Certified veterinary technicians are in demand and the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects that there will be about 10.400 new job openings for skilled vet techs each year for the next ten years.1 If you’re looking for a rewarding career that allows you to make a difference, working in the veterinary field could be the perfect fit for you! With Ashworth’s online AVMA CVTEA accredited Veterinary Technician Associate Degree, you’ll learn the foundational skills necessary to becoming a successful vet technician including veterinary anatomy and physiology, animal pharmacology, animal husbandry, and more. In our online Vet Tech Program you’ll also prepare for real-world work through 270 hours of clinical experience so you can apply what you learn online to the actual day-to-day duties of a vet tech.
Once you graduate, you’ll be eligible to take national credentialing exams like the Veterinary Technician National Exam (VTNE) which is a requirement for employment in the field in many states.
Online Veterinary Technician Degree Curriculum
Our online AVMA-accredited Veterinary Technician Associate Degree Program is designed to help you take the first steps toward a career as a certified, licensed, or registered vet tech. Through four semesters, your self-paced classes will cover general education and career-focused topics that can be essential to success on the job, as well as passing the VTNE. Your online vet tech classes include:
The Associate of Applied Science Degree in Veterinary Technician is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA). Ashworth College is also accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission.
What you get
Digital textbooks: Principles and Practices of Veterinary Technology, Clinical Anatomy and Physiology for Veterinary Technicians, Dog Anatomy: A Photo Atlas, Cat Anatomy and Dissection Guide, Front Office Management for the Veterinary Team, Laboratory Procedures for Veterinary Technicians, Veterinary Instruments and Equipment: A Pocket Guide, Diagnostic Imagine for Veterinary Technicians, Small Animal Surgical Nursing, Laboratory Animal and Exotic Pet Medicine: Principles and Procedures
AVMA CVTEA-accredited vet tech curriculum
270 hours of clinical training
Student Portal dashboard for instant access to lessons and support
Learning Resource Center online libraries and labs
ProQuest® digital access to thousands of sources for research
An active online community of fellow students, staff, and grads
20%
job growth
Vet Tech Job Opportunities
Career opportunities for skilled veterinary technicians are growing fast.In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the employment of veterinary technicians to grow 20% from 2021 to 2031. This rapid growth is because more veterinary practices are utilizing vet techs to do general lab work and hiring skilled vet techs to replace veterinary staff who are not as skilled. Veterinary Technicians are paid a competitive salary for their essential skills and duties performed within a practice.*
AVMA CVTEA ACCREDITED
As a grad, you’ll be prepped for your certification exam and eligible for the important professional licensing employers demand.
STUDIES THAT FIT YOUR LIFE
Enroll in one semester at a time and complete each of them in as few as six months based on your study pace.
ENJOY GREAT VALUE
This is one of the most affordable online veterinary technician programs available at any vet tech school.
AVMA CVTEA ACCREDITED
As a grad, you’ll be prepped for your certification exam and eligible for the important professional licensing employers demand.
STUDIES THAT FIT YOUR LIFE
Enroll in one semester at a time and complete each of them in as few as six months based on your study pace.
ENJOY GREAT VALUE
This is one of the most affordable online veterinary technician programs available at any vet tech school.
Our faculty has extensive professional experience in their fields. They’re here to help you learn, grow, and excel.
Dr. Lea Craig
Lead faculty member Dr. Craig graduated from the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Program at Ontario Veterinary College in 2007. She has extensive first-hand experience in AAHA-accredited small animal hospitals in Canada and the U.S. and has been teaching online veterinary technician courses since 2013.
Megan Chadwick, CVT, BS
Megan Chadwick is the Director of the Veterinary Academy and has been a certified veterinary technician for over 10 years. She is an experienced online educator and has held various leadership roles. Prior to working as an educator, she worked in general practice as a certified veterinary technician.
Suzanne Fauver, CVT
Suzanne is the Clinical Coordinator for the program and has worked in education for over seven years. She is a certified veterinary technician who graduated from Johnson College with an Associate's degree in Veterinary Technology. Before working in education, Suzanne worked as a certified technician in both emergency and general practice. Along with her love for educating veterinary technician students, she has a passion for large animals and large animal medicine.
Joshua Schlote, LVT, VTES
Joshua is a Licensed Veterinary Technologist with 16 years of veterinary experience in small animal medicine, emergency/critical care, referral/specialty care, and education. He co-authored the textbook Diagnostic Imaging for Veterinary Technicians.
