Admission Requirements
Program faculty members recommend that applicants to the Veterinary Technology program have volunteer or paid practical experience in a veterinary hospital or an animal care facility prior to seeking admission to the program. This experience should be under the supervision of a registered veterinary technician or licensed doctor of veterinary medicine. While there is no specific requirement for the number of hours of experience, it is important that applicants be fully aware of the profession and job requirements prior to seeking admission to the program.
Students who intend to submit an application to enroll in the Veterinary Technology program may gain admission to the college during any academic term to complete learning support and/or general education and health core courses needed to qualify as an applicant to the program. Prospective students are generally admitted as Healthcare Science majors to complete such coursework.
The Veterinary Technology program uses a competitive admission process to select students. Students are admitted once per year to begin program-specific (VETT) courses at the beginning of fall semester. Applicants must submit all required documentation for program admission to the Admissions Office by June 1 to receive consideration in the selection process.
The number of students accepted into the program is limited to 18 students each year. Applicants not selected for the program may reapply during subsequent admission intake periods. There is no waiting list between intake periods; applicants must complete the application process for each attempt for entry into the program. Applicants who are on academic probation or academically dismissed from the college as of the June 1 application deadline will not be considered for admission.
To receive consideration for admission to the Veterinary Technology program, applicants must submit the following information to the Admissions Office by the June 1 of the year they seek admission to the program:
- Completed and signed application for admission to the college and $25 nonrefundable application fee.
- Official high school or GED transcripts and/or official college transcripts from all colleges attended in the past (see General Admissions Requirements). A minimum grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale is required on college work attempted in order to be eligible for consideration for admission to the program.
- Valid ACCUPLACER, COMPASS, ASSET, SAT, or ACT test scores (see ACCUPLACER Placement Examination).
- Proof of legal presence in the United States.
- Electronically submitted Veterinary Technology Intent Form. Blank forms are available on the college website.
- Valid Assessment Technologies Institute Test of Essential Academic Skills (ATI TEAS) test scores. To be considered valid, test scores must be less than five years old on the application deadline date (see Selective Admission Examinations).
- Official birth certificates, passports, driver's licenses, or state issued photo identification cards to document that applicants are at least 18 years old.
- Completed signature form included in the Veterinary Technology Program Policies and Procedures Manual confirming that applicants have reviewed and understood the material included in the manual. Manuals relevant to each year’s application cycle are usually posted by February 28.
- Signed document acknowledging that the commission of a felony may prevent graduates from becoming registered veterinary technicians in the State of Georgia and acknowledging that they may be required to complete drug testing and/or background checks at their own expense prior to participating in internships, practicums, or clinical activities at certain host sites for these activities (see Drug Testing/Background Checks). Blank forms are available on the college website.
Applicants must complete college algebra (MATH 1111), biology (BIOL 1111 and BIOL 1111L), chemistry (CHEM 1211 and CHEM 1211L), and composition and rhetoric (ENGL 1101) or equivalent courses with final course grades of C or higher prior to the application deadline. Applicants transferring from other colleges must confirm the transferability of equivalent coursework with the director of registration and records before the June 1 application deadline.
Because performance in math and science has proven to be an excellent predictor of success in the Veterinary Technology program and because communications skills contribute greatly to achieving that success, candidates will be ranked using the following criteria:
Applicants invited to join the program at the end of the selection process will be required to attend a scheduled, mandatory New Veterinary Technology Student Orientation prior to the beginning of the fall semester for which they have been accepted (typically in July). Failure to attend or to make alternate arrangements with the Veterinary Technology program chair to obtain the information presented will result in the forfeiture of admission to the program.
At the beginning of the Fall Semester when students begin VETT courses, they must submit the following documents to the Veterinary Technology program chair:
- A completed Veterinary Technology Physical Examination Form with the results of a recent medical examination with a qualified healthcare provider indicating that the student is in satisfactory health to work with animals. Physical Examination Forms will be distributed by the Program Chair at the mandatory New Veterinary Technology Student Orientation and/or through the United States Postal Service.
- Verification of malpractice insurance (see Malpractice Insurance).
By September 30 of their first semester of enrollment, students will be required to submit official immunization records proving they have received vaccines against rabies and tetanus.