Campus
Duration
2 Semesters (8 Months)
Credential Awarded
Ontario College Certificate

Program and course delivery

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.

About the Program

Throughout this eight-month certificate program, you will gain the essential skills needed to effectively assist veterinary professionals in the practice of veterinary science. To prepare you for a career as a veterinary assistant, you will be provided with a variety of basic laboratory skills and techniques to diagnose and treat domestic animals.

You will gain a comprehensive understanding of:

  • Animal health and disease

  • Sanitation and disinfection

  • Animal husbandry 

  • Medical terminology

  • Veterinary software applications

  • Client communication

  • Ethical conduct  

  • Laboratory procedures

Skills

Throughout this program you will develop the following skills:

  • Knowledge and practice for laboratory techniques
  • Clerical and administrative skills

  • Behaviour and restraint techniques 

  • Basic surgical and radiology skills

  • Animal grooming

Work Experience

Field Placement

As a student in this program, if all academic requirements are met in the first and second semesters, you will have the opportunity to participate in an unpaid field placement. Field placements take place in a professional setting outside of Seneca, two weeks after completion of classes during the second semester.

Your Career

When you graduate from this program, these are the types of career options you can explore:

  • Veterinary clinics
  • Animal shelters
  • Research institutes
  • Grooming salons
  • Wildlife facilities