On-Site Veterinary Technology Program FAQs

In general, we have a full class of students (about 45) who start the campus program in the fall each year. If you have completed all prerequisite courses with a grade of "C" or better, it is very likely that you will be accepted into the program. We strive to place all qualified students (students who have the prerequisite courses) into the program.

As a general rule, students in the first year of the program have classes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Depending on which lab group you are in as a first-year student, you may also have labs on Tuesday or Thursday afternoons. Second-year students have classes on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

When you are on campus, we try to maximize your time. Classes are scheduled so that you don’t have large gaps of time between them. You can expect to be in class from 8 a.m. to 4 or 5 p.m. on most days. We do allow time for breaks and lunch.

It takes two complete years to complete the Veterinary Technology associate degree. Once you have been accepted into the program, you will attend courses year-round until graduation. We work on a trimester system with fall, spring and summer semesters. The summer is not divided into two sessions as in other programs. Summer courses generally begin in early June and end in mid-August.

No. Because of the nature of the courses, you cannot take an increased academic load to speed up the process.

In general, similar courses from other regionally accredited colleges and universities will be accepted for transfer to Dallas College. Courses intended to substitute for degree requirements must be nearly identical in course content and outcomes. Substitution for degree requirements is at the discretion of the Vet Tech program director, the Business/Science/Technology dean and the Student and Academic Affairs vice president.

When requesting course substitutions, it is important to include course descriptions from the college catalog where the course was completed. This does not guarantee acceptance, but it is important for verifying course content and outcomes. Course descriptions should be included when submitting transcripts for evaluation.

This is a technical program, meaning that a great deal of time is spent on learning and practicing technical skills and tasks. In addition, we expect students to develop a fundamental knowledge in many areas of veterinary medicine. The difference between a registered technician and an assistant trained on the job is knowledge. The RVT not only knows how to do technical tasks, but also why tasks are done in a specific manner, what to do if something goes wrong and how to improvise when appropriate.

The cost for the program will vary depending on your residency status. Tuition at Dallas College is based on residency and is classified as in-county for students residing in Dallas County, out-of-county for students residing anywhere else in Texas and out-of-state/country for anyone residing outside of Texas.

During most semesters, you will take an average load of 12 credit hours. Other costs include textbooks, uniforms and other needed supplies. See our tuition rates for the cost of tuition according to your place of residency.

Financial aid is available for qualifying students. Contact the Financial Aid Office at 972-860-8280 for details on applying for and obtaining financial aid.

The employment outlook for registered veterinary technicians is great. RVTs are scarce in Texas and nationwide, and veterinarians are searching to hire them. On average, we post several jobs in our job listings for every student that we graduate from the program. Jobs are readily available in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, across Texas and nationally.

As a technical program, Vet Tech classes include a significant amount of hands-on learning. From your first semester in the program, you will begin working with the college-owned animals as well as the equipment you will encounter later in your career as a veterinary technician. On average, you will be in lectures approximately eight to 10 hours per week and in labs another eight to 10 hours per week.

It is possible to be accepted into the program if you have completed three of the four prerequisite courses. Students can be “conditionally” accepted into the program. The condition is that you must successfully complete the remaining prerequisite course while you are in your first semester of the program.

The Vet Tech program is a technical program and is not designed for university transfer. You can continue your studies, but it is likely that a substantial portion of your courses will be accepted only as elective courses at most four-year institutions.

However, an articulation (transfer) agreement between our program and the University of North Texas allows students to apply all of their courses toward a bachelor’s degree in Applied Technology and Performance Improvement.