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Veterinary Technician Certificate Agriculture & Natural Resources Total Units: 24
Term Effective: Spring 2017

Description:

The Santa Rosa Junior College Veterinary Technician Certificate of Achievement program is designed to prepare students for Veterinary Technician careers with veterinarians and other professionals in the animal health care services.

The Veterinary Technician program equips students with the knowledge and introduces students to the procedures and skills necessary in the companion animal veterinary industry today. The Veterinary Technician Certificate curriculum satisfies students the state mandated academic knowledge and semester units requirements to pursue the Category 4 (Alternate Route Category) to become a Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT).

Upon completion of this certificate's 23-semester unit requirement AND 24 months (4416 hours) of outside practical experience working for a California licensed veterinarian, students satisfy the requirements to sit for the RVT examination in the State of California. The requirements for both coursework and practical experience must be completed within five years prior to the examination application date for registration as a Registered Veterinary Technician.

This part-time academic program is designed to be completed while the student is employed in a veterinary hospital. While the ideal student is already working as a Veterinary Assistant when they start this program, many students begin this program without any previous experience and find employment after completing their first few courses. Students typically complete this program over 3 or 4 semesters.

Pets have become an increasingly popular component of households across the country, and they play a major role in many people's lives. The corresponding rise in demand for pet care combined with the growing population in California has created a need for more Registered Veterinary Technicians, and Santa Rosa Junior College's Veterinary Technician Certificate Program will help meet this demand. Additionally, Veterinary Technicians are also employed in settings such as biomedical facilities, diagnostic laboratories, wildlife facilities, humane societies, animal control facilities, drug or food manufacturing companies, and food safety inspection facilities. Furthermore, demand for these workers will stem from the desire to replace veterinary assistants with more highly skilled technicians in animal clinics and hospitals, shelters, kennels, and humane societies.

The employment outlook for Registered Veterinary Technician’s is excellent. The number of positions is anticipated to grow by at least 40% at the local, state and national level over the next decade according to local, state (EDD) and federal (BLS) agencies. The current deficit of RVTs combined with the typical retirement rates, lack of any other educational option in a 5 county area, and general sector growth are anticipated to maintain a strong demand for RVTs in the foreseeable future.

Program Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of this program, the student will be able to:

  1. Be qualified to sit for the RVT exam in the State of California through the “Alternate Route” so long as students also complete their state mandated clinical experience hours;
  2. Demonstrate competency in the necessary knowledge required for common job tasks in a small animal veterinary hospital context; and
  3. Understand the directions from a veterinarian and discuss information to clients regarding common diseases, protocols and procedures in a small animal veterinary hospital context.

Program Requirements:

The requirements for the Veterinary Technician Certificate program are:

  • Complete 24 units from
    • Veterinary Technician Requirements

Veterinary Technician Requirements - complete 24.00 units
BIO 10Introduction to Principles of Biology4.00
ANHLT 50Veterinary Anatomy and Terminology3.00
ANHLT 52Small Animal Disease Recognition and Transmission Control3.00
ANHLT 120Small Animal Veterinary Assistance and Nursing3.00
ANHLT 121Veterinary Surgical and Dental Assistance3.00
ANHLT 141Small Animal Veterinary Anesthesia1.50
ANHLT 142Veterinary Pharmacology and Medical Calculations1.50
ANHLT 151Veterinary Laboratory and Imaging Procedures2.00
Complete any combination totaling at least 2.00 units from the following:
CourseDescriptionUnits
ANHLT 109Complementary and Alternative Veterinary Medicine2.00
ANHLT 123Small Animal Veterinary Emergencies2.00
ANHLT 126Veterinary Technician Review and Board Exam Preparation2.00
ANHLT 161Veterinary Medical Office Procedures2.00
Complete any combination totaling at least 1.00 units from the following:
CourseDescriptionUnits
AGRI 98Independent Study in Agriculture1.00-3.00
AGRI 99Agriculture Occupational Work Experience0.50-8.00
ANHLT 122Animal Nursing Field Practicum1.00
CI 51Community Involvement0.50-3.00

Term Effective: Spring 2017

The requirements for this program of study are effective beginning the semester shown above. If you began working on this program before the effective semester, you may not be affected by the changes. Consult with the program contact person or the department chair to determine your eligibility to complete the program under previous requirements.

Term Inactive: Fall 2018

Previous Versions:

Veterinary Technician - effective Fall 2015
Veterinary Technician - effective Fall 2014
Veterinary Technician - effective Spring 2012
Veterinary Technician - effective Fall 2011
Veterinary Technician - effective Fall 2010
Veterinary Technician - effective Fall 2008
Veterinary Technician - effective Fall 2007

Course Prerequisites and Advisories:

Courses in a program of study may have prerequisites or advisories; that is, courses that must or should be completed before taking that course. Please check for prerequisites or advisories by clicking on the course numbers in the Program Requirements section.

Contact
Information
Phone Email Website
(707) 527-4408
info-agnr@santarosa.edu
Agriculture & Natural Resources