Diploma
Veterinary Technology Diploma
Olds College of Agriculture & Technology · Werklund School of Agriculture Technology · Olds, Alberta, Canada
- Official award
- Diploma in Veterinary Technology
- Pathway
- Veterinary technologyStated for Canada
- Format
- On campus18 months (accelerated diploma)
- Tuition
- Not published
About this program
18-month accelerated on-campus diploma with training at the Animal Health Education Centre and Smart Farm and a six-week industry practicum.
Role the program prepares for: Prepares graduates to write the VTNE and a provincial licensing exam to become Registered Veterinary Technologists.
- Subject
- Veterinary technology
- Department
- Werklund School of Agriculture Technology
- Awarding body
- Not stated on the pages we checked
Qualification and professional pathway
Pathway is classified only from a statement on an official page. An award title such as DVM, BVSc, BSc or MSc does not decide it, and no degree, accreditation or listing by itself grants permission to practise anywhere.
- Degree level
- DiplomaA non-degree award, or a qualification at a level the national framework defines. It is not counted as an academic degree.
- Pathway
- Veterinary technologyPrograms preparing veterinary technicians or technologists, depending on the jurisdiction. This is a different role from veterinary nursing in some countries and the same role under another name in others.
- Why we classify it this way
- The page says graduates are eligible to write the VTNE and a provincial licensing exam to become Registered Veterinary Technologists.“Upon graduation from the Veterinary Technology Diploma you are eligible to write the Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE)”Source
- Prior degree required
- No
- Further professional requirements
- Graduates write the VTNE and a provincial licensing exam to become an RVT.Source
| Route | Duration | Credits | Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry from secondary school | 18 months (accelerated diploma) | – | Alberta-style 30-level English, Math, Biology and Chemistry or equivalents, plus 40 hours of job shadowing or employmentSource |
Accreditation, evaluation and recognition
Recorded for this program and campus, with the authority’s role. Program accreditation, evaluation status, professional-body recognition, eligibility toward registration, institutional recognition, directory listings and memberships are different things; none of them is automatic permission to practise, and recognition in one country does not guarantee registration in another.
Verified in official recordCanadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) - Veterinary Technologist Program Accreditation CommitteeProgram accreditationFull statusCA
Scope: Olds College veterinary technology: the CVMA list shows residential and distance delivery with bracketed years as printed; the college's current program page shows on-campus delivery only, so the distance offering is not verified
Study structure
- Delivery
- On campusTaught at the listed campus.
- Study mode
- Not published
- Duration
- 18 months (accelerated diploma)
- Clinical components
- Handling, treating and caring for cats, dogs, horses, sheep and cattle at the Animal Health Education Centre and Smart Farm
- Clinical placement
- Six-week industry practicum, can be completed at a location of the student's choosing6 weeks
- Intakes
- Fall, Winter, Spring
- Campus
- Olds Campus4500 - 50th Street, Olds, Alberta T4H 1R6
Teaching language
- Taught in
- Not stated on the pages we checked
- English
- English teaching not verifiedAn English-language website does not mean a program is taught in English.
Admissions
- Animal or veterinary experience
- Animal or veterinary experience required40 hours of job shadowing and/or employment verified by a signed form.
- Interview
- Not published
- Previous qualification
- 65% or better in English Language Arts 30-1 or 30-2 (and required Math, Biology, Chemistry 30-level courses)
- Science prerequisites
- English Language Arts 30-1/30-2, Math 30-1/30-2, Biology 30, Chemistry 30 (65% minimum for English; four academic requirements)
- Official instructions
- Application instructions
Fees and costs
Original currency is authoritative. Each price keeps its basis (per year, per credit, whole program), academic year and student category, and is never converted. Annual tuition and whole-program tuition are different figures.
The institution does not publish tuition for this program on the pages we checked. Ask for current fees, what they include and whether clinical or laboratory charges, equipment and protective clothing, travel, placement expenses and insurance are extra.
Sources and verification
Not published on the program’s source pages: tuition, full-time or part-time options.
Sources and how this was checked
Last checked 19 October 2026. Each fact carries a verbatim quote that is re-checked against the live page. Research methodology.
Sources (checked 19 October 2026)