Purdue Offers a Vet Tech Degree for Online Students

Purdue University was established in 1869 in Lafayette, Indiana by the General Assembly after a generous donation was made by a man named John Purdue. It is a traditional brick and mortar university with a few online degree programs and online continuing education courses available to the public. One such program is the vet tech degree program offered mostly online.

Purdue is ranked by SmartMoney magazine as ninth in the nation for long-term value of a university for your money and is ranked 18th in the country for public universities according to U.S. News and World Report magazine. Also, the university is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Purdue University offers an online associates degree in veterinary technology that will allow individuals to work in animal care after completion.

This program is comprised of 35 online core courses (which adds up to 45 credit hours of study) and 17 Clinical Mentorship individual experiences (these add up to 17 credit hours). The total credit hours to complete this online veterinary technology program is 70 credit hours. It must be noted that each course is between 1-2 credit hours. The other credit hours come from 6 credit hours of an English course and Animal Science course as well as a 2 credit hour elective.

This program will take approximately 4-5 years for completion as a part-time student.

A Clinical Mentorship practicum and exams are completed throughout the program. Each of these is done in a veterinary clinic or practice and for every one the student must be under the supervision of a veterinarian or licensed veterinary technician in order to count for credit completion. Documentation of each assigned task during each practicum is then reviewed by Purdue University professors. Videotaping is considered one form of documentation.

Here are a few courses that are offered in this online vet tech degree program:

• Anatomy for Veterinary Technicians I and II
• Physiology for Veterinary Technicians I and II
• Small Animal Nursing and Health Management I, II, III and IV
• Introduction to Ophthalmology, Dermatology and Oncology
• Pharmacology for Veterinary Technicians I and II
• Understanding Animal Diseases

Purdue University will accept transfer credits for the basic required English courses and Animal Science courses from other accredited and acceptable universities. If credits are obtained from another college and want to be applied to this program, they must match Purdue's standards and you must have a "C" or better in them.

Purdue University's online Associate Degree program for Veterinary Technicians is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).

In order to apply to Purdue's online associate's degree program, follow these general admission requirements:

1. High School Diploma or GED
2. High School subject matter requirements-Biology (2), Chemistry (2), Math (4), and English (8). College-level courses may also be accepted for these subjects if not met in high school.
3. Applicants must be at least 18 years old.
4. Submission of SAT/ACT results. (Those exempt from this include those who have completed one year of college study prior to the program or have been out of high school more than 5 years).
5. Meet Technical Standards set by Purdue.

The cost for a course in Purdue's program is $315 per credit hour. As some courses are more than 1 credit hour, some will cost more than others. These fees do not include materials or supplies (textbooks, CD-ROM's, supplemental material, etc.). The costs are the same regardless of location; resident or non-resident.

Note: Tuition and fees are subject to change. Please see Purdue's web site for the most current information on costs.

After the completion of this particular program, you will have obtained an Associate in Science degree that will allow you to become an integral part of any veterinary team within a practice. You will have the ability to find a career in one of the following concentrations:

• Animal anesthesia
• Animal dental care
• Laboratory sample collection and analysis
• Radiology
• Veterinary nursing
• Veterinary surgical/operating room technician

Hopefully this online vet tech degree program at Purdue University will help you get a good start down the path toward a new career in animal science. Good luck in your endeavors!

Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine, http://www.vet.purdue.edu/vettech/DL/ProspectiveStudents.html

SmartMoney ranks a Purdue degree among nation's best buys, http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/rankings/ranking.html

Purdue University online programs, http://www.purdueonlineprograms.com/content/accreditation-and-rankings