Build your career with ACM20117

Certificate II in Animal Studies

Develop fundamental veterinary nursing knowledge and skills.

Outstanding Learning Support

Students are assigned dedicated trainers to help you work through your course. All trainers and assessors have up-to-date Veterinary Nurse qualifications and still work in practice.

Flexible Assessment and Study Options

Study at your own pace in a comprehensive online learning environment. Access all the resources, support, and material you need using our easy-to-use online learning portal.

Access to Funding Assistance

Where eligible, we can assist Queensland and Tasmanian students to apply for traineeship based funding to assist their studies.

Course Overview

Are you a trainee Veterinary Nurse or dedicated Veterinary Receptionist seeking to develop foundational knowledge to support your role? Maybe you would like to learn how to provide advice on care for animals and professional support for their owners? This qualification serves to meet the entry requirement for Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing.

Delivery Information

ACM20117 Certificate II in Animal Studies is a nationally recognised course that is conducted online as part-time distance education. The course is streamlined into six modules that deliver all you need to know, with no repetition. Assessments consist of written case studies, online workplace simulation assignments, online exams and practical assessments via video submission.

The course duration is nine months but you can work at a faster pace and complete earlier if you prefer. You will be given a study timetable upon enrolment which outlines your units of study and due dates for assessments.

Upon completion of all required units, you will be awarded a Certificate of Completion and an Academic Transcript which documents your individual outcomes.

Course Duration

9 months (excluding scheduled study breaks). NB:
- This duration is based on student having 20 hours per week of paid employment in a veterinary clinic
- For students with fewer than 20 hours per week paid employment (8 hours is minimum requirement) the course duration will be adjusted accordingly

Average weekly commitment to the course is 18 hours per week. NB:

The weekly commitment is made up of:
- Practice/demonstrate tasks in the workplace: 12 hours (usually done in parallel with your normal work duties)
- Private study, revision, write theory assessments: 6 hours
This weekly commitment is based on student having 20 hours per week of paid employment in a veterinary clinic
For students with fewer than 20 hours per week paid employment (8 hours is minimum requirement) the weekly commitment will be adjusted accordingly

Course duration and weekly commitment shown above represents suggested times for a student who is a typical new entrant to the industry with little prior experience. These times may vary for you depending on credits, prior learning/experience or your individual work schedule.

Units of Study

A total of 8 core units and 4 elective units must be completed.

Core Units

All 8 units must be completed.

ACMWHS201 Participate in workplace health and safety processes

This unit of competency covers the process required for an entry level employee to participate in workplace health and safety (WHS) processes in the workplace, in order to ensure their own health and safety at work, as well as that of others in the workplace who may be affected by their actions.

ACMGAS201 Work in the animal care industry

This unit of competency covers the terminology, culture and working conditions of an animal care workplace when working on an individual basis and with others.

ACMGAS202 Participate in workplace communications

This unit of competency covers the process of effectively participating in workplace communications in an animal care and management environment.

ACMGAS203 Complete animal care hygiene routines

This unit of competency covers the responsibilities and procedures required to provide daily care of animals, including the cleaning of animal housing and grooming or cleaning of animals under supervision.

ACMGAS204 Feed and water animals

This unit of competency covers the process of preparing, presenting and distributing food and water for animals under supervision and according to workplace diet requirements.

ACMGAS205 Assist in health care of animals

This unit of competency covers the process of providing assistance to experienced staff in the capture, restraint and assessment of animals and the preparation, application and documentation of treatments.

ACMGAS206 Provide basic first aid for animals

This unit of competency covers the skills and knowledge required to provide essential first aid for animals by recognising and responding to an emergency using basic first aid measures.

ACMSUS201 Participate in environmentally sustainable work practices

This unit of competency covers the process required to measure current resource use effectively and to carry out improvements, including those that will reduce the negative environment impacts of work practices.

Elective Units

All 4 units must be completed.

ACMVET201 Carry out veterinary nursing reception duties

This unit of competency covers the process of compiling patient (animal) and client (animal owner) histories, maintaining records and consulting the veterinarian as required.

ACMVET202 Carry out daily clinic routines

This unit of competency covers the process of treating patients (animals) on a daily basis, maintaining clinic hygiene and assisting with inventory and clinic security.

ACMVET203 Assist with surgery preparation

This unit of competency covers the process of assisting with the preparation of patients (animals) and the theatre for surgery, providing pre- and post-operative patient care and cleaning surgical and theatre equipment in a veterinary clinic.

ACMGAS209 Provide information on companion animals, products and services

This unit of competency covers the process of providing basic information to customers on companion animal training, grooming and/or breeding establishments, and on products and services in a range of companion animal settings.

Countries Offered

This course is available in Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and United Arab Emirates. If you are in a different country, please contact us to discuss availability.

Who is this suitable for?

Certificate II in Animal Studies is a nationally recognised course that provides a structured tutoring program intended for individuals who wish to gain foundation knowledge and training in all aspects of animal care.

Entry Requirements

The pre-requisites for this course include:

Be of at least 16 years of age
Completion of Year 10 of schooling or are a mature aged student
20 hours per week of paid employment in a veterinary clinic is recommended. A minimum of 8 hours per week of paid employment in a veterinary clinic is required. Course duration and study schedule will be adjusted according to weekly working hours.
Reliable access to the internet and your own email address
Ability to record video of yourself performing the necessary practical tasks and upload into the course for assessment. (You will need access to a smart phone, tablet, video camera or similar device to record vision and sound)

We accept enrolments to this course on a weekly basis. To find out more information, please contact us.

Fees

Please contact the Animal Industries Resource Centre to have your individual pricing evaluated.

Fees are payable by credit card, bank transfer, money order, bank cheque or personal cheque. Payment plans can be arranged to meet your personal needs. More info on Ezypay Payment plans.

Students in some states may be eligible for Australian Government Traineeships or Incentives. For further information see our section on traineeships.

Studying with AIRC is a perfect way for nurses to balance their study, their job and their life. AIRC are just a phone call away and invaluable with their assistance in every area of the practice from Management through to Veterinary Nursing Studies.

We love the training provided by AIRC & CCG. AIRC trained nurses are incredibly competent. The rigorous training program provides nurses with a high level of underpinning knowledge. This is backed up by workplace assessments to ensure that theory translates into practice. We could not be happier with our AIRC-trained nurses and choose AIRC for both Cert IV and Diplomas.

I have relied heavily on the quality study materials, as well as the user-friendly online service and student website. I continue to rely on the Study Guides as a ready handbook for technical information in several areas of nursing practice.

Get started by enrolling

You can get started today by enrolling online below. Before you start...

Check if you are eligible for this course

Enrolment checklist: Have all of this ready

Check if you are eligible for this course

Enrolment checklist: Have all of this ready