The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki was founded in 1950, pursuant to Law no. 1776/51. The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine was organized into a school pursuant to Law no. 1268/82, and a year later, pursuant to the presidential decree 130/83, it became part of the newly established Faculty of Geotechnical Sciences, which consisted of a) the School of Veterinary Medicine, b) the School of Agriculture, and c) the School of Forestry and Natural Environment. In 2005, pursuant to the ministerial decision 27905/Β1 (Government Gazette 398/28-2-2005), the School of Veterinary Medicine was organized into a single-school faculty.

Pursuant to the presidential decree 799/75, a graduate studies programme was launched with the aim to provide students of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine with specialization in the following fields of study: a) Animal Husbandry and Farm Animal Nutrition, b) Animal Products Technology, c) Animal Products Hygiene, d) Artificial Insemination and Pathology of Animal Reproduction, e) Aviculture and Pathology of Birds, f) Breeding and Pathology of Pigs, g) Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, h) Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, i) Pathological Anatomy, j) Veterinary Pathology, and k) Veterinary Surgery. However, students were provided with specialization only in Animal Products Hygiene and in Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Due to lack of equipment and resources, though, courses were no longer available after 1985, even in the two fields mentioned above.

In the academic year 2006-2007, a graduate studies programme was launched (Government Gazette 144/8-2-2006, issue Β′), providing specialization in five fields of study. At present, a graduate programme is available in “Breeding and Pathology of Productive Animals”, with specialization in two fields: a) Breeding and Pathology of Ruminants, and b) Breeding and Pathology of Pigs and Birds. A graduate programme in “Pet Surgery” is also available.

The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine offers:

• BA Honours degree in Veterinary Medicine, upon completion of 10 semesters of study, and
• MA and PhD degrees, as part of its graduate studies programme (see above).

The laboratories and the secretariat of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine are located in its building facilities in the main university campus, while its clinics are housed in a complex located in 11 Stavrou Voutira street, in the west side of the city (near the new railway station), as well as in the facilities in the university farm, located in Kolhiko, Langadas.

The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine consists of administrative and educational-research units. It is administered by the General Assembly (G.A.), the Administrative Board (A.B.), the Chair and Vice Chair. The General Assembly is the supreme administrative body of the Faculty. The General Assembly decides on the curriculum, policy and organization of the Faculty, issues regarding the exams schedule, as well as it examining and dealing with the requests of the departments and members of the Faculty.

The Faculty is also administered by the Curriculum Committee, the Research Ethics Committee, the Doctoral Committee, the University Farm Committee, the Strategic Planning Committee, the Assessment Committee of the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (E.A.E.V.E.), the Coordination Committee of the Graduate Studies Programme and the External Evaluation Committee.

Since it was founded, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki has offered 3,943 BA degrees in Veterinary Medicine and 342 PhD degrees. So far, 10 foreign scientists, who have contributed greatly to the development of the Faculty of Veterinary Science, as well as to the development of veterinary science in general, have been appointed Honorary Professors. Moreover, 27 scientists were appointed Senior Lecturers to the Faculty, when this post was in effect, that is, from 1954 to 1982.

Since 2000, a list of the veterinary medical institutions in Europe that are visited by experts of the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (E.A.E.V.E.) has been drawn up. Members of the relevant committees evaluate the studies offered by the faculties, schools and universities they visit, and decide whether the services offered meet the quality standards set.

In November-December 2001, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki was evaluated by an experts committee of the E.A.E.V.E., which consisted of five members who came from the Netherlands, Sweden, Poland, Portugal and Switzerland. The committee members were accompanied by a secretary and a coordinator.

The evaluation results were positive and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the Aristotle University was included in the list of approved European Union veterinary medical institutions drawn by the E.A.E.V.E. It needs to be noted that the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine is the only Faculty in Greece which has been positively evaluated by external-independent evaluators.