National Certificate in Animal Care

This programme aims to produce graduates with the ability to care for animals and employ safe working practices appropriate to the animal care sector, and to be competent in a wide range of animal care and handling skills.

Compulsory

All of the unit standards listed below are required.

5180     Demonstrate knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of animals

5181     Provide emergency first aid care to companion animals

5183     Handle and transport injured companion animals

5189     Follow safe working practices and standards in the animal facility

5222     Recognise and interpret problems of behaviour in companion animals

19894   Demonstrate knowledge of zoonoses and their control

21380   Demonstrate and apply knowledge relating to animal facility environmental hygiene

21381   Demonstrate knowledge of ethical behaviour in relation to animals

Elective A - Set A

A minimum of 1 unit standard is required from the following:

5148     Monitor health and provide husbandry for cats

7337     Monitor health and provide husbandry for dogs

Elective A - Set B

A minimum of 7 credits is required from the following unit standards:

5148     Monitor health and provide husbandry for cats

5149     Monitor health and provide husbandry for rodents and rabbits 

5151     Monitor health and provide husbandry for caged birds

5152     Monitor health and provide husbandry for horses

5153     Monitor health and provide husbandry for ruminants

5154     Monitor health and provide husbandry for pigs

7337     Monitor health and provide husbandry for dogs

21382   Monitor health and provide husbandry for ornamental fish

21383   Monitor health and provide husbandry for reptiles and amphibians

Elective B                  

A minimum of 5 credits is required from the following unit standards:

12349   Demonstrate time management

11831   Apply skills and qualities of a salesperson in a retail or distribution environment

12355   Demonstrate knowledge of stress and ways of dealing with it

This programme is designed to provide education and training for people wishing to progress to higher levels of tertiary training in Veterinary Nursing, or gain employment in animal related industry sectors, including veterinary practices, animal laboratories, pet shops, kennels, animal welfare agencies, or farms.  Animal training skills may be appropriate to your workplace situation, or simply enrich your recreational time with companion or working animals.

• The minimum expected formal requirement for entry into this programme is a minimum of 12 credits in science at NCEA Level 1.
• Mature students are welcome to apply, and may be admitted to the programme if they can demonstrate through evidence of prior study, or relevant work experience, that they have a reasonable chance of successful completion.
• Applicants whose first language is not English, or who come from a country where the language of instruction in schools is not English, must provide evidence of achieving an IELTS Academic English language test overall score of 6.0.

For students to be considered to have satisfactorily completed this programme, and to be eligible for award of the qualification National Certificate in Animal Care they must have demonstrated competence in all scheduled units to a minimum of 65 credits.