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Veterinary technology student holding a cat

Veterinary Technology - A.A.S.

Join the caring community of veterinary professionals with the Veterinary Technology Associate Degree. Learn hands-on skills and gain experience in a variety of animal care settings. Enroll now and make a difference in the lives of animals.

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Kimberly Huston | Academic Program Director | Veterinary Technology
Phone: 330-339-3391
Email: khuston4@kent.edu

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Associate's Degree in Veterinary Technology

The Associate of Applied Science degree in Veterinary Technology prepares graduates to serve as veterinary technicians performing support functions, including routine laboratory and clinical procedures.

Program Information for Veterinary Technology - A.A.S.

Program Description

Full Description

The Associate of Applied Science degree in Veterinary Technology prepares graduates to serve as veterinary technicians performing support functions, including routine laboratory and clinical procedures. Other growing employment opportunities are expected in biomedical research, diagnostic laboratories, wildlife facilities, humane societies and animal control facilities.

Upon completion, graduates are eligible to take the Veterinary Technician National Examination, which is a step in the process to pursue registration in the State of Ohio.

Professional Licensure Disclosure

This program is designed to prepare students to sit for applicable licensure or certification in Ohio. If you plan to pursue licensure or certification in a state other than Ohio, please review state educational requirements for licensure or certification and contact information for state licensing boards at Kent State's website for professional licensure disclosure.

Admissions for Veterinary Technology - A.A.S.

Admission Requirements

The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students who graduated from high school three or more years ago.

Kent State campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, and the Twinsburg Academic Center, have open enrollment admission for students who hold a high school diploma, GED or equivalent.

Some programs may require that students meet certain requirements before progressing through the program. For programs with progression requirements, the information is shown on the Coursework tab.

For more information on admissions, contact the Regional Campuses admissions offices.

Coursework

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

Major Requirements (courses count in major GPA; min C grade required in all courses)
VTEC 10001INTRODUCTION TO VETERINARY TECHNOLOGY 2
VTEC 10002VETERINARY NURSING I 3
VTEC 10003VETERINARY PHARMACOLOGY I 2
VTEC 10204CLINICAL LABORATORY I 3
VTEC 10205VETERINARY NURSING II 3
VTEC 20001NUTRITION OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS FOR VETERINARY TECHNICIANS 2
VTEC 20002DISEASES OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS FOR VETERINARY TECHNICIANS 2
VTEC 20003VETERINARY PHARMACOLOGY II 2
VTEC 20008CLINICAL LABORATORY II 3
VTEC 20009LARGE ANIMAL NURSING 3
VTEC 20010IMAGING TECHNIQUES 3
VTEC 20212SURGERY AND ANESTHESIA 3
VTEC 20215VETERINARY OFFICE APPLICATIONS 1
VTEC 20216LABORATORY AND EXOTIC ANIMAL MEDICINE 2
VTEC 20392PRACTICUM IN VETERINARY HOSPITAL (ELR) 5
Additional Requirements (courses do not count in major GPA; min C grade required in all courses)
BSCI 10005SMALL ANIMAL ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY FOR VETERINARY TECHNICIANS 4
BSCI 20021BASIC MICROBIOLOGY 3
BSCI 20022BASIC MICROBIOLOGY LABORATORY 1
CHEM 10050FUNDAMENTALS OF CHEMISTRY (KBS) 3
or CHEM 10055 MOLECULES OF LIFE (KBS)
UC 10001FLASHES 101 1
Kent Core Composition3
Kent Core Mathematics and Critical Reasoning3
Kent Core Humanities and Fine Arts3
Kent Core Social Sciences3
Minimum Total Credit Hours:63

Progression Requirements

All students in the Veterinary Technology program must complete all coursework in sequence before continuing to the next level.

To be able to register for Veterinary Technology (VTEC) courses, students must be accepted to technical study. Acceptance into technical study is selective and requires a separate application process. Students interested in the program must attend an information session prior to application. Criteria for acceptance is the following:

  • Minimum 2.500 college or high school overall GPA

Graduation Requirements

Minimum Major GPA Minimum Overall GPA
2.000 2.000
Roadmap

Roadmap

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Plan of Study Grid
Semester OneCredits
BSCI 10005 SMALL ANIMAL ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY FOR VETERINARY TECHNICIANS 4
CHEM 10050
or CHEM 10055
FUNDAMENTALS OF CHEMISTRY (KBS)
or MOLECULES OF LIFE (KBS)
3
UC 10001 FLASHES 101 1
!VTEC 10001 INTRODUCTION TO VETERINARY TECHNOLOGY 2
!VTEC 10002 VETERINARY NURSING I 3
!VTEC 10204 CLINICAL LABORATORY I 3
 Credit Hours16
Semester Two
VTEC 10003 VETERINARY PHARMACOLOGY I 2
!VTEC 10205 VETERINARY NURSING II 3
VTEC 20001 NUTRITION OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS FOR VETERINARY TECHNICIANS 2
VTEC 20008 CLINICAL LABORATORY II 3
VTEC 20215 VETERINARY OFFICE APPLICATIONS 1
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours14
Semester Three
BSCI 20021 BASIC MICROBIOLOGY 3
BSCI 20022 BASIC MICROBIOLOGY LABORATORY 1
VTEC 20002 DISEASES OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS FOR VETERINARY TECHNICIANS 2
VTEC 20003 VETERINARY PHARMACOLOGY II 2
!VTEC 20010 IMAGING TECHNIQUES 3
!VTEC 20212 SURGERY AND ANESTHESIA 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours17
Semester Four
!VTEC 20009 LARGE ANIMAL NURSING 3
VTEC 20216 LABORATORY AND EXOTIC ANIMAL MEDICINE 2
!VTEC 20392 PRACTICUM IN VETERINARY HOSPITAL (ELR) 5
Kent Core Requirement 6
 Credit Hours16
 Minimum Total Credit Hours:63
Program Delivery
  • Delivery:
    • In person
  • Location:
    • Trumbull Campus
    • Tuscarawas Campus
Accreditation for Veterinary Technology - A.A.S.

