American College of Theriogenologists (ACT): How to Become Board-Certified

A veterinary reproduction specialist is a veterinarian certified in theriogenology: a Diplomate of the American College of Theriogenologists.

The terms describe the same field: ACT's own materials call the veterinarians it certifies its "reproductive specialists."

Theriogenology is an AVMA-recognized veterinary specialty, and AVMA's list names no sub-specialties under the college; the credential is Diplomate of the American College of Theriogenologists.

AVMA counts 609 active ACT diplomates as of December 31, 2025, and the college describes the post-graduate training behind the credential as the groundwork for a certification examination that ends in Diplomate status.

What that training asks for, route by route, is what the rest of this page covers.

ACT's residency route — the college calls it the Standard or Traditional Training Route — starts from a prerequisite: candidates must be a graduate of an AVMA-accredited veterinary school, hold an ECFVG or PAVE certificate, or be legally qualified to practice veterinary medicine in some state, province, territory or country.

The route itself is a minimum of one year of clinical practice followed by a minimum of two additional years of training in an ACT-approved residency program.

Both figures are minimums the college states, so the realistic planning figure is at least three years of post-DVM commitment before the certifying examination.

The Mentorship/Alternate Route asks for a minimum of six years of post-graduate experience with a major emphasis in theriogenology, including at least 104 weeks in an ACT-approved, mentored training program — so the route fits veterinarians whose day-to-day work is already reproduction-heavy.

The Graduate Degree Training Route pairs post-DVM experience with a graduate degree: a minimum of three years plus an MSc, or a minimum of one year plus a PhD — and that pairing is not the whole route.

The college's route description adds a plan-of-study step: trainees submit a plan of study for review before beginning a mentored study program.

ACT says the experience may include clinical practice, teaching or research, but not activities performed while enrolled in the graduate program.

Both routes lead to the same certification examination and the same diplomate status as the residency route.

Registration happens at the start of training: ACT program registration carries a $250 registration fee, assessed as part of the application.

The certifying examination is a fixed date on the calendar — the 2027 exam runs Tuesday, July 13 through Wednesday, July 14, 2027, and the deadline for approved candidates to register each year is April 15.

Passing it leads to Diplomate status.

Certification then has to be kept: diplomates who achieved status in 2016 or after must maintain certification every 10 years or forfeit their ACT Diplomate status and can no longer claim it.