Veterinary Administrative Assistant Certificate

Veterinary administrative assistants can find employment in veterinary practices, animal care agencies, shelters, and animal boarding facilities. Practices typically focus on companion animals or livestock and range in size from small clinics to large animal hospitals.

In recent years, growth in the veterinary industry has been driven by pet owners spending more on animal care and technological and medical advancements. The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association reports that fifty-seven per cent of Canadian households own pets and they’re spending more money than ever on their companions. According to the Canadian Pet Market Outlook, household spending on pets amounts to $9.2 billion today and will continue to rise.

Veterinary clinics that also offer non-medical services such as pet sitting, dog walking, pet daycare, grooming, and spas are best positioned to take advantage of the boom in pet spending.

Veterinary administrative assistants who find this work rewarding may choose to pursue further studies to start a career as a veterinary technician or a veterinarian.

View program information in the UFV Academic Calendar.

Courses

UFV’s Veterinary Administrative Assistant certificate program offers students the specific courses they need to work in an animal care facility.

This 660-hour certificate program is delivered through UFV’s Continuing Education department and consists of ten courses and a practicum component designed to provide you with hands on experience in a veterinary office. 

The program consists of the following courses:

• Veterinary Business Fundamentals
• Veterinary Hospital Fundamentals
• Veterinary Surgical Fundamentals
• Anatomy, Physiology, and Common Diseases
• Introduction to Veterinary Pharmaceuticals
• Grooming
• Animal Behaviour and Nutrition
• Animal Shelters and Animal Lab Husbandry
• Bookkeeping
• Three-week practicum
• Review

Practicum

In order to qualify for the three-week practicum, you must have successfully completed the first nine modules and met the attendance requirements.

When you qualify for a practicum, UFV Continuing Education will assign you a practicum that provides you with meaningful work-like experience and exposure to veterinary field.

Practicum placements reflect the business practices of the practicum host, which includes placement during standard business hours. Transportation to the practicum site is your responsibility and may require travel outside your community of residence. If you refuse an assigned practicum site you will need to find your own site and obtain departmental approval prior to the start of your practicum.

Please discuss any barriers that may affect your practicum assignment with UFV Continuing Education immediately after registration.

Evaluation

You will receive a grade mark for each course in the program on classroom participation, assignments, study projects, and examination results. You must achieve a grade of 75% in each course to be eligible for the practicum. You must successfully complete both theory courses and practicum to obtain your certificate. The grading procedure for this program is based on UFV’s Applied Business Technology grading system policy. Letter grades are awarded; if you choose, you may order and pay for official transcripts upon completing the program.

Instructors

Who knows more about Veterinary Administrative Assistant duties than those who are currently working in the industry? Not only do our instructors have high academic qualifications, but they are also current, successful practitioners in the field of veterinary medicine. They are committed instructors who are passionate about communicating their knowledge and cultivating enthusiasm in their students.