Do you hold an open day?
We do not hold a formal Open Day, however we often attend careers expos and events organised by schools. Throughout the year we conduct information sessions which are offered by invitation. If you are interested in attending one of these sessions please
contact us Do you send text books via mail, or is this course purely online?
All Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing students receive a hard copy text book at the commencement of the course. If you are studying via our online course you will be given access to the units and additional study materials digitally via our Online Learning System. For students studying on-campus, hard copies of the study materials are also supplied and included in the overall course cost. Please note: all course material for Animal Studies courses are provided digitally.
How are units assessed? Will I have to sit tests or write essays?
The units are assessed using various methods. These include multiple choice quizzes, tests, written assignments and practical assignments such as video and photographic evidence.
If I find I am struggling to understand any of the course material, what help and support can I get?
We have a team of highly qualified lecturers who have worked in various areas of the animal industry (take a look at our ‘
Meet Our Team’ page). Our lecturers are always on hand to answer any questions or provide further support, explanations or clarification of any of the course material. They will mentor and coach you through the course material when required. You can contact our lecturers via phone, email or Skype.
Are your qualifications and courses nationally accredited?
Yes, our qualifications in Vet Nursing and Animal Studies are nationally recognised and accredited. Our company is fully registered by the Australian Government training registration authority ASQA (Australian Skills Quality Authority) and the qualification offered is the nationally recognised Certificate. We are supported and endorsed by the Australian Veterinary Association. Our registration authority can be viewed on the
training.gov.au website, which is the Australian Government’s website for details of registered courses and training providers –
View our details here.We strongly recommend you search the training.gov.au website for any training organisation you maybe considering.
What is the difference between the course content AVT offers and other training providers?
AVT offers high quality study material written, reviewed and delivered by Veterinarians, Animal Scientists and Veterinary Nurses with formal training qualifications. Our in-house training team have spent hundreds if not thousands of hours creating course resources for our units of competency across all courses.
The difference between registered training providers course content across all RTO's including TAFE is often the units contained in the course and the quality of material. There are many units that can be included in a course and training providers nominate a selection of units they will offer to students.
Our courses are broad based and give an excellent introduction to working with animals across all species. They provide a fantastic is opportunity to learn about many different animals and most importantly allow you to apply what you learn in the classroom to the workplace.
To find out more about the units offered within each course visit the Course Content tab on our qualifications pages below.
Do I have to attend lessons?
Certificate II and III in Animal Studies are Online Courses with the exception of the RSPCA based course. For the online courses, you do not need to attend lessons and you can carry out all of your studies from home. All the course material is available online, this can also be downloaded if you wish to print the study materials. You will also attend a practical work place where you will complete assessments and skills worksheets. All assessments are then completed and submitted online. Our Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing course is offered in either an online eLearning mode or on-campus mode. If you are applying for the on-campus mode, you will be expected to attend classes at our Bentley Campus each week throughout the term. If you are applying for the online mode, you do not need to attend classes. All online eLearning students from both Animal Studies and Veterinary Nursing qualifications are invited to attend workshops throughout the year. These helpful training sessions provide practical experience and give you face to face access to our lecturers and tutors. Workshops are held at our Bentley campus in Perth, Western Australia. For more information visit our
Workshops Page Can I start the Animal Studies courses at any time during the year?
Our Animal Studies courses are self-paced and offered via online eLearning. This means you can apply at any time throughout the year. To enrol simply go to the bottom of the page and complete our online enrolment form
or click here. Please note: this does not apply to the RSPCA based course which has set start and end dates.
Learn more here I am an Australian currently living overseas, is it possible to complete your Animal Studies course overseas?
Our Animal Studies courses are available online, so you can study from anywhere around Australia or overseas. As long as you have access to a reliable internet connection via a PC or electronic device, you are proficient in speaking and writing in English and can secure a workplace for your practical training where your supervisor can also read English then you can complete our qualifications from any location.
Is possible to do the VET in Schools program, even if my school doesn’t offer it?
