Top 10 Online Vet Tech Programs: Best Accredited Degrees
The online, self-paced courses on veterinary technicians provide you with the flexibility to learn at your speed. The programs typically combine interactive tests and visual learning aids to help you become ready for a fulfilling career as a veterinary technician. You can learn how to help veterinarians with clinical procedures, pharmacology, surgical assistance, and diagnostic imaging by pursuing a career as a vet technician.
The Bureau of Labour Statistics projects a 20% increase in employment for veterinary technologists until 2031. To help you make the right choice in choosing an accredited vet tech program, this article will take you down a list of the best vet tech programs in the country.
Best Online Vet Tech Programs
Here are some of the top vet tech programs that you can pursue online to become a qualified veterinarian technician and earn some of the top wages in the industry.
1. Online Veterinary Technician Program by San Juan College
San Juan College offers degree and certificate options in veterinary technology. Students can enroll in veterinary technology associate degree, veterinary assistant certificate, and veterinary practice management certificate. With the remote vet tech program, you may finish your coursework from any location and at a time that best suits your schedule.
The graduates of the program from San Juan perform 15 to 20% better compared to the national average on the Veterinary Technician National Exam (VTNE). High-level clinical skills will be taught to you by knowledgeable instructors and staff.
The school offers benefits for active military and veterans. The associate degree in veterinary technology has received accreditation from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) through the Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA).
2. Veterinary Technician Program by Penn Foster
Penn Foster offers an online Associate Degree in Veterinary Technician that students can complete in as little as 9 months. Some of the biggest veterinary clinics in the nation, such as Banfield, VCA, and BluePearl, rely on Penn Foster as a reliable partner. Using interesting visual teaching tools and interactive evaluations, you will learn how to identify an animal’s urinary, integumentary, and endocrine systems.
The care of animals, animal anatomy and physiology, administration of veterinary practices, veterinary pharmacology, and other topics will be covered during the course. You will learn to provide for both large and small animals, practice small and large animal medicine, practice animal nutrition, practice laboratory animal medicine, and more.
The program includes 4 semesters, 30 exams, and 2 externships that will gain you 73 credits to make you proficient in your field. The program helps you get ready to take the VTNE or Veterinary Technician National Exam. Through AVMA-CVTEA, Penn Foster’s online vet tech program has received full accreditation.
3. Veterinary Technology Distance Learning (AAS) by Purdue University
Purdue University‘s online veterinary technician program makes it possible for students to acquire the knowledge and skills required to work as veterinary technicians. 27 didactic courses and 18 clinical mentorships make up the program. Students are qualified to sit for the Veterinary Technician National Exam (VTNE) after completing the course.
Students are required to complete 46.5 credits worth of major courses, including anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, clinical pathology, parasitology, microbiology, public and occupational health, small animal nursing, large animal nursing and health management, pharmacy procedures, ophtho derm and oncology, anesthesia, laboratory animal health, understanding the animal disease, and more.
In addition, students are required to complete clinical mentorships that will gain them 18.5 credits. It includes small animal nursing, large animal medical nursing, equine medical nursing, small animal anesthesia, operating role techniques, anesthesia, parasitology, and others. The search for a veterinary health care facility mentoring location is the responsibility of the student. The online veterinary technician program has received AVMA accreditation.
4. Veterinary Technology Program by St. Petersburg College
St. Petersburg College (SPC) offers an online Associate degree in Veterinary Technology. Each semester they are enrolled in the program, online students are required to complete 280 hours of clinical practice at a veterinary hospital. You can complete the online Veterinary Technology A.S. Degree program by participating in clinical apprenticeships in your city.
For clinical apprenticeships, a student must sign a contract with a veterinary facility and work under the mentorship of a qualified mentor who supervises the academic experience for program credit. You may become ready for the Veterinary Technician National Exam (VTNE) with the help of SPC’s Veterinary Technology Associate in Science degree.
The American Veterinary Medical Association’s (AVMA) Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA) has accredited the veterinary technician program. Depending on their qualifications, SPC students can apply for more than 350 different scholarships from the SPC Foundation.
5. Veterinary Technology (AS) by Miami Dade College
Miami Dade College (MDC) offers an Associate of Science degree in Veterinary Technician. It is a 2-year self-paced program that students can complete in their schedule. Students in the program learn about anatomy, avian and exotic pet medicine, physiology, lab procedures, veterinary pathology, and animal nursing skills. The school boasts of a pass rate of more than 92% on the national test.
The program adds 400 hours of practical, on-the-job experience to a solid academic basis. After graduating, the student will be qualified to work with small animals, large animals, exotic animals, and experimental animals in a variety of therapeutic settings. Students are required to report to designated clinical institutions within Miami-Dade County for the program’s clinical experience component.
