Admission Requirements
Program Specific Requirements
Rabies vaccine series and titre prior to start of program (at student’s expense).
Students are expected to provide a basic grooming kit.
General Admission Requirements
- Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent
- Grade 12 English (C, U, or E) or equivalent
- Proficiency in word processing recommended
Academic prerequisites for this program may be obtained free of charge through Academic Upgrading.
Applicants who do not have a high school diploma or equivalent and will have reached the age of 19 years on or before the start of the program must undergo academic testing and may be required to complete Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition (PLAR) process to demonstrate equivalency of admission requirements prior to admission into a program.
For more details, please contact the Admissions Office at 705-235-7222 or admissions@northern.on.ca.
Additional Requirements for International Students
In addition to the general and program admission requirements, international students must have proof of English Proficiency and meet the requirements below.
1. Proof of Senior High School Diploma/Certificate
2. English Proficiency (we will require one of the following):
- IELT Academic International English Language Testing System: minimum overall score of 6.0 must be achieved with no individual band score under 6.0; however, we will accept one band at 5.5.
- TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language): Computer-based overall minimum score of 79
- PTE (Pearson Test of English) Academic – Graduate Diploma: 58+
If your country of citizenship has English as its official language, we may accept alternate proof of English Proficiency.
All educational documents must be submitted in English and will be dependent on the country of citizenship.
For more information, please contact admissions@northern.on.ca.
Additional Information
Our Veterinary Technician program is accredited by:
What you learn
This course will educate students on how to handle and care for various companion animals, both large and small. This course will also prepare the student to work proficiently in a grooming facility. The student will learn and practise proper bathing procedures. The student will also be able to recognize and care for skin and coat conditions and will learn proper ear and nail care. They will also learn how to communicate effectively with their clients.
This course will deal with how to groom various companion animals, both large and small. The course will go into detail on how to handle a cat during the grooming process as well as why cats are groomed. Styles such as the lion cut will be taught, nail trimming, ear cleaning and bathing procedures. This course will also prepare the student to function properly in a grooming facility. All areas of care will be discussed and practiced; these will include bathing, nail trimming, scissor cuts and conditioning of the coat.
The course is designed to help students gain insights and skills to promote personal and professional development. Students will develop an understanding of how they manage their lives and incorporate skills to maximize their strengths and reduce the impact of less effective techniques. Students will learn about resources that are available to them and the intelligence of accessing additional support when needed. The content of this course provides students with the opportunity to lay a foundation for lifelong learning; learn to communicate effectively, build and value productive and satisfying diverse relationships and prepare for the challenges and rewards that make life meaningful.
Animal care providers often handle animals with behaviour problems. They must know what advice to give and when to refer the problem to the veterinarian. The technician/assistant/groomer must also know the procedure involved in referral to a behavioural specialist and/or an obedience trainer.
This course deals with animal husbandry. The student will learn to assist with restraint of companion animals. Emergency Triage will be covered, as well as patient admittance into a Veterinary hospital and discharge. Pharmacology will be covered in this course. The assistant must be proficient in recognizing legal issues involving drugs in the workplace, recognize general types and groups of drugs and describe prescription label requirements. Labelling, packaging and dispensing of prescription medication will also be covered. Biological therapeutic agents will be discussed.
This one semester course is designed for the Animal Grooming, Veterinary Assistant, Veterinary Technician and the Veterinary Technology programs. The course is designed to look at their role in the daily operation of a veterinary practice. The course will include sections on customer service, telephone skills, and welcoming skills, confrontation and conflict resolution. The course will assist students in becoming more comfortable assisting clients through the grief cycle. There will be a component on Client Communication utilizing both oral and written communication in the veterinary practice. This course will have a self-directed on line grammar component. This course will enable the students to practice the skills required for effective work in client relations.
This course will outline the fundamentals of animal restraint and the factors that influence behaviour. Handling, restraining, feeding, and analyzing of cats, dogs and lab animals will be emphasized. Proper forms of animal approach, handling, restraint, and release will be demonstrated and practiced by the student. All classes will start with a lecture and/or demonstration on how to perform the procedure, followed by a lab of applying that knowledge.
This course will prepare the student to function in a veterinary environment. Students will provide care for the animals owned by Northern College. The use of Standard Operating Procedures will assist the student. The Veterinary Science facility simulates the professional environment and enables the students to learn the skills necessary to function as a productive team member.
This course will deal with how to groom various companion animals, both large and small. The course will go into detail on how to handle a cat during the grooming process as well as why cats are groomed. Styles such as the lion cut will be taught, nail trimming, ear cleaning and bathing procedures. This course will also prepare the student to function properly in a grooming facility, and how to interact with customers. All areas of care will be discussed and practiced; these will include bathing, nail trimming, scissor cuts and conditioning of the coat. The care of the equipment will also be discussed as well as products on the market.
This course will introduce students to the fundamental approach to starting and managing a small business in Canada. An examination of what is necessary to start a small business will encompass strategic areas such as goal setting, organizational set-up, financial planning, accounting, marketing, human resources and legal issues.
This course covers the basic concepts of nutrition and provides students with sufficient understanding to advise clients on the nutritional needs of large and small animals at various life stages. While the major focus of the course if on feeding the healthy animal, the dietary needs of dogs and cats with specific organ diseases are also covered. Students are introduced to common dietary toxicities and deficiencies encountered in small animal companion medicine
This course will outline the fundamentals of basic animal procedures that may occur in a small animal clinic setting. Handling and restraining will be emphasized during basic procedures such as; bandaging, emergency triage, proper sample collection and handling, equipment uses during emergency situations. All classes will start with a lecture and/or demonstration on how to perform the procedure, followed by a lab of applying that knowledge.
This course will encompass all aspects of grooming procedures for the companion animal. It will prepare the student to recognise and care for various skin disorders. All areas of concern will be discussed and practised in providing a safe environment for the groomer, workplace and the companion animal.
The purpose of this course is to develop the skills necessary to effectively use computer programs specific to the veterinary environment. This course will give the student practical skills on specialized veterinary software packages such as AVImark and Impromed. Students will be able to set up files for new clients and/or new patients. They will know how to bill for services and products, print appropriate certificates as well as prescription labels. Accepting payments will be practiced.
This course will prepare the student to function in a veterinary environment. Students will provide care for the animals owned by Northern College. The use of Standard Operating Procedures will assist the student. The Veterinary Science facility simulates the professional environment and enables the students to learn the skills necessary to function as a productive team member.
This general education course will provide students with an introduction to Canadian Indigenous Nations’ history, sovereignty, land titles, cultural history and current critical issues. Topics addressed include the content of Indigenous rights, economic and social development, community and political processes, and business law and policies, justice & social services. Canadian Indigenous History and Relations is a general education course that has been incorporated into all programs at Northern College.