Throughout this two-year diploma program you will gain the knowledge and skills to assist and support veterinary practitioners, public health officers and biomedical research scientists.
You will study a variety of subjects, including nutrition, clinical pathology, microbiology, radiography, anatomy, physiology and genetics. These studies will provide you with a strong grasp on animal behaviour, nursing and care.
The curriculum is taught by expert faculty who collaborate with students, graduates and industry professionals on applied research projects in the sector.
To practice in Ontario as a Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT), you must meet and maintain the qualifications set by the Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians. You must also complete the Veterinary Technician National Examination.
For more information on RVT qualifications, please visit oavt.org.
Ontario College Diploma
4 Semesters (2 Years)
September
This program is offered in Seneca's hybrid delivery format with some courses available in Seneca's flexible delivery format. Some coursework is online and some must be completed in person. Students will need to come on campus to complete in-person learning requirements. For courses offered in the flexible delivery format, professors use innovative learning spaces and technology to teach students in a classroom or lab and broadcast in real time to students attending remotely. In flexible courses, students have the choice of coming on campus or learning online.
As a student in this program, if all academic requirements are met, you will have the opportunity to participate in a professional Field Placement for course credit. Field placements take place in a veterinary setting external to the college or your employer. Your first three semesters of the Veterinary Technician program include internal clinical placement shifts in our Animal Health Centre to build proficiency and confidence prior to your external field placement in fourth semester.
When you graduate from this program, these are the types of career options you can explore:
You will also have the opportunity to become affiliated with the following associations:
| Course Code | Course Name | Weekly Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | ||
| APY112 | Veterinary Comparative Anatomy and Physiology | 6 |
| BOA112 | Behaviour of Animals | 3 |
| CCA112 | Clinical Care of Animals I | 2 |
| CLP100 | Veterinary Clinical Laboratory Procedures I | 2 |
| COM101 | Communicating Across Contexts | 3 |
| or COM111 | Communicating Across Contexts (Enriched) | |
| ETY100 | Veterinary Etymology | 1 |
| MED101 | Medical Clinics I | 4 |
| VMT112 | Veterinary Pharmaceutical Mathematics I | 1 |
| plus: General Education Course (1) | 3 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| BUG200 | Parasitology | 4 |
| CCA212 | Clinical Care of Animals II | 2 |
| CLP200 | Veterinary Clinical Laboratory Procedures II | 3 |
| MED200 | Medical Clinics II and Diseases | 6 |
| NOA212 | Nutrition of Animals I | 1 |
| PMY200 | Pharmacology | 4 |
| RAD212 | Introductory Radiography | 3 |
| VMT200 | Veterinary Pharmaceutical Mathematics | 2 |
| plus: General Education Course (1) | 3 | |
| Semester 3 | ||
| CCA312 | Clinical Care of Animals III | 3 |
| CLP303 | Veterinary Clinical Laboratory Procedures III | 4 |
| LAS312 | Large and Small Mammal Studies | 4 |
| MED300 | Medical Clinics III: Dentistry | 2 |
| RAD312 | Advanced Radiography | 3 |
| SGT312 | Veterinary Anaesthesia and Surgical Techniques | 8 |
| VPL300 | Introduction to Clinical Field Placement | 1 |
| plus: General Education Course (1) | 3 | |
| Semester 4 | ||
| CCA412 | Clinical Care of Animals IV | 3 |
| CLP400 | Veterinary Clinical Laboratory Procedures IV | 3 |
| EXO412 | Exotics | 3 |
| GEB312 | Genetics and Bioethics | 3 |
| MED400 | Medical Clinics IV and Dentistry | 2 |
| NOA412 | Nutrition of Animals II | 1 |
| SGT412 | Surgery II | 4 |
| VPL400 | Field Placement | 7 |
| VTE400 | Hospital and Career Management | 2 |
Note: The following course will not fulfil a General Education requirement: NAT160 Natural Science: Nutrition.
This Seneca program has been validated by the Credential Validation Service as an Ontario College Credential as required by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities.
As a graduate, you will be prepared to reliably demonstrate the ability to:
Preadmission testing is not permitted to meet (or satisfy) the academic prerequisites for this program.
Details on how and when to submit your online applicant profile will be shared with you after applying to the program.
Admission to this program is highly competitive. Applicants are ranked based on academic and online profile strength. Only the top ranked applicants will be offered a seat in the program.
Recommended upgrading for applicants who do not meet academic subject requirements.
To be eligible for promotion into semester two, students must have a completed a "Clearance Review" through Concise Health that includes:
Caring for animals on campus is a mandatory component of the Veterinary Technician program. All students will be assigned clinical shifts in order to immerse themselves in the hospital environment. Students will work with and care for a range of species. Shifts will be between two and eight hours in length and may start as early as 6:30 a.m. and end as late as 7 p.m. Students may also be required to work weekends. All students must participate in their assigned shifts throughout the program.
Clinical field placements are in a variety of locations. Students will be instrumental in choosing their host location. Placements may be eight to 12-hour days starting as early as 6:00 a.m. and may include weekends and evenings. Students are required to provide their own transportation.
Ontario Veterinary Technician programs are responsible for providing their enrolled students with opportunities to develop the knowledge, behaviours, attitudes and clinical skills required to enter into the profession of Registered Veterinary Technology in Ontario.
The description of the essential requirements is included in the published bylaws of the Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians.
These standards are not intended to exclude individuals who may require reasonable accommodation to achieve competency development. It is advisable to discuss such accommodations and/or learning support with the Counselling & Accessible Learning Services during the pre-admission or admission phase.
After admission but before beginning classes, students must obtain a pre-exposure immunization for rabies.
To succeed in the program, you must be able to demonstrate the ability to lift 25 kilograms and restrain animals unassisted.
As a leader in academic pathways, we offer a range of options that will allow you to take your credential further in another Seneca program or a program at a partner institution.
To learn more about your eligibility, visit the Academic Pathways web page.
Print this page.
The PDF will include all information unique to this page.