Accreditation

The Committee on Veterinary Technical Education and Activities (CVTEA) of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) granted Initial Accreditation to Westchester Community College’s Veterinary Technology Program, effective March 14, 2014. Accreditation will remain in effect as long as the Program continues to meet AVMA CVTEA Standards of Accreditation. Initial accreditation is the only accreditation classification that can be granted to new Veterinary Technology programs such as ours, and is granted to those programs that have made significant progress towards meeting the Standards of Accreditation. Our program will remain on initial accreditation until achieving full accreditation, or for a period not to exceed five years. The next accreditation site visit is scheduled for 2019.

Additional Program Notes

Pre-requisites: The following four courses need to be completed to be considered for acceptance into the Veterinary Technology Program. (Transfer credits earned prior to attendance at Westchester Community College may also be considered if they meet acceptable equivalency.)

• Written English - completion of 
  ENG 101 - Writing and Research
    
• Mathematics - completion of
  MATH 130 - College Algebra: Functions & Models
    
• Science proficiency - completion of both:
  • BIOL 103 - Human Biology (and Lab)
      
  • CHEM 113 - Principles of Inorganic Chemistry (and Lab)
      

Required Screening: Following acceptance and prior to admittance, students must complete a successful criminal background check. Drug screening is also required prior to admittance into any clinical experience. Screening is mandatory, and all expenses are the responsibility of the student. Any screening may be required to be repeated at the request of the Department Chair at any point during the Program.

Clinical Experiences: Some laboratory classes, and clinical externships and experiences, are held off campus at affiliated animal-related facilities. Travel to and from these facilities is an expectation of this Program and is the student’s responsibility. Faculty/staff are not permitted to transport students.

Educational Progress: Students are expected to obtain a “C” in all non-Vet. Tech. coursework, and a “C+” in all Vet. Tech. coursework. A minimum GPA of 2.0 is required at the end of each semester.

A grade below a “C+” in any Veterinary Technology course is considered failing. Any student who fails or withdraws from a course can apply for re-admittance to the Program for one additional attempt. Any student who fails a second course will be subject to Academic Dismissal from the Program.

Professional Conduct: Professional and ethical conduct are an important component of this Program, and are expected to be upheld to continue in and graduate from this Program.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, a student will:

1. Demonstrate the ability to apply theoretical concepts to veterinary care decisions consistently.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the design of modern nursing technologies and its application to veterinary care.
3. Demonstrate professionalism in dealing with patients and clients.
4. Demonstrate the ability to function as a member of a veterinary care team.
5. Demonstrate the ability to communicate well, orally and in writing, in veterinary care situations.
6. Demonstrate the ability to apply critical and analytic thinking in veterinary care situations.
7. Demonstrate the competency needed to take the Veterinary Technician National Exam (VTNE).

General Education Requirements - 20 Credits

Students are required to fulfill a certain number of credits within the specific categories shown below. Where specific courses are not listed within these categories, courses must be selected from the list of SUNY General Education Courses .

Degree Requirements - 49 Credits

• VET 101 - Introduction to Veterinary Technology
• VET 102 - Animal Anatomy and Physiology
• VET 106 - Pharmacology for Veterinary Technicians
• VET 107 - Veterinary Disease and Pathology
• VET 108 - Small Animal Nursing
• VET 109 - Clinical Pathology 1
• VET 200 - Clinical Pathology 2
• VET 201 - Veterinary Office Practices
• VET 202 - Anesthetic and Surgical Procedures for Veterinary Technicians
• VET 203 - Dental Techniques
• VET 204 - Senior Lab 1
• VET 205 - Imaging Techniques
• VET 206 - Farm Animal Nursing
• VET 207 - Laboratory and Exotic Animal Medicine
• VET 208 - Senior Lab 2
• VET 210 - Veterinary Technology Internship 1
• VET 211 - Veterinary Technology Internship 2

Minimum Total Credits - 69

Educational Plan: The Educational Plan is an advisement tool that provides important information to students about how to complete this degree. Click here to Download the Educational Plan .