We have students enrolled in our VET in Schools program around Australia, so it is likely your VET Co-ordinator may consider introducing our animal care program at your school. If your school does not offer our courses as part of their VET in Schools program we advise that you speak with your careers adviser or VET co-ordinator. We encourage you to direct them to this website and contact us via our website. We can send them our VET in Schools information pack and answer any of their questions in relation to your interest in studying Animal Care.
What age do I have to be to commence the Certificate II in Animal Studies or Certificate III in Animal Studies?
The minimum age requirements for Certificate II in Animal Studies are based on academic school year. For the Certificate II in Animal Studies, this is Year 10 High School or equivalent. The minimum age requirements for Certificate III in Animal Studies are based on academic school year. For the Certificate III in Animal Studies, this is Year 11 High School or equivalent. Some exceptions may be possible. Please note the minimum age for the RSPCA based course is 18 years of age due to RSPCA policy.
How long do I have to complete the course?
The table below details the maximum allowable time you can take to complete our courses. Extensions are available on a case by case review. For more information about extensions please visit our
Student Policies page.
[table id=12 /]
+ The above time frames do not apply to students enrolled in the VET in Schools program. All VET in schools program students have up to 2 years from course commencement to complete either the Certificate II or Certificate III in Animal Studies whilst remaining a student of an Australian high school. After the initial two year period, extensions may be granted on a case by case basis. Fees will apply as outlined in the fees table. However the expected time frame for each course will be determined by each individual school according to the curriculum and school expectations. ++ACM40412 Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing has been updated by the regulating bodies to meet the Standards for Training Packages. As such, ACM40412 has been superseded by ACM40418 Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing. All students currently studying ACM40412 will be expected to complete the qualification by December 11th 2019 which is the cutoff date for issuing this qualification. No extensions can be granted. Students who do not complete ACM40412 by this date may be given the opportunity to transition to the new qualification. Due to the significant changes in the qualification and assessment guidelines, this will likely involve a significant amount of additional work for students who need to be transitioned. Can course fees be paid off in instalments or do you require up front payment?
None of our courses require up front payment, we offer flexible monthly payment plans with instalments for all students. Total course fees and payment plan structure vary with each course and individual circumstances. For more information,
contact us.
Do you offer concession fees?
Concession fees are available to eligible students only through our courses which have been granted government funding. Currently this only applies to the Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing for students that are residing within Western Australia. For more information on the eligibility criteria please see the Fees tab on this page.
Is government assistance available?
WA based students, studying the Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing may be eligible for a government subsidised place (Jobs and Skills WA). You can find out more information by visiting the Fees and Entry tab on the Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing page. You may also be able to apply for financial or government assistance such as Austudy. You can find out more information by approaching
The Department of Human Services (Centrelink). Does AVT offer HECS-HELP or VET Student Loans?
None of the courses currently offered by Applied Vocational Training are eligible for Government HECS-HELP or VET Student Loans (formerly VET FEE-HELP). HECS-HELP is a scheme that assists eligible Commonwealth supported students to pay their student contribution amount with either a loan or a discount for certain up-front payments. HECS‑HELP loans are available at all public universities and at a handful of private higher education providers.
VET Student Loans is an Australian Government loan scheme to assist eligible students studying diploma level and above qualifications to pay their tuition fees. VET Student Loans replaces
VET FEE-HELP from 1 January 2017. There are no Government loans available for Certificate IV and lower levels of study including those offered at AVT. To find out if you may be eligible for alternative support such as Youth Allowance, we recommend contacting
The Department of Human Services. For more information about our fees visit the Fees and Entry tab on
this page Do you hold an open day?
We do not hold a formal Open Day, however we often attend careers expos and events organised by schools. Throughout the year we conduct information sessions which are offered by invitation. If you are interested in attending one of these sessions please
contact us Can I start the Animal Studies courses at any time during the year?
Our Animal Studies courses are self-paced and offered via online eLearning. This means you can apply at any time throughout the year. To enrol simply go to the bottom of the page and complete our online enrolment form
or click here. Please note: this does not apply to the RSPCA based course which has set start and end dates.
Learn more here I am an Australian currently living overseas, is it possible to complete your Animal Studies course overseas?
Our Animal Studies courses are available online, so you can study from anywhere around Australia or overseas. As long as you have access to a reliable internet connection via a PC or electronic device, you are proficient in speaking and writing in English and can secure a workplace for your practical training where your supervisor can also read English then you can complete our qualifications from any location.
