Career/Program Overview
The trend toward group practices, increased client expectations of quality care, and an economic need to leverage Veterinarians’ productivity, have allowed veterinary technicians to play a greater role in providing nursing care and related medical services. Veterinary Technicians can assist the veterinarian as a nurse, lab technician, radiography technician, anesthetist, surgical nurse and client educator.
Curriculum-at-a-Glance
The Veterinary Technician program is an Associate in Applied Science degree. The degree consists of general education and veterinary technology core courses. Some of these core courses include: animal husbandry, veterinary surgical nursing, animal nursing, clinical labs, animal nutrition, pharmacology, pathology, comparative vet anatomy and physiology, applied diagnostic imaging and field experience.
Program/Degree Options
RCTC offers an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) Degree. The Associate in Applied Science Degree can be completed on a full-time basis in two years.
Program Start Date(s)
The Veterinary Technician courses are scheduled in a sequential manner. All students begin in the fall semester with the Veterinary Technician prerequisites.
Students who successfully complete the program prerequisites will be considered to advance into the second semester and year to obtain the Veterinary Technician Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree.
Application to the Veterinary Technician AAS degree program will occur during fall semester from the pool of students that are enrolled in prerequisite courses.
Career Opportunities/Information
Eighty-five percent of veterinary technicians and assistants are employed in private practice. * Most technicians are employed in a companion animal practice. The demand for trained technicians and assistants in other areas is rapidly expanding. Other employment opportunities include: biomedical facilities, diagnostic laboratories, colleges/universities, veterinary supply sales, zoos and wildlife facilities, the military, humane societies and animal control facilities, drug or feed manufacturing companies, industry or food safety inspection.
Accreditations/Articulations
The Higher Learning Commission accredits Rochester Community and Technical College.
The RCTC Veterinary Technology program is fully accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association.
For additional information on the most current list of RCTC program articulations see: www.rctc.edu/academics/articulations/
Additional Information
Program Plan: www.rctc.edu/academics/programs/
More Information: www.rctc.edu/contact/
Overview content updated: 2017-04-12