Nov 21, 2024

Catalog 2024-2025

Veterinary Technology

Location(s): Essex

Important Information

Short Description

Veterinary technicians are nurses for the veterinary profession. The five-semester Veterinary Technology Program provides students with the foundation and skill set necessary to pursue a career as a veterinary technician in private practice, emergency, specialty practice, veterinary teaching hospitals, zoo/wildlife, labs, research, shelters, etc.

This is a School of Health Professions selective program that requires an additional application for acceptance. Please visit the SHP Application to apply.

Type of Credential

Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.)

Program Code

S 980

Contacts and Additional Information

Program Director:

Carol M. Schwartz, VMD
Office: Essex - ECHP 304C/MASH Basement - Vet Tech
443-840-1306 or cschwartz@ccbcmd.edu

Additional Information:

Health Workforce Shortage Program
Selective Admissions Program
Opportunities for Prior Learning Assessment - Several General Education classes offer Prior Learning Assessment. See Portfolio, Departmental Exam, CLEP, DSST, Advanced Placement, and International Baccalaureate.
Articulation and Transfer Agreements - The Veterinary Technology program has an articulation agreement with Towson University’s Allied Health B.T.P.S. degree program.

Pathway

Health Professions Pathway

Disclosures

CCBC cannot confirm whether the course or program meets requirements for professional licensure in states other than Maryland. If you plan to apply for licensure in a state other than Maryland, contact that state’s licensing board to determine whether the CCBC course or program meets requirements for licensure in that state. If you need assistance finding contact information for your state, click here .

Curriculum Maps

Curriculum Maps are a tool to provide students with a clear understanding of which courses to take and the order in which to complete them. Curriculum Maps help define a student’s individual path towards graduation, ensuring their time and efforts are not spent on credits that fall outside their program of study.

Each map identifies critical courses that must be completed in order to progress through the program and graduate. Curriculum Maps come complete with helpful hints for students - like recommended course electives and a reminder to apply to graduate.

Select the link(s) below to view the Curriculum Map(s) for this program:

Veterinary Technology Curriculum Map

Semester Sequence

This is a suggested schedule for a student who has completed any developmental course work and has no transfer credits. Refer to the College catalog for specific requirements in selecting General Education Courses . Students must complete the English and Mathematics General Education requirements within the first 24 credits.

Semester 1 - Prior to Selective Admissions*

BIOL 109 - Human Anatomy and Physiology 4 Credit(s).
CMNS 101 - Fundamentals of Communication 3 Credit(s).
ENGL 101 - College Composition I 3 Credit(s).
VETT 106 - Introduction to Veterinary Technology 2 Credit(s).

Semester 2 - Prior to Selective Admissions

CSIT 101 - Technology and Information Systems 3 Credit(s).
MATH 163 - Pre-Calculus I 3 Credit(s).
PSYC 101 or SOCL 101 3 Credit(s).
Gen. Ed. Elective - Arts and Humanities or Social and Behavioral Sciences (must be a Diversity class) 3 Credit(s).

Courses Needed for This Program*

Prerequisites - 6 Credits

BIOL 109 - Human Anatomy and Physiology 4 Credit(s). (Counts as a Gen. Ed. Requirement)
VETT 106 - Introduction to Veterinary Technology 2 Credit(s).

General Education Requirements and Electives - 18 Credits

General Education Requirements:

CMNS 101 - Fundamentals of Communication 3 Credit(s).
CSIT 101 - Technology and Information Systems 3 Credit(s).
ENGL 101 - College Composition I 3 Credit(s).
MATH 163 - Pre-Calculus I 3 Credit(s).
PSYC 101 - Introduction to Psychology 3 Credit(s).
or
SOCL 101 - Introduction to Sociology 3 Credit(s).

General Education Electives:

Choose a course in either category from the list of approved General Education Courses . It must be a Diversity course.

Arts and Humanities or Social and Behavioral Sciences (PSYC 105 recommended to fulfill Diversity) 3 Credit(s).

Program Requirements and Electives - 41 Credits

Program Requirements:

VETT 107 - Veterinary Medical Terminology 2 Credit(s).
VETT 109 - Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology 5 Credit(s).
VETT 111 - Animal Nutrition 2 Credit(s).
VETT 112 - Companion Animal Disease and Pathology 3 Credit(s).
VETT 113 - Clinical Laboratory Procedures 4 Credit(s).
VETT 114 - Clinical Procedures of Large and Companion Animals 3 Credit(s).
VETT 202 - Veterinary Imaging 2 Credit(s).
VETT 203 - Veterinary Surgical Procedures and Anesthesiology 3 Credit(s).
VETT 204 - Laboratory Animal Science 3 Credit(s).
VETT 208 - Large Animal Disease 2 Credit(s).
VETT 209 - Veterinary Hospital Management 2 Credit(s).
VETT 210 - Alternative Therapeutic Modalities in Veterinary Medicine 1 Credit(s).
VETT 212 - Pharmacology and Toxicology 3 Credit(s).
VETT 222 - Veterinary Imaging Laboratory 1 Credit(s).
VETT 223 - Veterinary Surgical Procedures and Anesthesiology Laboratory 1 Credit(s).
VETT 274 - Internship: Veterinary Technology 4 Credit(s).

