FAQ

No. NOVA’s Veterinary Technology (Vet Tech) program prepares students to start a career as a Licensed Veterinary Technician (LVT). While some graduates of the Vet Tech program have chosen to pursue veterinary school, the classes and training required for both disciplines are entirely different. Unfortunately, this means that the courses in NOVA’s Vet Tech program do not transfer as credit to any veterinary colleges.

All NOVA students are eligible to enroll in VET-111: Anatomy and Physiology of Domestic Animals; however, this course is designed specifically for prospective LVTs and will likely not transfer as credit to other four-year colleges or veterinary schools. All other VET courses at NOVA are restricted to those students who have been accepted into the Veterinary Technology program and are in good academic standing.

• Apply for general admission to NOVA.
• Submit all relevant transcripts and financial aid applications to NOVA.
• Register for any outstanding prerequisite courses.
• Find employment in a veterinary clinic, preferably before taking VET111. After some time on the job, ask a DVM and/or an LVT you frequently work with to be your mentor for the program.
• Research the differences between the full-time and part-time Vet Tech program, and consider the differences between in-person and online courses.
• Prepare your application materials and apply to NOVA’s Veterinary Technology program. The application window opens April 15!
• If accepted into the program, follow the instructions provided in the acceptance email prior to the start of the fall semester.

In some instances, courses taken at other colleges may be substituted for certain general education requirements at NOVA, including a few of the Vet Tech program’s prerequisite courses. To get an idea of which credits might transfer, we recommend looking at NOVA's Transfer Evaluation System (TES). After searching for your previous institution in the TES database, you’ll find a list of the courses with corresponding NOVA equivalents. NOTE: Even if your courses transfer, you’ll still need to have your previous transcripts properly evaluated by NOVA’s College Records Office. This process can take up to 12 weeks.

Unfortunately, we cannot accept any substitutions for VET-specific courses, including the program prerequisite VET-111. Therefore, any courses taken through other vet tech or animal science programs cannot transfer to NOVA for credit.

While Vet Tech program students are assigned a faculty advisor upon acceptance into the program, NOVA’s Academic Advising Office is available to help answer questions about registering for courses and fulfilling general education requirements (including Vet Tech program prerequisites).

In general, we are looking for students to be employed at a fully equipped veterinary facility that can perform routine surgeries, dentals, radiographs and lab work. If you are an experienced Veterinary Assistant working in a specialized hospital, please contact us to see if your workplace will satisfy our requirements.

Program applicants must be employed at a veterinary facility and have a veterinarian or LVT mentor at the time of their application. Applicants are not required to have worked in veterinary medicine for a specific length of time; however, the most successful program students have at least six months of experience prior to applying.

It can be challenging to secure a Veterinary Assistant position without prior experience. If you are unable to obtain a Veterinary Assistant role, consider applying for other veterinary clinic positions (e.g., Client Service Representative, Kennel Attendant). Such roles can provide foundational skills and training for anyone new to veterinary medicine. From there, let your employer know your goal of becoming an LVT — and seek out opportunities to gain further experience! 

We do not assist students in finding a place of employment or a mentor. Once you are a NOVA student, however, you’ll have free access to the College’ career portal, Career Connection. Students can sign in to search for jobs across a range of employers, including veterinary clinics. If you have prior experience and are still struggling to get hired, you may benefit from extra career coaching. In addition to Career Connection, NOVA’s Career Services Office offers resources for currently enrolled students, including workshops on resume writing, interviewing and job searching.

While NOVA offers regularly scheduled tours of the Loudoun Campus, the Vet Tech building is considered a teaching hospital. As such, access is restricted to program faculty and students.
Consider the following options to learn about NOVA’s Vet Tech program:

• Spring open house: Open to the general public. Family, friends, current high school students and prospective LVTs can learn more about the program through building tours, student presentations and pre-advising sessions.
• SDV-101 Intro: Learn about the LVT career path and NOVA’s program requirements during your initial college success course.
• Comprehensive building tour: Occurs during a VET-111 class session. Tour includes a program overview and info on how to apply.
• High school presentations: For students currently enrolled in high school veterinary science programs.

If these options won’t work for you, please reach out to us to see what other opportunities might be available.

Please fill out the contact form and someone from the program will be in touch to let you know how you can support our current students!