The Veterinary Technician National Exam and the Certified Veterinary Technician credential are available to the graduates of the program. The tuition cost for the program is $8,630.06 on average. The program has received accreditation from the American Association of Veterinary State Boards, the Florida Veterinary Medical Association, and the Florida Veterinary Technician Association.
6. Veterinary Technician by Madison Area Technical College
The veterinary technician program at Madison Area Technical College is a 64-credit associate degree that students can complete within 2 years. The program is delivered online with some in-person components included in it. Students may pursue a Bachelor of Animal Science in two more years at UW River Falls or UW Platteville after completing this associate’s degree.
In a veterinary clinic, satellite students are hired as veterinary assistants and put in an average of 20 hours per week. While some face-to-face laboratories are used for practical skills, all theory component of the program is covered online. To become a registered veterinary technician, you can sit for and pass the national exam for veterinary technicians after graduating.
The estimated tuition fee for the veterinary program at Madison College is $10,932.68. The program has gained accreditation from the American Veterinary Medical Association Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities. The school boasts of 92% job placement that students receive within 6 months of completing the program.
7. Veterinary Technology Program by Dallas College
Dallas College offers an associate degree and two certificate programs in veterinary technology via distance learning. These courses are offered during the fall, spring, and summer semesters, so students can enroll in them three times a year. The program includes specialized general education requirements, including speech and math classes with applications to veterinary medicine.
Students also gain a foundational body of knowledge that emphasizes advanced training in pharmacology and pharmacy, surgical preparation and aid, animal nursing, imaging and ultrasound, and laboratory and examination techniques. Online assignments, videos, texts, and exercises done in person are all included in the courses.
The program has American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accreditation. In addition, the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) has collaborated with the Veterinary Technology program to provide a distance learning component. Several financial aid options, including federal grants, work-study jobs, emergency funds, scholarships, and food assistance, among others, are available.
8. Veterinary Technology (Distance Education Program) by Blue Ridge Community College
Blue Ridge Community College offers a three-year distance learning program that will lead to an associate of applied science degree in veterinary technology. After graduating, students are qualified to sit for the Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE). They can also apply for a license to work as a veterinary technician after completing the program.
Students are required to visit the BRCC campus for laboratories three times per semester. 350 hours of work at a veterinary hospital are part of a coordinated externship that is necessary over the summer between the second and third years. Each VET-prefix course in the Veterinary Technology curriculum must be completed by students to go on to the next level.
Candidates for the distance learning program must work at least 20 hours a week with a veterinarian. You should begin working as soon as you enroll in the program, and it should last till you finish the course. The program has received American Veterinary Medical Association accreditation. The financial aid offered includes Federal Pell Grant, Federal work-study program, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Commonwealth Award, Virginia Guaranteed Assistance Program, and others.
9. Veterinary Technology (AAS) by Medaille College
The online veterinary technician program at Medaille College will lead you to an Associate of Applied Science degree. The program is of 72 credits which come in accelerated 7-week courses and regular 15-week courses. Students are required to acquire 360 hours of clinical experience in a student-identified site.
The program will last six consecutive semesters in which students learn a wide range of aspects of veterinary technology. Students must spend 40 to 60 hours on coursework and preparation per week on their own. The clinical settings where students practice include exotics, food animal and equine practice, general practice, shelters, research facilities, veterinary supply sales, and others.
The tuition per credit hour of the program can range between $525 to $250. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has nationally certified Medaille’s Associate in Applied Science in Veterinary Technology program. The Veterinary Technician National Exam (VTNE) to earn licensing will be open to everyone who has graduated within six months.
10. Veterinary Technology (AAS) by Northern Virginia Community College
Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) offers an associate of applied science degree in Veterinary Technology worth 68 credits. NOVA Online offers courses that are delivered entirely online utilizing Canvas. To prepare for class and complete homework, students use their textbooks and the online course site’s class notes. You will participate in online conversations and maintain regular contact with teachers.
The Loudoun Campus of NOVA hosts laboratory study sessions and practical exams. You will have to participate in the Formal written tests that are done at NOVA campus testing centers or at the student’s neighborhood community college. Clinical abilities are assessed using a variety of techniques, such as video, assignments, testing on-campus, and product appraisal using radiographs and blood smear slides completed by the student.
The Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA) of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has fully certified the online program. The College Financial Aid Office will guide you through all the possible options available for you to pay for the program.
Wrapping Up
You need to pass the VTNE to be recognized as a veterinary technician. So, it is essential to look for a program that will make you eligible to sit for the exam. Veterinary technician is one of the most rewarding and fastest-growing fields. Enrolling in the right program can help you become a qualified veterinary technician.