Qualifications Overview

AVT offer a range of qualifications relating to the areas of animal care including veterinary nursing and animal studies. Whether you are just starting out or looking to expand your knowledge in these areas our qualifications are well recognised and trusted by employers.Your qualification will be nationally recognised in Australia and also provides a pathway for a higher level education.Thousands of students from Australia and around the world have chosen AVT as their animal care training provider. Here’s just some of the reasons why:-

  • Full academic and student support
  • Career planning and guidance
  • Application, resume and interview guidance
  • Connections with industry
  • Peer support
  • Work placement support and guidance
  • Pre-organised work placements*
  • Hands-on learning opportunities on-campus
  • Payment options
  • Easily accessible online learning centre
  • Leading course material
  • Flexible study options
  • Guaranteed feedback

For more information on our qualifications and courses see:-

ACM20117 Certificate II in Animal Studies

The Certificate II in Animal Studies is an ideal starting point for those with very little or no prior knowledge or experience in the animal care industry. This qualification is an excellent starting point for any student wishing to continue further vocational training in the area of animal sciences. It is also the minimum pre-requisite for our Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing.

To gain the valuable practical skills required to successfully complete this course, you will be required to spend 150 hours in an approved animal care facility of your choice. This will enable you to put into practice the theory components of the course and develop the hands-on skills that are essential for a career in the animal industry.  Suitable facilities might include kennels, catteries, veterinarians,  doggy day care centres, animal welfare shelters, pet shops (with animals), wildlife rehabilitation centres or zoos.

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ACM30117 Certificate III in Animal Studies

The Certificate III in Animal Studies is ideal for those who may have already gained some experience in the industry and are looking to consolidate their skills and knowledge with a nationally accredited qualification. This course also offers the next step in a pathway to those who have completed the Certifcate II in Animal Studies as well as a suitable pre-requisite for the Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing.

To gain the valuable practical skills required to successfully complete this course, you will be required to spend 250 hours in an approved animal care facility of your choice. This will enable you to put into practice the theory components of the course and develop the hands-on skills that are essential for a career in the animal industry. Suitable facilities might include kennels, catteries, veterinary clinics, doggy day care centres, stables or agistment centres, animal welfare shelters, pet shops (with animals), wildlife rehabilitation centres or zoos.

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ACM30117 Certificate III in Animal Studies at the RSPCA WA

The Certificate III in Animal Studies based at the RSPCA WA provides a fast-track option to obtain an animal studies qualification including participating in workplace training on-site at the RSPCA in Malaga.  This course is is ideal if you do not want the hassle of organising your own work placement, if you want to learn face-to-face from our qualified lecturing and teaching team and share the amazing experience of working in a shelter environment.

As a blended learning course, you will complete your qualification in under 6 months, combining a mix of practical training, classroom learning and online learning from home. On successful completion, this certificate also offers a pathway to those who would like to apply for the Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing.

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Certificate II and III in Animal Studies via the VET in schools program

Both the ACM20117 Certificate II in Animal Studies and the ACM30117 Certificate III in Animal Studies are offered via our VET in schools program.  Suitable for Year 11 and 12 students in Australian high schools who are wishing to study animal care. Our VET in Schools courses combine online theory modules with practical placements in the animal care industry. For more information visit our VET in schools overview page below

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ACM40418 Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing

The Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing is aimed at those who want a career as a veterinary nurse or those already working in veterinary care positions. The role of a veterinary nurse is diverse, exciting, rewarding and one in which you will never stop learning. This certificate will introduce you to a range of skills and knowledge across several species of animals.

You can choose to complete ACM40418 Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing via on-campus or online eLearning study modes. This course is designed to provide you with the knowledge and skills required to start your career as a veterinary nurse. We combine a high standard of theoretical knowledge with intensive practical training in veterinary practice.  This qualification is nationally recognised and is required in Australia to work as a qualified and registered Veterinary Nurse.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have a question about the Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing?  Choose a tab below and select a question to read the relevant answer. If you are unable to find an answer, feel free to contact us via our contact us page.

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

 

The new ACM40418 Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing qualification requires ACM20117 Certificate II in Animal Studies OR a relevant Certificate III or higher level qualification in an animal science discipline OR can demonstrate equivalent skills and knowledge in a relevant animal science discipline to any of the above qualifications.

This means if you do not have any prior experience working with animals you will need to complete either a Certificate II in Animal Studies or the Certificate III in Animal Studies or a similar course.  You can find out more about the course entry requirements on the Course Entry tab here

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

The units are assessed using various methods. These include multiple choice quizzes, tests, written assignments and practical assignments such as video and photographic evidence.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 approachingThe Department of Human Services (Centrelink).

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

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

No, the Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing commences in February each year with applications open in August prior to year commencement. Alternatively, if this option suit you can choose our online study mode, meaning you can commence the course at any time during the year. For more information on how to apply visit our “Course entry” tab.

