Your start to a great futureÂ
Many high school students and graduates aspire to work with animals and the Certificate II and III qualifications we offer are excellent pre-vocational courses that can lead to a wide variety of career pathways in the animal care industry.
Combining online learning with industry practical placements, our animal studies courses will provide you with both the underpinning knowledge and practical skills needed to enter the workplace or move on to higher qualifications.
Which animal studies course is best for you?
This depends on your individual experience and academic ability. Â
High school student?
If you are at high school or a high school-aged student, we recommend commencing your animal care career with the Certificate II in Animal Studies or the Certificate II in Horse Care. You can find out more detailed information on what age you need to be to commence the Certificate II in Animal Studies here.
High school leaver?
Depending on a student's individual interests, we recommend all high school-leavers commence with the Certificate II in Animal Studies or the Certificate II in Horse Care. The only time we recommend direct entry into the Certificate III in Animal Studies is when a student has already completed a Certificate II in either Animal Studies or an alternative course or has considerable work experience in the animal care industry.
Are you a few years out of school or mature aged?
If you are new to the animal care industry and want to learn more about animals, we would suggest you commence with the Certificate II in Animal Studies. If you have a special interest or experience with horses the Certificate II in Horse Care is also a good option. Both are excellent entry-level courses to introduce you to the world of animal care. If you have not studied for some time and/or have only previously completed studies up to year 10 in high school, the Certificate II courses are also an ideal starting point to give you the foundations for further study in this area.
If you are a mature-aged student who has considerable experience working with animals, has completed year 11 studies or higher at high school, and are seeking a general animal care qualification, we would suggest that you begin your studies at the Certificate III in Animal Studies.
How do they compare?
We offer both the Certificate II and III in Animal Studies as flexible online learning courses and blended course options. The Certificate II in Horse Care is only offered as an online learning course.
The online eLearning option requires you to organise your own practical training in an approved animal-related organisation. The blended options are a combination of on-campus classroom training, onsite practical training in which we organise and supervise your workplace practical training at a reputable WA based workplace as well as home online eLearning.
For anyone interested in pursuing a career in veterinary nursing, our animal studies qualifications meet the prerequisite for ACM40418 Cert IV in Veterinary Nursing. All applicants are subject to the AVT selection process once the prerequisite is met.Â
Detailed Qualification Comparison
ACM20117 Animal Studies (Online) | ACM20117 Intensive (Animal Care & Welfare, Vet Nursing Pathway, Zoo & Wildlife) | ACM20217 Horse Care | ACM30117 Animal Studies | ACM30117 at the RSPCA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duration | 1 year | 10-14 weeks | Up to 2 years | Up to 2 years | 6 months |
| Study Mode | Online only | Blended (online and on-campus/on-site) | Online only | Online only | Blended (online and on-campus) |
| Attendance | No on-campus attendance required | Attendance required | No on-campus attendance required | No on-campus attendance required | Attendance required at the RSPCA |
| Work placement hours required | 150hrs | 1 day per week | Dependant on Experience | 250hrs | 1 day per week at the RSPCA |
| Who organises work placement | Student | Organised by AVT | Student | Student | Organised by AVT |
| Pre-requisites | Not required | Not required | Not required | Not required | Not required |
| Detailed selection and interview process | No | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Start date | Anytime | Various times throughout year | Anytime | Anytime | February and July |
| Course content | |||||
| No. of units | 12 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 12 |
| Participate in workplace health & safety processes | |||||
| Work in the animal care industry | |||||
| Participate in workplace communications | |||||
| Complete animal care hygiene routines | |||||
| Feed & water animals | |||||
| Assist in healthcare of animals | |||||
| Provide basic first aid for animals | |||||
| Participate in environmentally sustainable work practices | |||||
| Source information for animal care needs | |||||
| Provide information on companion animals, products and services | Animal Care only | ||||
| Process and maintain workplace information | |||||
| Handle companion animals safely and follow infection control guidelines | Vet Nurse Pathway Only | ||||
| Assist with veterinary nursing reception duties | Vet Nurse Pathway Only | ||||
| Assist with surgery preparation | Vet Nurse Pathway Only | ||||
| Provide enrichment for animals | Animal Care and Vet Nurse Pathway Only | ||||
| Prepare and present information to the public | Zoo and Wildlife Only | ||||
| Species specific unit choices | Choose from one of: Birds, Common Native Mammals, Dogs, Cats, Non-venomous reptiles, Rodents and Rabbits, Horse behaviour and Care* | Animal Care - Cats and Rodents & Rabbits Vet Nurse Pathway - Cats Zoo & Wildlife - Common Native Mammals and Birds | Choose from one of: Birds, Common Native Mammals, Dogs, Cats, Non-venomous reptiles, Rodents and Rabbits, Horse behaviour and Care* | Choose from: Dogs or Cats | |
| Work safely in industries with horses | |||||
| Handle horses safely | |||||
| Provide basic care of horses | |||||
| Perform daily tasks in the horse industry | |||||
| Apply knowledge of horse behaviour | |||||
| Lunge educated horses | |||||
| Maintain and monitor animal health and wellbeing | |||||
| Check and treat horses | |||||
| Provide daily care for horses | |||||
| Provide feed for livestock | |||||
| Assess suitability of horses for specific uses | |||||
| Contribute to workplace health and safety processes | |||||
| Comply with infection control policies and procedures in animal work | |||||
| Maintain and monitor animal health and wellbeing | |||||
| Plan for and provide nutritional requirements for animals | |||||
| Cert IV in Veterinary Nursing Meets initial pre-requisite for Vet Nursing | |||||
| Cost* | $2,845 | $3,648 | Normally $3,545 Introductory $2,795 | $3,795 | $5,495 |
Animal Care VN Pathway Zoo & Wildlife | |||||
*For more detailed information about fees visit the individual qualification pages as well as our our student policies page
Looking for more information?
Want to find out more about course duration, work placements, course content and a bunch more? Make sure you visit the individual qualifications pages:-
- ACM20117 Certificate II in Animal Studies (Online)
- ACM20117 Certificate II in Animal Studies Intensive (Animal Care & Welfare)
- ACM20117 Certificate II in Animal Studies Intensive (Zoo and Wildlife Care)
- ACM20117 Certificate II in Animal Studies Intensive (Veterinary Nursing Pathway)
- ACM20217 Certificate II in Horse Care
- ACM30117 Certificate III in Animal Studies
- ACM30117 Certificate III in Animal Studies RSPCA
For other relevant information visit:-
- Starting out - how we can help
- Getting started in a career working with animals
- What subjects do I need to study at high school for veterinary nursing and why?
- Top 6 Animal Care Careers
- What is workplace practical training?
- 9 Ways volunteer work can prepare you for your animal care career
- How to find Volunteer work with animals in Australia?