Diploma
Veterinary Technology Open Learning Diploma
Thompson Rivers University · Veterinary Technology (Faculty of Science) · Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada
- Official award
- Veterinary Technology Open Learning Diploma
- Pathway
- Veterinary technologyStated for Canada
- Format
- HybridThree years
- Tuition
- Not published
Hybrid program
About this program
Three-year, online, cohort-based diploma for people already employed in a Canadian veterinary clinic; hands-on skills are gained at the student's clinic with a mentor and a one-week on-site lab at TRU in year three.
Role the program prepares for: Prepares working veterinary clinic staff for a career as a Registered Veterinary Technologist.
- Subject
- Veterinary technology
- Department
- Veterinary Technology (Faculty of Science)
- 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 Open Learning page states the program trains Registered Veterinary Technologists.“The program trains you for a career as a Registered Veterinary Technologist.”Source
- Prior degree required
- No
- International applicants and graduates
- Available in Canada only; proof of Canadian citizenship or permanent resident status is required.Source
| Route | Duration | Credits | Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Existing professional qualification required | Three years (75 credits) | 75 | Employment as a veterinary assistant at an approved clinic for at least 260 paid hours per semesterSource |
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: TRU veterinary technology, distance learning delivery (CVMA VTPAC list, bracketed year as printed)
Study structure
- Delivery
- HybridPart online and part in person (campus attendance, laboratory work, attendance-based exams or clinical placements). A hybrid program is never described as fully online.
- Online instruction
- Mostly online
- Mandatory campus attendance
- Yes
- Campus residencies or workshops
- Mandatory one-week on-site lab at TRU in year three
- Laboratory work
- Mandatory one-week on-site lab at TRU in year three to obtain essential skill requirements for exotic, large and lab animals
- Mandatory clinical or workplace placement
- Clinical hands-on experience is provided at the student's workplace; the student must be employed by the approved Clinic Affiliation Site for a minimum of 260 paid hours per semester
- Placement arrangement
- Student arranges the placement
- Must already work in a veterinary setting
- Yes
- Placement site approval
- Yes
- Required professional status or prior education
- Must be employed (paid, not volunteering) at an approved veterinary clinic as a veterinary assistant; clinical mentor must be a licensed DVM or an RVT with two years of post-graduate clinical experience
- Live attendance
- Live attendance not published
- International enrolment
- No
- Enrollment restrictions
- Available in Canada only; Canadian citizens or permanent residents
- Study mode
- Not published
- Duration
- Three years
- Credits
- 75 creditsCredit systems differ between countries and institutions.
- Clinical components
- Hands-on clinical experience at the workplace under a clinical mentor
- Laboratory work
- One-week on-site lab at TRU in year three
- Clinical placement
- 260 paid hours per semester at the Clinic Affiliation Site
- Intakes
- January
- Campus
- Kamloops Campus805 TRU Way, Kamloops, BC V2C 0C8
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 requiredEmployment at an approved veterinary clinic for at least 260 hours per semester; volunteering does not qualify.
- Interview
- Not published
- Previous qualification
- English Studies 12, Foundations of Mathematics 11 and Life Sciences 11 (or equivalent), each with a minimum of C+
- Science prerequisites
- Life Sciences 11 with C+; Anatomy and Physiology 12 strongly recommended
- International applicants
- Proof of Canadian citizenship or permanent resident status required.
- Documents
- Clinic Affiliation/Employment Verification form, orientation questionnaire, health and safety form, vaccination record, three reference forms
- 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)