• AMVA-approved schools prepare students for careers as veterinary techs.chat malade image by margouillat photo from Fotolia.com
  
  The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the demand for veterinary technologists will increase by 36 percent from 2008 through 2018. To begin a career in the field, prospective technologists must complete post-secondary education from a college or university. A number of institutions in the United States offer veterinary tech programs that carry the approval of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AMVA) and qualify graduates for national certification and state licensure in the field.
  
  

Eastern Wyoming College

• Located in Torrington, Wyoming, Eastern Wyoming College is a public, two-year institution located 82 miles northeast of Cheyenne. The college grants an Associate of Applied Science degree in veterinary technology, which requires two years to complete. The program covers large, small and exotic animal veterinary medicine with coursework in biology, chemistry, pharmaceutical calculations, urinalysis, hematology, anesthesiology, radiography, surgical nursing and parasitology. The program boasts a 90-percent first-try pass rate on the state's licensing board examination. Qualified students may take advantage of federal and state loans and grants, veterans benefits and work-study opportunities to help offset the cost of tuition.
  
  Eastern Wyoming College
  3200 West C St.
  Torrington, WY 82240
  307-532-8200
  ewc.wy.edu
  
  

Arkansas State University at Beebe

• Arkansas State University at Beebe is a public, state-supported institution located 35 miles northeast of Little Rock. Covering large, small, exotic and wild animal care, the university's veterinary technology program culminates in an Associate of Applied Science degree. Among the required courses for the degree are breeding, microcomputing, sociology, laboratory technology, nutrition and clinical management. All students complete both a part-time and a full-time internship in the field. Financial aid programs include state and federal loans and grants, work-study, scholarship and veteran's benefits. The college's Career Services Department offers resume writing, interview preparation and job search assistance for all students.
  
  Arkansas State University
  P.O. Box 1000
  Beebe, AR 72012
  501-882-3600
  asub.edu
  
  

Great Bay Community College

• Situated in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Great Bay Community College is a public, two-year institution with more than 1,300 students. Admission to the college's Associate of Science program in veterinary technology is selective; students must submit two letters of recommendation, complete an interview and have high-school-level experience in biology, chemistry and algebra. The program covers large and small animal health care and requires coursework in laboratory procedures, psychology, pathology, diagnostic imaging, communications and computer science. Students complete a summer-long internship between their first and second years of the program and then a semester-long clinical placement during the final semester of their second year. In addition to federal and state financial aid, the college offers work-study placements and participates with private educational lenders.
  
  Great Bay Community College
  320 Corporate Drive
  Portsmouth, NH 03801
  603-772-1194‎
  greatbay.edu