Is possible to do the VET in Schools program, even if my school doesn’t offer it?
We have students enrolled in our VET in Schools program around Australia, so it is likely your VET Co-ordinator may consider introducing our animal care program at your school. If your school does not offer our courses as part of their VET in Schools program we advise that you speak with your careers adviser or VET co-ordinator. We encourage you to direct them to this website and contact us via our website. We can send them our VET in Schools information pack and answer any of their questions in relation to your interest in studying Animal Care.
What age do I have to be to commence the Certificate II in Animal Studies or Certificate III in Animal Studies?
The minimum age requirements for Certificate II in Animal Studies are based on academic school year. For the Certificate II in Animal Studies, this is Year 10 High School or equivalent. The minimum age requirements for Certificate III in Animal Studies are based on academic school year. For the Certificate III in Animal Studies, this is Year 11 High School or equivalent. Some exceptions may be possible. Please note the minimum age for the RSPCA based course is 18 years of age due to RSPCA policy.
Are your qualifications and courses nationally accredited?
Yes, our qualifications in Vet Nursing and Animal Studies are nationally recognised and accredited. Our company is fully registered by the Australian Government training registration authority ASQA (Australian Skills Quality Authority) and the qualification offered is the nationally recognised Certificate. We are supported and endorsed by the Australian Veterinary Association. Our registration authority can be viewed on the
training.gov.au website, which is the Australian Government’s website for details of registered courses and training providers –
View our details here.We strongly recommend you search the training.gov.au website for any training organisation you maybe considering.
What training package do you follow?
We follow the national training package for Veterinary Nursing. The latest version of the training package can be
viewed here. training.gov.au is the Australian Government Website for registered training courses and providers.
What is the difference between the course content AVT offers and other training providers?
AVT offers high quality study material written, reviewed and delivered by Veterinarians, Animal Scientists and Veterinary Nurses with formal training qualifications. Our in-house training team have spent hundreds if not thousands of hours creating course resources for our units of competency across all courses.
The difference between registered training providers course content across all RTO's including TAFE is often the units contained in the course and the quality of material. There are many units that can be included in a course and training providers nominate a selection of units they will offer to students.
Our courses are broad based and give an excellent introduction to working with animals across all species. They provide a fantastic is opportunity to learn about many different animals and most importantly allow you to apply what you learn in the classroom to the workplace.
To find out more about the units offered within each course visit the Course Content tab on our qualifications pages below.
What is the difference between ACM20110 Certificate II in Animal Studies and ACM20117 Certificate II in Animal Studies?
The code for Certificate II in Animal Studies changed to ACM20117 in November 2017. The content and requirements for this particular certificate have not changed however and the new certificate is deemed equivalent to ACM20110. The reason for the code change is that all units in the Animal Care Package (ACM10) have been reviewed and codes updated for 2017. Some qualifications have changed significantly, others have not. Students who are currently enrolled in ACM20110 Certificate II in Animal Studies or ACM30110 Certificate III in Animal Studies and complete their course prior to November 30th 2018 will be issued the existing qualification code. Students that are still continuing with their studies past 30th November will be transitioned over to the new versions of any remaining units and will receive ACM20117 Certificate II in Animals Studies or ACM30117 Certificate III in Animal Studies when they complete their qualification. For more information visit our article on the
Changes to National Qualifications Can I complete my workplace practical training in a private, non-business environment? Or with my pet?
All of our courses are vocational, which means that they are specifically designed to provide students with the skills, experience and knowledge to enter the animal care workplace. Working in an animal care facility, where you are responsible for a number of different animals and sometimes a range of different species on a daily basis is very different to caring for your own pets at home.
Therefore to successfully complete your qualification you will need to secure a formal workplace practical training placement in a pet related business or organisation.
Below are just a few examples of the types of skills and knowledge that must be covered in all of our courses, which cannot be learned from caring for your own animals –
- Being able to understand and interpret the behaviour of animals that you are not familiar with. This is an essential skill in order to ensure that the animal is approached and handled in the most appropriate and safest way so as to minimise stress to the animal and reduce the risk of injury to the handler.