Yes absolutely, non- Perth based students including those living in Australian rural areas and in the Australian eastern states are encouraged to apply. Although, please be aware that to be accepted onto the online learning course from outside WA, you must have a practical work placement arranged.

Please see our Course Entry tab for the latest information on how to apply.

The new ACM40418 Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing qualification requires ACM20117 Certificate II in Animal Studies OR a relevant Certificate III or higher level qualification in an animal science discipline OR can demonstrate equivalent skills and knowledge in a relevant animal science discipline to any of the above qualifications.

This means if you do not have any prior experience working with animals you will need to complete either a Certificate II in Animal Studies or the Certificate III in Animal Studies or a similar course.  You can find out more about the course entry requirements on the Course Entry tab here

No, there are no pre-requisites for general entry into ACM30117 Certificate III in Animal Studies. However, if you are a VET in schools program student please visit the VET in schools program page for specific requirements.

General requirements for ACM30117 Certificate III in Animal Studies are as follows:-

  • Experience with animals is not required. The course includes practical training which will require you to complete a practical work placement within an area of the animal industry, providing you with some practical experience to compliment the theory units.
  • 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.
  • We also ask that all students can speak and write English.

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.

Due to the nature of the qualification including exposure to radiology equipment, pharmaceuticals, procedures and situations that require a high level of maturity, we require Veterinary Nursing students to be a minimum of 18 years of age or be turning 18 during the academic year.

Our Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing is a nationally recognised qualification throughout Australia and by the governing bodies, the Veterinary Surgeons Board (VSB) and the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA).
We have had correspondence students graduate from all over the world including Japan, Singapore, England, Ireland and South Africa. It is important however to be aware that no arrangement for recognition of the Australian qualification in any country other than Australia exists. Many countries do not have formal qualifications for Vet Nurses. And those countries that do have local qualifications, often employ nurses that hold the Australian qualification.
Before applying to do your study with us – please carefully review the following points:

  • You will need to investigate for your yourself whether your country has a board or registering authority (ie veterinary) that can advise you on which Vet Nursing qualifications are recognised by them (your local vet should also be able to assist you with information)
  • You will need to check with your own country’s registering body whether you will be permitted to conduct ‘acts of veterinary nursing’ (eg injections, monitoring anaesthetics etc) while under supervision by the co-operating veterinary practice.
  • You should talk to your local Veterinary Practices, explain you are considering obtaining the qualification from Australia, to find out what your employment prospects might be
  • You will need to organise a work placement in a general veterinary practice where they perform routine small animal (dog and cats) procedures/surgery etc and this practice must have a gaseous anaesthetic machine and monitoring equipment, radiography equipment (xray and ultrasound) and be English speaking to prevent miscommunication.
  • AVT does not organise student visas

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.

The qualification that you receive (Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing) is the same as that awarded by TAFE, and are both nationally recognised. However, as a private RTO, we are able to offer our students a personalised learning experience.

We arrange your practical work placements for you, within a reputable veterinary clinic in Perth that we can guarantee provide the training and mentoring required to learn the ins and outs of working within a clinic. We understand the stress that can be involved in having to secure yourself a work placement in a few short weeks once you have been accepted onto a course. By studying with us you can rest assured that we will arrange this for you using our fantastic relationships with over 120 vet practices in Perth.

In terms of the theory components of the course; we teach the qualification requirements but we are also able to teach the extra areas that we, as veterinarians, feel would be valuable for a vet nurse to know. We are a private institution, so we are able to have more freedom to include many more practical classes, industry visits, teach particular areas to make our nurses a lot more employable. We also only deliver and offer animal care courses at AVT meaning everything revolves around animals for us! Whereas other training providers may offer a variety of courses from hairdressing to carpentry.

We also like to provide all of our students with as much support as we can towards completing their certificate. Our class sizes are much smaller here which allows and encourages more student participation and more opportunities to do practical tasks at AVT. This also allows you experience of studying with us to be much more personalised – all lecturing and support staff members know all the students very well and are there to support our students throughout the course.

For more information about the changes to ACM40412 Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing to ACM40418 Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing we recommend reading Important changes to the National Qualifications in Animal Studies and Veterinary Nursing

Please note the new course code is ACM40418. ACM40417 was not released.

The code for Certificate III in Animal Studies changed to ACM30117 in November 2017. The content and requirements for this particular certificate have not changed however and the new certificate is deemed equivalent to ACM30110.

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.

All training providers have 12 months from endorsement to bring up to date and changes required to any courses they are registered to deliver.

AVT is in the process of completing administrative and compliance paperwork that will allow us to advertise ACM30117 Certificate III in Animal Care.  As such we are registered to deliver ACM30110 and ACM30117 for the next 12 months.

Most importantly however, all students who enrol in ACM30110 with us in the near future will be issued ACM30117 when they complete.

For more information visit our article on the Changes to National Qualifications 

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 

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.

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.

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.