The A.A.S. degree in Veterinary Technology is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Veterinary Technology at Kent State University at Tuscarawas and Trumbull

Do you love animals and want to be part of a veterinary care team? Our accredited Veterinary Technology program, offered at both the Tuscarawas and Trumbull campuses, is preparing students for careers in veterinary practices, animal hospitals and farms of all sizes.

The Associate of Applied Science in Veterinary Technology (VTEC) program is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and approved by the Ohio Board of Regents. The program is offered in its entirety at both the Tuscarawas and Trumbull campuses. 

To prepare Veterinary Technicians, our curriculum provides combined studies of college level general education courses and rigorous course work in science, animal health, management and veterinary medical concepts. Kent State University at Tuscarawas looks for highly motivated students interested in becoming Veterinary Technicians. The program also looks for individuals with animal experience, who will enjoy working with animals and who have an understanding of the field of veterinary technology and medicine.

Veterinary Technicians are involved in many different aspects of veterinary medicine and perform many of the duties vital to excellent patient and client care in a hospital setting. The term veterinary nurse has been used the help the public relate to what a veterinary technician does, but it would be more accurate to say that a veterinary technician is a nurse, dental hygienist, surgical assistant, scrub nurse, radiology technician, lab technician, microbiologist, client service specialist, communications expert, transcriptionist, pharmacology technician, manager, nutritionist, animal trainer, behavior counselor and sanitation specialist.

The Veterinary Technology program, which was first offered in Fall 2006, welcomes new students once yearly with 48 openings at the Tuscarawas Campus and 24 openings at the Trumbull campus.

Program Admission

Students interested in veterinary technology or becoming a Veterinary Technician should carefully review the Information Packet and Program Application. Applications and required forms are due in March each year.

  • A minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.7 for college level applicants and 3.0 for high school applicants is required in order to apply to the program. Applications will not be considered for students not meeting the minimum GPA requirement.
  • A minimum of 15 hours of field experience is required for all applicants applying to the program. Field experience is defined as volunteering, observing, or shadowing at a veterinary practice, preferably one in which a registered veterinary technician is employed. An applicant can gain points for program admission if they have 40 or more field experience hours. A Field Experience Form must be submitted with the Program Application in order to receive consideration.
  • Program Vaccination Updates for the 2022-2023 Academic Year – In a January 2022 update to the AVMA CVTEA Accreditation Policies and Procedures Manual, which is the program’s accrediting body, it is stated: “Standard 4e. Safety of students, program personnel, and animals must be of prime consideration. Students must be educated on rabies risk prior to working with animals. Prior to live animal use, students must be vaccinated against rabies or the program must implement a comprehensive rabies mitigation protocol as described in Appendix A. (Refer to Statement on Safety, Appendix A).”. Students are encouraged to receive their Rabies pre-exposure vaccination series prior to the start of the first semester of classes to ensure they do not run into any accrediting body compliance issues during their educational experience, which could affect or slow their progress towards graduation. Students who might not be able to receive this vaccination should speak with the Program Director prior to admission to the program.

Veterinary Technology Forms and Information

Licensure

Graduates of Kent State University’s Veterinary Technology program are eligible to take the Veterinary Technician National Exam (VTNE). Students must successfully pass the VTNE to be eligible for licensure in the state of Ohio;  In Ohio, licensure from the OVMLB is required to legally practice as a Registered Veterinary Technician. Applicants should contact the OVMLB at http://ovmlb.ohio.gov/ for information regarding licensure in the state of Ohio. Graduates must also pass a criminal background check. Graduates register with the Ohio Veterinary Medical Licensing Board (OVMLB) to become a Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) in the state of Ohio. Kent State’s graduates’ nationally competitive pass rates on the Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE) are a testament to the quality and rigor of this program.

Scholarships

Interested students can learn more about scholarships offered by searching Kent State Tuscarawas Scholarship Opportunities or by searching Kent State Trumbull Scholarship Opportunities. Additionally, students can find scholarship opportunities on the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in American website at www.navta.net. Students will need to create an account under the student section to be able to access the member-only sections of the website, which includes the scholarship information.

Learn More

Interested students are encouraged to visit the campus they'd like to attend so they can see the facilities, meet the program director and learn more about the campus and program curriculum.

  • Tuscarawas Campus
    Call 330-339-3391 to schedule a Welcome Visit or visit Visit Campus to learn about other visit opportunities.
    Contact:
    Dr. Kimberly Huston, Director of Veterinary Technology | 330-339-3391 | khuston4@kent.edu
  • Trumbull Campus
    Contact:
    Melissa Best, Coordinator of Veterinary Technology | 330-675-7633 | mbest4@kent.edu

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries for Veterinary Technology - A.A.S.

Those who complete the Associate of Applied Science degree in Veterinary Technology at Kent State University can benefit from specialized career opportunities in the veterinary technology industry.

Animal control workers

6.5%

faster than the average

13,900

number of jobs

$38,430

potential earnings

Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers

15.8%

much faster than the average

99,500

number of jobs

$29,930

potential earnings

Veterinary technologists and technicians

16.2%

much faster than the average

112,900

number of jobs

$36,260

potential earnings

Notice: Career Information Source
* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.