Veterinary Technology (A.A.S.)

Why UNH Vet tech?

• We offer all the benefits of a small school (small class size, personal attention)with access to all that a state university can offer (support services, housing, dining, clubs, sports, activities, etc.).
• We believe in hands-on learning and start our students off working with animals in their first semester (see next FAQ).
• We offer students real-world training in our state-of-the-art teaching clinic right on campus.
• We offer students access to comprehensive large animal training with equine and dairy herds right on campus.

How much hands-on/live animal work do you offer?

• Students start working with animals in the first few weeks of their first semester. There is at least one hands-on/live animal class each semester. Seniors spend ½ day per week working with real patients in our teaching clinic and working in the medical department of local animal shelters. They also run an off-campus wellness clinic for underserved pets twice a month.
• Of course, there’s a lot of material to learn too, but we believe our students learn best by putting their knowledge into practice. You start working on gentle, relaxed animals as a freshman in various labs. In the teaching clinic, students perform all the duties legally allowed of vet techs. Here are just a few of the things you’ll do:
  • Performing physical examinations and administering injections
  • Taking blood samples
  • Running lab tests on blood, urine, and feces
    

     

  • Speaking to clients
  • Administering and monitoring anesthesia
  • Performing radiography
  • Performing dental procedures
• The only things legally restricted to veterinarians are diagnosing disease, prescribing treatment, and performing surgery. Everything else is for you to do!

Can I get a bachelor’s degree in Vet Tech?

• Ours is a 2-year program that awards an associate degree.
• You can transfer to the UNH Animal Science program as a junior after completing our program and complete their program in just 2 more years. You basically get 2 degrees in 4 years!

Why would I want to go on to a bachelor's program?

• If you want to pursue veterinary graduate school, you would start that path through your bachelor’s program. UNH’s Animal Science and pre-vet programs are a well-known path to vet school.
• A bachelor’s degree could be useful if you decided to change careers in the future.
• You don’t need a bachelor’s degree to be a successful vet tech. You will not get better jobs or better pay as a vet tech with a bachelor’s degree.
• You can make this decision to continue as late as your final semester in our program so there’s no rush!

How successful are your graduates?

• 100% of our graduates who seek work as vet techs are successful. The demand for veterinary technicians continues to grow and many practices are short-staffed. There are more job openings than there are qualified technicians across the country.

Sarah Proctor, DVM, clinical associate professor and program coordinator, offers a virtual tour of UNH’s veterinary technology facilities and discusses program highlights including the 2+2 articulation with the UNH animal science degree program, which allows qualified students to earn both an associate degree in veterinary technology and a bachelor’s degree in animal science in just 4 years.

If you are not yet a UNH student, apply now:

Undergraduate Admissions Office

If you are currently a UNH student in another major:

You may apply to transfer into the Veterinary Technology program.  It is recommended to begin the program in a Fall semester due to the required sequencing of courses.

A complete application includes:

• Change of Program Form
• Internal Transfer Application
• A typed, double-spaced essay (maximum 500 words). The essay should address the following:
  • Explain your reasons for applying to this program.
  • How do you feel about your coursework and/or how your life experiences have prepared you for this program?
  • What does being a Vet Tech mean to you?
• One or two letters of reference discussing your interpersonal and animal-related abilities. Each letter must be submitted in a sealed envelope signed across the back by the individual(s) who wrote the reference. Letters should address the following:
  • Length of time the student has been known by the person writing, and in what capacity
  • Academic ability
  • Analytic ability
  • Oral and written communication skills
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Animal interaction skills

Admission decisions are based on several factors, including:

• academic achievement (especially in animal science-related courses),
• the applicant’s understanding of veterinary technician responsibilities,
• evidence of an informed decision about entering the field, and
• references who can attest to the applicant’s academic potential for completing the program successfully and to the applicant’s personal qualities that relate to success in the animal health field.

A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 is recommended for application. All applicants will be notified via email of the decision regarding their application.

Submit your completed application packet to:

Mary Wiley, Veterinary Technology program director
Barton Hall room 102
(603) 862-2428
mary.wiley@unh.edu

• Deadline for Fall admission: May 1st
• Deadline for Spring admission: Dec 1st

Direct any questions about the program or the application process to Mary Wiley (information above) or Deborah Pack, (603) 862-2874, deborah.pack@unh.edu>, Smith Hall Room G21 (check-in at the reception desk).

To become a certified veterinary technician (CVT) in NH, you must complete these steps:

1. Graduate from an AVMA accredited program. (Like ours!)
2. Pass the Veterinary Technician National Exam (VTNE).*
3. Apply for certification from the NH Veterinary Technician Association (NHVTA).
4. Keep your certification current by completing 12 hours of continuing education (CE), and paying the license fee each year.

Most states that offer credentialing require the first two steps.  The organization where you apply for licensure and the CE requirements differs from state to state.

Why Become Certified?

NH and a few other states do not legally require certification, but it distinguishes you from those who have not completed the training and requirements.  Many practices prefer to employ CVTs and usually pay more for that credential.  If you intend to work outside New England, certification is critical, because most other states require it (37 of 50 states require certification).  The certification process also helps to establish minimum ethical and educational standards for the profession.

Helpful links:

• National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America
• New Hampshire Veterinary Technician Association
• Maine Board of Veterinary Medicine
• Massachusetts Veterinary Technician Association
• Rhode Island Veterinary Technician Association
• Vermont Veterinary Technician Association

If you wish to continue beyond the 2-year associate degree in Veterinary Technology, you can transfer into the UNH Animal Science program and in just two more years, receive a bachelor’s degree. This articulation only applies to graduates of the UNH Vet Tech program.  Students who transfer out of VTEC before graduation may not receive ANSC major credit for VTEC classes as described below.

Veterinary technology coursework transfers into the UNH Animal Science baccalaureate program as described below, making it possible to complete the Animal Science B.S. degree in 2 additional years of study. It is a simple process to transfer to the Animal Science program. In the final semester of the veterinary technology program, complete this application. For students interested in pursuing graduate/veterinary school the pathway will require three additional years to fit in the required extra coursework.

Curriculum checklist for VTEC graduates transferring into ANSC as juniors

Veterinary Technology Program Information Sheet

• UNH Equine Facility
• UNH Fairchild Dairy
• PAWS Veterinary Clinic
• NH Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory

Referral Partner Animal Shelters

• NHSPCA, Stratham, NH
• Pope Memorial Humane Society at Cocheco Valley, Dover, NH

Related Links

• American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)
• AVMA Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities
• National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA)
• NH Veterinary Technician Association (NHVTA)

• WMUR: Investigation underway after extremely emaciated dog found stumbling around NH neighborhood (Interview of UNH Alumna Jordan Daigle ‘17
• UNH Veterinary Clinic Makes Pet Ownership Possible: Lower-income pet owners now have access to affordable wellness services
• A Vet Clinic for Good: UNH’s on-campus clinic helps pets and owners in need
• Animal Ambition: Four vet tech students talk about the value of learning by doing
• Leader of the Pack: University’s veterinary technology program named one of the best