Total Number of Credits Required for Degree: 65*

Notes

*Credit students who are new to college (no successfully completed transferable college credits from other institutions) are required to take ACDV 101 - Academic Development 101 . This 1-credit course is designed to be taken in the first semester at CCBC. Students must provide an official transcript(s) from an accredited institution to document successful completion of college coursework for the ACDV 101 requirement to be waived.

(Minimum grades of “C” are required in all prerequisites; grades of “B” or better are highly recommended due to the competitive nature of the program)

Program Description

Veterinary technicians are vital members of the veterinary healthcare team. The five-semester Veterinary Technology Program provides students with the foundation and skill set necessary to pursue a career as a veterinary technician in private practice, emergency, specialty practice, veterinary teaching hospitals, zoo/wildlife, labs, research, shelters, etc. Emphasis is on companion animals, with exposure to lab animal, exotic and large animal species. The program includes didactic and interactive learning as well as clinical experience. An internship of clinical rotations is provided by the program during the second year. Upon completion of the program, graduates are eligible to take the Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE). State requirements must also be fulfilled prior to licensing.

The Veterinary Technology Program is accredited by The American Veterinary Medical Association Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (AVMA/CVTEA)

Students must be available to take courses in the day and evening. Students must be available to attend Saturday labs, if required, and to travel to off-campus locations (transportation is not provided). Students are required to undergo pre-exposure rabies immunization series (a physician provides the series at a reduced cost of ~ $800), furnish proof of health insurance, have had a tetanus booster within the last five years, be fully COVID vaccinated, and purchase uniforms.

School of Health Professions Policies

Students in the School of Health Professions (SHP) are expected to conduct themselves according to an honor code; exhibit professional behavior; communicate effectively in English; provide proof of health insurance, immunizations, and a tuberculosis (TB) test; and submit to a criminal background test and drug testing. Students are expected to pay the costs associated with these requirements.

Admission

Applications for all School of Health Professions programs, except Dental Hygiene and Physician Assistant, are processed in a Central Application Service called CCBC CAS. The link to the CAS and the application instructions are located in the program admissions packet at the School of Health Professions website. You will need a CCBC student ID number and a CCBC student account password to complete the application. If you have questions about the CCBC CAS process, contact the School of Health Professions Admissions Office at (443) 840-2810 or read the FAQ selections at the bottom of each page inside the CAS application.

The Application deadline is April 15.

The Veterinary Technology Program is a Selective Admissions process and admittance to the program is highly competitive. Minimum grades of “C” are required in all prerequisites; grades of “B” or better are highly recommended due to the competitive nature of the program.

The Veterinary Technology Program accepts a class in the Fall of every academic calendar year. To be guaranteed consideration for fall admission to the program, all application materials must be completed by April 15. Prerequisite courses can be in progress in the Spring of the application year with the understanding that Selective Admissions will then use these course grades in their evaluation.

Submit two electronic references to the CCBC CAS. Two letters of recommendation are required. One must be from a credentialed veterinary technician (RVT, CVT, LVT), preferred, or licensed veterinarian (VMD, DVM), with whom the applicant is currently working. This can be paid employment or volunteer work. The second can be from another credentialed veterinary technician (RVT, CVT, LVT) or veterinarian (VMD, DVM) with whom the applicant is currently working OR current employer OR current instructor/professor. Current veterinary experience, either volunteer or paid, and current evaluation of the work are required and included in the evaluation process. CCBC’s Veterinary Assistant Program can also provide this work experience.

Program Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this degree, students will be able to:

use and apply the knowledge necessary to function within the scope of practice of a licensed veterinary technician;
demonstrate competency of the Essential Skills outlined by the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities;
demonstrate effective communication skills with members of the veterinary health care team and clients;
demonstrate competency in performing medical nursing, surgical nursing, anesthesia nursing, laboratory procedures, diagnostic imaging, and laboratory animal and exotic patient husbandry and nursing; and
implement ethical and legal standards as they apply to veterinary medical practice.

Accreditation Statement

The Veterinary Technology Program is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association’s (AVMA) Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities. Students who successfully complete the program are eligible to take the Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE). The VTNE validates competency for practice.

The VTNE and Maryland State Board requirements must be completed prior to submitting an application request to become a Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT). The designation of RVT is awarded by the Maryland State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners.