Murray State University leaders and local officials broke ground Wednesday on a new facility that’s expected to house Kentucky’s first doctorate of veterinary medicine program, and will also provide new spaces for undergraduate veterinary science classes.
State lawmakers allocated $60 million in 2024 for Murray State to build a new veterinary sciences facility and “enhance existing and future programs,” according to a university release.
While the idea for a veterinary medicine program at Murray State was first proposed in the 1970s, the far western Kentucky school renewed a push in 2023 to open Kentucky’s first veterinary medicine school to address a shortage of veterinarians in the region and across the state – especially those who provide care for livestock and other large animals.
After legislative attempts to approve Murray State’s veterinary school proposal failed, a 2025 bill opened the door for Kentucky’s comprehensive universities – like MSU – to offer new doctoral programs after gaining approval from the Council on Postsecondary Education. The CPE approved Murray State’s proposal in January to offer a doctorate of veterinary medicine degree.
MSU President Ron Patterson said the veterinary sciences building represents a “bold step forward” in the university’s role in preparing a workforce to meet state and regional needs.
“Murray State has dreamed for this day for over 50 years. Because of your support, the College of Veterinary Medicine moved from a dream on a blueprint to reality on this campus,” Patterson told the crowd of over 150 supporters – including students, staff, faculty, community members and several state legislators who represent far western Kentucky.
Before the college can officially open its doors, Patterson said MSU’s vet school proposal first needs to move through the American Veterinary Medicine Association accreditation process and receive provisional accreditation. The CPE officials have previously said students could be admitted to Murray State’s proposed veterinary college as early as fall 2028.
Travis Powell, the CPE’s executive vice president, was also on hand Wednesday. He said agriculture is one of Kentucky’s most important economic drivers and that Murray State is aiding the sector by investing in training people to care for farm animals in the future.
“This new veterinary sciences building represents exactly the kind of forward-looking initiative we strive to support across Kentucky's postsecondary system,” Powell said. “It aligns education with workforce needs, strengthens key industries and expands opportunities for students to succeed in high-demand, high-impact careers.”
The one-story building, which will cover over 88,000 square feet, will include classrooms and laboratories, student common areas, offices and support space. The facility is being built at MSU’s West Farm Center, one of the university’s five farm properties.
George Long, a member of the Murray State University Foundation’s board of trustees, said the nonprofit corporation would provide $500,000 per year for the next five years to support the new facility and the launch of MSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
Murray State’s Hutson College of Agriculture dean Brian Parr said MSU has around 450 students combined in its undergraduate pre-veterinary medicine and veterinary technology programs, a number school officials say is the highest such enrollment out of any Kentucky university.
University officials expect the full construction process to take around two years.
