Valencia Community College offers an associate in science degree for veterinary technology that requires 30 credit hours in the major and 15 general credit hours. Students take some courses for this program online through a partnership with St. Petersburg College, which awards the degree. Graduates are eligible to take the Florida Veterinary Medical Association and the Florida Veterinary Technicians Association certification exams.
Valencia Community College
701 N. Econlockhatchee Trail
Orlando, Fla. 32802
407-582-1288
http://www.valenciacc.edu/asdegrees/health/vt.cfm
This school offers two veterinary assistant degree programs. The assistant degree program consists of 18 courses and the other degree program covers those 18 courses plus additional courses on more exotic animals, such as reptiles, pocket pets and large animals. Veterinary assistants typically do not receive the medical training of a technicians program, but courses at the Institute include surgery and anesthesia, pharmacology and radiology. The institute also offers degrees in basic and advanced pet grooming, as well as professional pet styling.
The Florida Institute of Animal Arts
3776 Howell Branch Road
Winter Park, Fla. 32792
407-869-PETS (7387)
www.myfiaa.com
There are four schools just over an hour's drive from Orlando that offer veterinary technician degrees. Those schools are Central Florida Community College in Ocala, Saint Leo University in St. Leo, and two Tampa schools: the University of South Florida and Hillsborough Community College.
Central Florida Community College
3001 S.W. College Road
Ocala, Fla. 34474
352-873-5800
www.cfcc.cc.fl.us
Saint Leo University
33701 State Road 52
St. Leo, Fla. 33574
800-334-5532
www.saintleo.edu
University of South Florida
4202 E. Fowler Ave.
Tampa, Fla. 33620
813-974-2011
www.usf.edu
Hillsborough Community College
2112 N. 15th St.
Tampa, Fla. 33605
813-253-7602
www.hccfl.edu
Nine schools with online programs are listed at the Veterinary Technician Schools website. Six of the online programs have full accreditation, and the other three are provisional. The fully accredited programs are:
Blue Ridge Community College
Box 80, One College Lane
Weyers Cave, Va. 24486
888-750-2722
www.brcc.edu
Cedar Valley College
3030 North Dallas Ave.
Lancaster, Texas 75134
972-860-8201
www.cedarvalleycollege.edu
Northern Virginia Community College
1000 Harry Flood Byrd Highway
Sterling, Va. 20164-8699
703-450-2525
www.nv.cc.va.us
San Juan College
4601 College Blvd.
Farmington, N.M. 87402
505-566-3182
www.sjc.cc.nm.us/pages/1.asp
St. Petersburg College
P.O. Box 13489
St. Petersburg Fla. 33733
727-341-4772
www.spcollege.edu
Purdue University
625 Harrison Street
West Lafayette, Ind. 47907
765-494-7607
www.vet.purdue.edu
These programs have provisional accreditation from the AVMA:
Jefferson State Community College
2601 Carson Road
Birmingham, Ala. 35215-3098
205-856-8519
www.jeffstateonline.com/vet_tech
Moraine Park Technical College
235 N. National Ave.
Fond du Lac, Wisc. 54936
920-922-8611
www.morainepark.edu
Penn Foster College
14300 N. Northsight Blvd., Suite 111
Scottsdale, Ariz. 85260
480-947-6644
www.pennfostercollege.edu