Veterinary Degrees Online

The Associate of Applied Science in Veterinary Technology program is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association and approved by the Ohio Board of Regents. The program, which began Fall Semester 2006, is structured to allow admission once a year with a maximum of 24 students admitted each fall. All students who graduate from an AVMA accredited program are required to pass a written board examination in order to earn a Registered Veterinary Technician License for the State of Ohio.

To prepare Veterinary Technicians, our curriculum provides combined studies of college level general education courses and rigorous course work in science, animal health, management and veterinary medical concepts. Kent State Tuscarawas looks for highly motivated students interested in becoming Veterinary Technicians. The program also looks for individuals with animal experience, who will enjoy working with animals and who have an understanding of the field of veterinary technology and medicine.

Students interested in veterinary technology or becoming a Veterinary Technician should review the Fact Sheet and Program Application at right as well as the course requirements listed below. Applications for admission into the Veterinary Technology are available on this Web site and in the main office of Founders Hall. The application deadline is April 1. Please note the application includes a form for documenting exposure to the veterinary field. Applicants should be able to document working, volunteering, shadowing or some other form of experience in the veterinary field if they are interested in becoming a veterinary technician through this program.

Skillful veterinary technicians may perform many of the same duties for a verterinarian that a nurse would do for a physician, including routine laboratory and clinical procedures. This program provides training in veterinary health and the handling of a variety of animals from the domestic to the exotic, as well as laboratory animals encountered in a veterinary practice or biomedical research setting. While veterinary technicians serve as important paraprofessional members of the veterinary medical team, veterinary technicians do not diagnose animal illnesses, prescribe treatment or perform surgery.

The program’s curriculum includes such topics as anatomy and physiology, radiology, parasitology, surgical nursing and assisting and other related scientific areas of veterinary health or related skills areas. The curriculum is not intended to provide admission to a college of veterinary medicine.

A critical component of the program is student participation in clinical internships.

To enter the program, students must meet the following admission requirements:

Completion of a high school diploma or GED.
Achievement of indicated assessment scores or completion of preparatory coursework.
Completion of ENG 131 – Technical Writing or ENG 121 – English Composition I with a grade of “C” or better.
Completion of BIO 111 – General College Biology with a grade of “C” or better (no more than 7 years old).
Completion of HPR 178 – Medical Terminology, with a grade of “C” or better.
Complete an Intent to Enroll (application) form available at the Larimer Campus.

Admission to the program is limited to the first 24 students (each fall and spring) who have submitted the appropriate admission materials. It is strongly recommended students complete the required general education courses prior to beginning the program.

The Veterinary Technician works under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian in assisting with animal health care, in a wide variety of employment settings. He/she is a valuable asset to the veterinary medical team. The role of a Vet Tech in an animal health care setting is a diverse and exciting one. The technician is expected to be knowledgeable in many areas of veterinary care. Some of these areas include: surgery, anesthesia, radiology, bandaging, pharmacology, dentistry, nutrition, laboratory procedures, animal care and handling, client communication, receptionist skills, and office management. Knowledge of a variety of species of animals is essential as well.

Program Overview:
The Veterinary Technology program at Pierpont Community College was established in 1976 and is one of approximately 100 such programs and is fully accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association. This accreditation qualifies graduates of the program to take the National Board Exam and the licensing exam in every state to become Registered Veterinary Technicians. This is a two-year associate degree program and is not a pre-veterinary medicine course of study.

Students in the program receive training in all aspects necessary to become educated, competent and professional Veterinary Technicians. Areas of study include: anatomy & physiology, chemistry, microbiology, parasitology, animal diseases, animal care and handling, pharmacology and clinical procedures relative to farm and laboratory animals. These areas of study involve both classroom lectures as well as practical laboratories using live animals.

As part of the educational program students receive practical experience by doing two preceptorships in two separate veterinary facilities. The student does have a choice in the type of facility in which to gain clinical experience. These preceptorships provide the student with over 500 hours of actual work experience and also the potential for job references or recommendations.

The need for formally trained veterinary technicians con- tinues to grow as veterinary facilities expand their services. Working jointly with Lehigh Carbon Community College, Northampton’s Veterinary Technician program will provide you with all the necessary coursework, hands-on training, guidance and experience you need to begin an exciting career working with animals.
Veterinary technicians are professionals, knowledgeable in the care and handling of various species, basic biologic principles,
and laboratory and clinical procedures. Technicians are employed by small and large animal veterinary facilities, the pet food industry, pharmaceutical research centers, zoo and wildlife organizations, and teaching and research institutions. The job opportunities are numerous and varied.
Program Features
Northampton’s program provides academic and practical experience through a combination of veterinary technology
and general education core courses. 33% of veterinary technology courses include laboratory experience including exposure to small, large and exotic species. The culminating
experience is a summer externship experience during which students can practice their clinical skills. Instruction is provided by practicing veterinarians and veterinary technicians
working in the field. Classes are held on the NCC and LCCC campuses. There is a clinical science laboratory on the Northampton campus and a Veterinary Training Facility adjacent to the LCCC campus provided exclusively for the veterinary technician students. Classes are offered during the day and the program takes 2 full years (fall, spring and summer to complete).

Veterinary assistants are becoming more important as valued members of the veterinary health care team in today’s modern practices. This one-year program prepares you to support veterinary technicians and veterinarians in a veterinary practice. Duties performed by veterinary assistants include animal restraint, preparing animals for surgery, care of surgical instruments and other equipment, care and feeding of in-patients, processing radiographs and front office procedures. Veterinary assistants are not trained to give injections, take blood samples, perform laboratory procedures, administer anesthetics, monitor patients during anesthesia and assist in surgery.

The MSU Veterinary Technology 2-yr program has been
continuously accredited by the AVMA since 1977.
The facilities include a fully functional veterinary clinic situated
on a 200-acre farm near the main campus.
Students in the program develop their skills on a wide variety of animals and take courses that contribute to their understanding of animal care and nursing.
We offer an excellent clinical program in which the students participate in all aspects of the clinical care of actual (not simulated) animal patients.
Our staff is comprised of veterinarians and veterinary technologists
who involve the students in all aspects of the clinical environment.
There is currently a shortage of veterinary technicians in all areas of the country.

Veterinary technicians and technologists are compassionate, highly motivated professionals dedicated to animal health care. Licensed veterinary technicians are integral members of the veterinary health care team that have been educated in the care and handling of animals, the basic principles of normal and abnormal life processes, and in routine laboratory and clinical procedures. Veterinary technicians work under the supervision of a veterinarian and are able to perform a wide variety of procedures, however they are not able to diagnose, perform surgery or prescribe.

Veterinary technicians and technologists enjoy the diverse medical responsibilities that are entrusted to them.

Veterinary technicians and technologists have a wide array of employment opportunities upon graduation. The may go into private practice, teaching, research, regulatory medicine, public health, zoo medicine, humane society work and many other veterinary and animal related positions.

Salaries for veterinary technicians and technologists vary depending on the degree earned, experience, responsibility, geographic location, and employment type. However the average salaries reported by MSU Veterinary Technology graduates range from $12 to $18 per hour.