜ) may be granted the right to temporarily work as a substitute veterinarian in Finland if the following conditions are met:
1. Citizenship
The student must be an EU citizen.
2. Studies
All of the first five years of the EMÜ veterinary medicine programme must have been completed.
This also includes the mandatory:
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Meat inspection practical training
3. Mandatory clinical practicals (total 22 ECTS)
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VL.0426 – Small animal emergency medicine (2 ECTS)
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VL.1370 – Equine clinical practical (6 ECTS)
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VL.1269 – Production animal clinical practical (6 ECTS)
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VL.1371 – Small animal clinical practical (8 ECTS)
4. Additional requirement (3 ECTS)
The mandatory practicals total 22 ECTS.
In addition, at least 3 ECTS of elective practicals are required.
A minimum of 25 ECTS in total practical training must be completed.
You may choose one or more of the following, as long as the total requirement (25 ECTS) is met:
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VL.0057 – Equine night shifts (2 ECTS)
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VL.1374 – Small animal emergency/night shifts (3 ECTS)
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VL.1362 – Zoo/wildlife medicine (up to 15 ECTS, depending on duration/scope)
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To obtain the required additional 3 ECTS, extra weeks in university practicals may also be completed.
It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that at least the required additional 3 ECTS from elective practicals are completed.
In addition, obtaining a temporary licence requires that the applicant has completed a continuous 5-day introduction to the working conditions of a municipal veterinarian in Finland under the supervision of a practising municipal veterinarian (“municipal veterinary practical”). The supervising veterinarian must be a licensed veterinarian, and at least three of the five days must be weekdays.