- The ability to accurately assess the health of an animal that you are not familiar with. As we know our own animals so well, we can often pick up on the early signs that something is wrong. However, being able to do this with animals that you do not know particularly well and may be in an unfamiliar environment such as boarding facility, rescue shelter or vet clinic requires a completely different set of skills and knowledge.
- Understanding of hygiene and infection control practices. In a facility where numerous animals are housed, it is vital to have a good understanding of the correct hygiene practices to ensure that all animals are kept healthy and to minimise the risk of the spread of disease and cross-contamination.
- Health and safety practices – working with animals can present a very unique set of risks and therefore it is vital that students are aware of not only the possible risks but also how to ensure they can minimise these risks at all times.
Can I choose more than one workplace for my Animal Studies work placement?
Yes, you can complete your practical training at more than one establishment if you have the opportunity to do so. Whilst it is not compulsory, training at two different workplaces can be very beneficial and provide you with valuable experiences. However, in saying this we would recommend that you limit your practical training to no more than 2 different organisations. Also keep in mind, when choosing these workplaces, your practical placement must correspond with the species specific unit that you choose as your elective unit. Finally, we will still need a signed ‘Practical Work Placement Approval form’ for each placement to ensure the suitability of the placement for your studies.
Can I volunteer in an organisation to meet the required work placement hours?
Many of our Animal Studies students, unless employed at a suitable workplace, complete their required hours in a voluntary position whether that be as a volunteer in an animal or wildlife shelter or an animal related business. Prior to commencing your work placement, you will need to complete the practical workplace approval form to our Student Liaison Officer to ensure the voluntary organisation is suitable for the course requirements and is likely to be approved for your workplace training.
Do I need to work with more than one animal species?
For the Certificate II in Animal Studies, you are only required to work with 1 animal species as part of your work placement or workplace practical training. This species must correspond with the elective ‘Species-specific’ unit you have chosen as part of your course.
How am I assessed during my practical placement?
You will receive a Practical Skills Workbook containing a logbook and all the practical assessments you are required to complete during your placement. Practical assessments include ‘Workplace Assignments’ which include activities such as case studies, photographs, written descriptions of workplace procedures and video evidence of practical tasks. These assessments are designed to see how well you are able to apply the information covered in the theory component of each unit. Each unit also includes ‘Practical Skills Worksheets’ outlining various tasks that you are expected to complete during your placement, with each task signed off by a supervisor once it has been successfully completed. All practical assessments must be submitted to us via our online learning platform for assessment by one of our tutors. A student attendance record is also included in the Workbook and this must be signed by your supervisor to confirm that you have completed the required number of hours during a placement. During your placement, we will also contact your supervisor to obtain feedback on your performance. This feedback will then be relayed to you.
How do I know if the workplace I have chosen is acceptable?
Prior to starting your workplace practical placement, you student must submit a signed ‘Practical Work Placement approval form’. This form must be signed by the person who will be supervising you during your placement and returned to us BEFORE your placement starts. The purpose of this form is to highlight the animals, facilities and equipment available to you and the types of work you will be exposed to during your work placement. You must wait to receive confirmation from us that your work placement has been approved before beginning your practical placement. If your work placement is not approved by AVT, and it is unsuitable for the purposes of this course, then any hours already completed there will not contribute to the completion of this qualification or any of the units of competency.
AVT is fully registered by the Australian Government training registration authority ASQA (Australian Skills Quality Authority) and the qualification offered is the nationally recognised Certificate II in Animal Studies. We are supported and endorsed by the Australian Veterinary Association. Our registration authority can be viewed on the training.gov.au website, which is the Australian Government’s website for details of registered courses and training providers – View our details here. We strongly recommend you search the training.gov.au website for any training organisation you maybe considering. 
Online eLearning
To apply the theory you learn online, you will be required to complete 150 hours of workplace practical training in an approved animal care business or organisation (this can consist of paid employment or unpaid work experience). During this time you will be expected to complete all workplace training assignments, an essential part of the assessment criteria for this course. 
The minimum age requirement for this course is based on academic school year, with students being a minimum of Year 10 High School age or equivalent. 
