Study Vet Assistant and Office Administration
Join the growing pet care industry with the knowledge and skills needed to work in front office administration supporting pets and their owners.
This short, 1-year program is focused on training students and preparing them to enter the veterinary and pet care industry workforces. You’ll gain practical skills in front office administration, business communications, client relations, and preventative health care for pets. All essential skills to be a veterinary assistant.
Program Benefits
Explore professional software
Graduate with working knowledge of office equipment and current veterinary industry software programs.
Work with animals
You will develop practical and transferable skills working with the teaching cat and dog colonies.
Learn from the best
Learn from registered veterinary technicians (RVTs), veterinarians, and instructors with industry related business/office administration expertise.
2
on-campus small animal colonies
1
veterinary industry accreditation.
4-week
industry work placement.
Program Notes
- This program is accredited by the National Association of Veterinary Technology in America (NAVTA).
- It is a mandatory requirement that students are vaccinated against rabies and hold a valid titre. It is recommended that students have their booster series completed (and titre checked) before starting the program. If this is not possible, an opportunity to be immunized on campus will be provided during the first week of classes
Required Courses
Semester One
Semester Two
Notes
- The Veterinary Office Administration Certificate requires the completion of 12 courses total (6.0 credits)
- This program is delivered full-time, in person during the Fall and Winter semesters
- Successful completion of a 4-week Industry Work Placement at the end of semester 2 is also required
- There are no electives in this program
Careers
- Veterinary client services rep
- Veterinary clinic front office assistant
- Grooming/Pet boarding entrepreneur
- Clinic office manager
- Pet care supply representative
- Pet store entrepreneur
- Veterinary assistant
There are currently 9 career opportunities posted on the job posting page
Admissions
- Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or Equivalent
- A minimum cumulative average of 65% in 6 Grade 11 or Grade 12 U, C, M, or O level courses (excludes Co-op credits)
- Includes a minimum of Grade 11C Math and Grade 12C English
- Or apply under Mature Student Status: Applicants don't have a high school diploma/equivalent but are 19 years of age or older and out of high school for a minimum of 1 year; pre-admission testing may be required
- The official secondary school (high school) graduation certificate/diploma that would admit you to an internationally recognized university in your home country is normally acceptable for applications to our programs
- For further details on out-of-country admission requirements, including the General Certificate of Education (GCE), please refer to the University of Guelph's website at admission.uoguelph.ca/international
- Official documents should come directly from the issuing institution or accreditation body in their official, sealed envelope. Where English translations are needed, please have the documents verified and sent by the issuing academic institution
- Post-secondary transcripts must be assessed by World Education Services (WES). Both a Credentialed assessment and a course-by-course assessment is required. Supporting documentation should be uploaded to your Ontario Colleges Application Account
English Proficiency
Applicants will be required to present evidence of English proficiency if:
- Your first language is not English, and
- You have had less than four years of full-time secondary or post-secondary school demonstrating satisfactory academic progress in an English-language school system
The following are acceptable English proficiency tests and their related competence levels. Results must not be dated more than 2-years prior to application:
Test | Competence Level |
---|---|
International English Language Testing System (IELTS, ielts.org) | Minimum overall score of 6.5 with no band less than 6 |
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL, toefl.org) | Internet Based: minimum total score of 89 with no individual scaled score of less than 21 Computer Based: minimum score of 250 Paper Based: minimum score of 600 with a score of 5 |
Canadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL, cael.ca) | Minimum overall band score of 70 |
Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB, isa.umich.edu/eli/testing/melab) | Minimum overall score of 85 including composition score of 83 and oral score of 3 |
Pearson Test of English (PTE, pearsonpte.com) | Minimum overall score of 60 with no score less than 60 in the individual components |
Advanced Level of English Language Certificate Program (ELCP, eslguelph.ca) | Successful completion of the University of Guelph's Open Learning Advanced Level ELCP (levels 9 and 10) is also considered an acceptable form of testing |
Fees
Ontario Resident Year 1 Approximate Costs | In CAD |
---|---|
Tuition | $7,906.26 |
Compulsory Fees | $1,823.26 |
Textbooks | $284.00 |
Residence (Double Room) | $3,420.00 |
Meal Plan | $4,261.00 |
Total | $17,694.52 |
Out of Province Year 1 Approximate Costs | In CAD |
---|---|
Tuition | $8,301.57 |
Compulsory Fees | $1,823.26 |
Textbooks | $284.00 |
Residence (Double Room) | $3,420.00 |
Meal Plan | $4,261.00 |
Total | $18,089.83 |
International Year 1 Approximates Costs | In CAD |
---|---|
Tuition | $24,098.48 |
Compulsory Fees | $2,579.26 |
Textbooks | $284.00 |
Residence (Double Room) | $3,420.00 |
Meal Plan | $4,261.00 |
Total | $34,642.74 |
Estimates based on 2022-2023 fee schedule.
Facilities
- Anatomy Lab
- Nursing rooms
- Lecture halls
- Computer labs
- Classrooms
- Vet Tech Student Lounge
- Library and Resource Centre
- Student residence
- Cafeteria
- Gymnasium