Vicki McLain, CVT, LAGT,VTS (Lab Animal)
Vicki has been an online educator for over seven years. Prior to that, she practiced extensively in the field as a veterinary technician. This includes three years in a general animal practice and thirteen years in the research environment. She is LATG certified through AALAS and earned her VTS in Laboratory Animal Medicine in 2017.
Ann Wortinger, BIS, LVT, VTS (ECC) (SAIM) (Nutrition), Elite FFCP
A practicing vet tech for more than 33 years, Ann began in general practice and transitioned to emergency/critical care medicine, working in a specialty practice for more than 16 years and in veterinary technician education for more than 10 years. She earned her certification in Emergency/Critical Care (ECC) in 2000, Small Animal Internal Medicine (SAIM) in 2008, and Nutrition in 2013.
Jeanne R. Perrone, MS, CVT, VTS (Dentistry)
Jeanne Perrone has been a certified veterinary technician since 1991. She chaired the organizing committee for the Academy of Veterinary Dental Technicians (AVDT) and earned her Veterinary Technician Specialty (VTS) in Dentistry in 2006. She has since worked in dental specialty practices, teaches dentistry for St Petersburg College and Vetmedteam, and provides in-clinic trainings in dentistry. She recently earned her MS in Instructional Design and Technology and published the second edition of Small Animal Dental Procedures for Veterinary Technicians and Nurses.
Danielle Chesek, CVT
Danielle is a Certified Veterinary technician and is the Academic Advisor of the Veterinary Technology program. She earned her degree from Johnson College in 2006 and became licensed the same year. Danielle has over 10 years of experience in general practice, surgery/referral care and emergency care. She has over 3 years’ experience assisting the veterinary team in an online education setting.
Kelly Blood, RVT
Kelly is a Registered Veterinary Technician. She graduated from Purdue University in 2015, but has been involved in Veterinary Medicine since 1997. She has spent most of her career in general practice, but has also worked in emergency medicine as well as with exotic species and large animals. Her passions are intensive care nursing and diagnostic imaging.
Whether you’re new to online education or have taken an online course before, you may still have some questions about how Ashworth College works. Here’s what you need to know.
While a vet tech degree may not be required to work in the field in all states, it can be an important credential to help you stand out when applying for vet tech jobs. Additionally, many states DO require you to be certified or registered as a veterinary technician, and earning an AVMA-accredited degree is necessary to pursue those industry-recognized credentials. By earning a veterinary technician degree and completing your clinical hours, you’re also building foundational skills that will be necessary to successfully complete your day-to-day duties as a vet tech.
As soon as you enroll, you gain access to the Ashworth College Central Network. It's an online toolkit that offers step-by-step guidance for building your resume, drafting cover letters, writing thank you notes, and more. Your lessons may refer you to the Ashworth College Central Network as you prepare to graduate and take new steps in your career. After you earn your degree, you'll retain your account so you can sharpen your resume and interview skills anytime you need to.
Our online Veterinary Technician Associate Degree is entirely self-paced, meaning your can prepare for a career on your terms. While the average completion time for students is 6 months per semester, you’re given up to 4 years to complete the entire degree program.
After graduation, you may choose to sit for the VTNE. The VTNE is a nationally recognized credential that can be vital to starting a career as a veterinary technician. Once you’ve passed the VTNE, you can go on to become a certified or registered veterinary technician in your state. If you'd like to continue your education and increase your earning potential in the field, you can also enroll in the Veterinary Technology Bachelor’s Degree offered through our sister school, Penn Foster.
Related programs
Our Veterinary Technician Associate Degree online isn’t the only online veterinary program you can take at Ashworth College. We offer several other vet industry courses including
Related Programs from Our Partner School, Penn Foster
Our partner school, Penn Foster, also offers several veterinary industry training programs. These online programs are flexible and self-paced online classes, just like Ashworth College, and allow you to take the next step in your career on your terms. These programs include
Veterinary technicians have a wide range of hands-on responsibilities including providing emergency care or nursing aid, administering x-rays, preparing animals for surgery, and more. As part of our program, you have the opportunity to develop these skills in a real-world clinical environment. We will provide students with advice and strategies to aid in the pursuit of finding a clinical site. And, unlike other vet tech programs, clinical experience hours are included in each semester.
Students and prospective students are advised to review the program’s health and safety policies located in the student catalog to help inform them of occupational risks to zoonotic diseases and rabies prevalence in the region they will be performing clinical skills.
State and local laws may restrict clinical experiences to those at least 18 years old.
State requirements
A career in this field may require you to meet certain licensing, training, and other requirements that can vary by vocation and state. You should check with your state, local government, and/or licensing board to find out which requirements may be applicable in your state. Click here for contact information on state licensing/regulatory boards and certain professional licensing information.
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