Read about how to choose an accredited school for your veterinary technology training, and check the typical prerequisites for enrollment. Explore the curriculum in an associate's or bachelor's degree program in veterinary technology. Find out how you can specialize your studies in equine care by taking courses related to horses and large animal medicine.
Equine veterinary technicians will need to study areas like animal anatomy, laboratory procedures, and equine nutrition and reproduction. These courses will be included in undergraduate programs of study in veterinary technology or equine studies.
How Should I Decide on a Veterinary Technician School?
You will likely need a degree in veterinary technology from a 2-year community college or 4-year university if you aspire to become an equine veterinary technician. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, most entry-level technicians in the field have only an associate's degree. However, bachelor's programs can provide you with more opportunities for taking specialized equine health courses and completing clinical rotations. To search for veterinary technician schools that fit your needs, try the American Veterinary Medical Association website. It provides accreditation status for programs listed by state.
The student chapter of the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America is an organization you'll find on many campuses. The organization can enhance your educational experience by providing professional contacts, leadership opportunities, a veterinary technician publication and potential scholarships.
<h3 id="section---WhatWillINeedToGetIntoAProgram">What Will I Need to Get Into a Program?</h3><p>You may need to take placement exams to enroll in some postsecondary schools. High school classes in the sciences and mathematics are helpful for admittance into veterinary technician programs, but there are usually college course prerequisites that you can take at most community colleges.
</p><h3 id="section---WhatCurriculumWillIFindInMostPrograms">What Curriculum Will I Find in Most Programs?</h3><p>An associate's degree program will likely include some general science and humanities electives, but mostly covers basic animal and veterinary technician topics like mammalian anatomy and physiology, animal medicine and management, veterinary lab techniques and veterinary radiology. You may want to look for programs that offer horse-specific course topics like veterinary management of equine reproduction and horse science. These are not common, so you may also want to look for programs with numerous large animal courses and acquire equine experience through clinical internships, which are part of the curriculum.
</p><p>A bachelor's degree program will likely include more classes in general sciences and humanities, as well as general veterinary technology topics. Search for schools that offer more horse-related courses like equine anatomy and physiology, equine health and disease, equine nutrition and equine reproduction. The extra clinical rotation time during a 4-year bachelor's degree program provides you more opportunities to work with horses in a professional clinical setting. Some programs may offer a few classes on-line, but the bulk of your time will be spent in veterinary internships or classrooms.
</p><h3 id="section---WhatSchoolsOfferAssociateSDegreesForEquineVeterinaryTechnicians">What Schools Offer Associate's Degrees for Equine Veterinary Technicians?</h3><p>In addition to schools offering veterinary technology programs, there are schools with specific programs in equine studies. These programs offered targeted study on horses, though they typically need to be followed by a full veterinary technology program to prepare students for the career:
</p><ul><li>The College of Central Florida offers an Associate in Science (A.S.) degree program in Equine Studies with an equine exercise physiology specialization
</li><li>Ohio University Southern offers an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree program in Equine Studies that includes a pre-veterinary technology track
</li><li>SUNY Cobbleskill offers an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree program in Equine Studies
</li></ul><h3 id="section---WhatSchoolsOfferBachelorSDegreesForEquineVeterinaryTechnicians">What Schools Offer Bachelor's Degrees for Equine Veterinary Technicians?</h3><p>Bachelor's degrees in veterinary technology prepare students for examination and licensure, and they can be found with equine-related concentrations. In the following list, a veterinary medical technology program offers a concentration in equi-assist as one of the few of its kind in the country, where students will work under the tutelage of a veterinarian in a horse's environment. Equine studies programs are also offered at the bachelor's level but again may need to be followed by a standard veterinary technology program.
</p><ul><li>Wilson College offers a Veterinary Medical Technology major with a concentration in Equi-Assist
</li><li>Post University offers a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree program in Equine Studies with a concentration in equine wellness
</li><li>Columbus State Community College/Otterbein University offers an Associate of Applied Science in Veterinary Technology/Bachelor of Science in Equine Veterinary Technology (A.A.S./B.S.) dual-degree program
</li></ul><p>Students who want to study in the field of equine veterinary technology can choose from a either an associate's or bachelor's degree program. These programs might include equine specializations, equine studies majors with pre-veterinary technology tracks or dual-degree options in preparation for state licensure via formal examination.</p>
