Veterinary Technology Program Admission Requirements

Use the following as a checklist to see if you fulfill the requirements for application to the program. Application does not guarantee acceptance. All of the following items must be submitted and complete for a candidate to be considered.

1. Admission to Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK). Applicants must have been accepted to TAMUK prior to admission to the Veterinary Technology program.

2. Read Essential Functions for Veterinary Technology and Criminal History Information.

3. Complete the virtual Veterinary Technology Program Application which can be accessed from the Veterinary Technology admission page.

4. Completion of the 45 hours of required General Core Curriculum and Veterinary Technology courses with a minimum grade of “C” in all courses and a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.85 in these courses. These courses are outlined in the Degree Plan for Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (Animal-Wildlife Veterinary Technology). Each new cohort of VETT students will start the spring semester following admittance. All of the prerequisites must be completed prior to the cohort start date. Prerequisite courses in progress during application may be indicated as such. Applicants with courses in progress may be extended conditional acceptance, where failure to successfully complete those courses would result in retraction of acceptance into the program.

5. Submission of the Veterinary Hospital Observation and Discussion Form, documenting the completion of at least 40 hours of observations and discussions with a veterinarian and/or credentialed veterinary technician or technologist in a veterinary practice. Recommended tasks to be observed and suggested topics of discussion are listed on the form.

6. Submission of unofficial transcripts from any college or university that the applicant has attended. The transcripts may be submitted with the application; they do not have to be sent directly to the Program Director.

7. Submission of three (3) Recommendation Forms. We recommend at least one Recommendation Form be completed by a veterinarian, but it is not required. Recommendation Forms can be completed by employers, educators, members of professional leadership, or community leaders familiar with your character and work performance. They should not be completed by family members or friends. Your reference may submit their form directly to vetnursing@tamuk.edu or you may attach them to your application.

8. Submission of signed Rabies Risk Acknowledgement Form. This form must be submitted with your application.

The following forms are only to be used if the reference intends to hand-write their responses. The forms should then be scanned and emailed to vetnursing@tamuk.edu. If the reference intends to type responses, please use the fillable application materials in the next section as digital forms require verifiable signatures. Forms with typed signatures will not be accepted.

Veterinary Hospital Observation Form

Recommendation Form

The following forms have been developed for online submission. You will need a PDF reader, like Adobe Acrobat Reader, to access the files properly. Click here to download Adobe Acrobat Reader DC. Internet browsers do not display the digital signature field. Documents that require signatures must be signed in Adobe Acrobat Reader with an official Digital ID that can be validated. Forms with typed signatures will not be accepted. Completed forms should be emailed to vetnursing@tamuk.edu.

Veterinary Hospital Observation Form

Recommendation Form

Additional Requirements Upon Acceptance

Please note the following special requirements upon acceptance into the Veterinary Technology Program:

1. Students must earn a grade of “C” or better in all Veterinary Technology (VETT) courses. All VETT courses must be taken in sequence as per the Degree Plan. Failure to achieve a “C” or higher in any VETT course will disqualify the student from continuing with the program and the student must reapply for admission. Eligible students may be re-admitted one time to the program. If accepted for re-admission, the student will resume the program for the semester that contains the failed course(s). Re-entry into the program is contingent on the availability of class space and is not guaranteed.

2. Additional fees include, but are not limited to, the following:

Students must have a means of transportation to the veterinary technology facility, externships, and any other off campus required labs.
Professional uniforms must be purchased and worn throughout the program which includes scrubs, nametag, proper foot attire and a wristwatch with a second hand.
Laboratory course fees and material fees
Meals and parking at off campus facilities
Purchase of a stethoscope
Rabies pre-exposure vaccination

3. VETT students are required to assist in animal care duties as part of a course grade and as a requirement of the program. This will include early morning hours, evenings, weekends and holidays. Inadequate completion of animal care duties can result in dismissal from the program.

4. It is highly recommended that once accepted into the VETT Program and prior to beginning classes, a student should have a physical exam performed by their own physician, and have a current tetanus vaccination. All students are strongly encouraged to receive a pre-exposure rabies vaccination series. Students may decline the series for reasons including religious beliefs or health status and are not required to state the reason for their declination. If students have questions regarding the series, they may speak with a VETT program faculty/staff member, the Executive Director of Enterprise Risk Management or their preferred physician or pharmacist. For those students who elect to receive the series, it should be completed as soon as possible upon admission to the VETT program and, at a minimum, should be completed no later than January 1st. For those students who decline the series, they must adhere to the policies outlined in the VETT Program Rabies Mitigation Plan.

5. All communication will be to the student's TAMUK email account. Applicants should check their school email for application updates and important program information.

6. It is mandatory for accepted students to attend the Veterinary Technology orientation meeting. This meeting is held the week before classes begin. Unexcused absence from orientation will result in retraction of the student's program admission offer.