New Zealand Certificate in Animal Technology (Level 5) with strand in Veterinary Nursing Assistant

This course is designed to provide education and training for people wishing to progress to higher levels of tertiary training, or gain employment in animal related industry sectors, including veterinary practices, animal laboratories, pet shops, kennels, animal welfare agencies, or farms and representatives for animal drug companies. 

With this qualification students may choose to travel overseas and gain employment at a higher level. Locum at various veterinary clinics around the world while gaining valuable practical experience.

The Veterinary Nursing Assistant strand is a prerequisite to enrolment into the Level 6 New Zealand Diploma in Veterinary Nursing.

For the Veterinary Nursing Assistant strand:

Students should be able to demonstrate previous experience working with animals, and an aptitude for working with the public.

• An aptitude for working with the public which may include a reference from an employer where the prospective student has worked with the public (e.g. retail), reference from a teacher attesting to social skills

For those people entering this qualification the following entry requirements apply:

• 60 NCEA credits at Level 2
• A minimum of 12 NCEA credits in English at Level 2 and 12 credits in Maths at Level 1; and 12 credits of relevant science at Level 1, or
• The equivalent secondary study, or
• Meet the education provider‘s requirements for the equivalent numeracy and literacy standards
• Applicants over the age of 20 years at time of enrolment will be considered where they can demonstrate the ability to succeed in a programme.

English Language Requirements

Applicants, whose first language is not English, or who come from a country where the language of instruction in schools is not English, are required to provide evidence of having achieved one of the following:

NCEA Level 3 with University Entrance, or

an International Baccalaureate Diploma or Cambridge A- level qualification for which the teaching and assessment was conducted in English; or

Cambridge Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA), or Trinity College London Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CertTESOL); or

Successful completion of all primary education (being the equivalent of New Zealand primary school years 1 to 8) and at least three years of secondary education (being the equivalent of three years from New Zealand secondary school years 9 to 13) at schools in  either New Zealand, Australia­, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States one of the countries listed in Rule 18.5 where the student was taught using English as the language of instruction; or

Successful completion of at least five years of secondary education (being the equivalent of New Zealand secondary school years 9 to 13) at schools in either New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States where the student was taught using English as the language of instruction; or

Successful completion of a Bachelor ‘s Degree, Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, Bachelor Honours degree, Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma, Masters’ Degree or Doctoral Degree, the language of instruction of which must be in English and which must be  from a tertiary education provider from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom or the United States or

Successful completion of one of the following internationally recognised proficiency tests listed below to the level required of the programme of study and with all scores achieved in a single test during the two years preceding the proposed date of enrolment.

Certificate at Level 5

• IELTS test - Academic score of 5.5 with no band score lower than 5
• TOEFL Paper based test (pBT) - Score of 550 (with an essay score of 5 TWE)
• TOEFL Internet based test (iBT) - Score of 46 (with a writing score of 14)
• Cambridge English Examination – B2 First or B2 First for schools with a score of 162.  No less than 154 in each skill
• OET - Minimum of Grade C or 200 in all sub-tests
• NZCEL - a) Expiring Level   b) Current:
• Level 4 (General) or (Workplace) b) Level 4 (General) or (Employment)
• Pearson Test of English (Academic) - PTE (Academic) score of 42 with no band score lower than 36
• Language Cert - B2 Communicator International ESOL Written (LRW) HIGH PASS with no less than 25/50 in each skill and Spoken (S) PASS
• Trinity ISE - ISE II with no less than merit in any band

To satisfactorily complete New Zealand Certificate in Animal Technology (Level 5) with strands in Rural Animal Technician and Veterinary Nursing Assistant and be awarded this qualification the student must successfully achieve: -

Veterinary Nursing Assistant strand:

• Achieved all of the graduate profile outcomes for that strand showing competence to a minimum of 120 credits in accordance with the programme schedule for the New Zealand Certificate in Animal Technology (Level 5) with strands in Rural Animal Technician and Veterinary Nursing Assistant.
• Completed required practical and theoretical course work and assignments.
• Completed a minimum of 240 hours of approved strand related work experience.

The student will normally be expected to complete each strand of the New Zealand Certificate in Animal Technology (Level 5) with strands in Rural Animal Technician and Veterinary Nursing Assistant full-time over 34 tutorial weeks or part-time over 2 years.

(Please note; students failing to attend for 80% of timetabled programme hours may forfeit zero fees entitlement)

Classes are held Monday to Friday, 9.00am-4.00pm at SIT's Invercargill campus. The programme timetable will be confirmed at the start of each term.