Veterinary Assistant
The Veterinary Assistant Training Program helps you receive the basic knowledge and skills needed to work in an entry-level position in an animal hospital, clinic, or veterinary office. The program consists of 96 classroom hours where each module of the program focuses on a different area within the veterinary field. After completing their learning, students are eligible to receive certificates of completion.
If you are interested in joining the next cohort of the Veterinary Assistant Program, please take a moment to read about the steps to join and complete the program below. The process to join begins during the summer semester.
All scheduled sessions for the summer semester will be posted by March 31, 2026 with registration becoming available April 6, 2026.
How to Join and Complete The Program
Students interested in joining the Veterinary Assistant Program for the 2026-2027 academic year will follow the steps below in order to join and complete the program. Interested students must be at least 17 years old to enroll in the program.
Complete registration and payment for a Summer 2026 semester exam date.
This is the first required step for those interested in entering this program. You will register and pay for one of the assessment dates offered during the summer semester. This assessment will be taken by each student interested in this program and there is no waiver to dismiss this requirement.
Questions on the assessment will evaluate reading comprehension, at a 9th grade reading level, and math, at an algebra level. Students will receive a piece of scratch paper and a pencil to use during the assessment. No calculators are allowed.
In order to register and attend the next step of the process, mandatory orientation, students must complete the assessment and meet the benchmark score during one of the assessment dates listed below.
Details for the Summer 2026 semester will be available by March 31, 2026. Registration will open April 6, 2026.
Achieve the benchmark score on the assessment and become eligible to register for the free, mandatory orientation.
To attend the mandatory orientation session, you must have already completed the required assessment and achieved the benchmark score. Orientation is free to those eligible to register.
This session reviews all aspects of the Veterinary Assistant Program including but not limited to: the program schedule, expectations, student and faculty responsibilities, registration and payment process, and more. After the orientation session, students will know the process to register for the first classroom module of the Veterinary Assistant Program.
Details for the Summer 2026 orientation sessions will be available by March 31, 2026.
Attend orientation and become eligible to register for the first module of the program.
Only students that attend orientation are eligible to register for the first learning module beginning in September. Payment for the first module is due when the student registers after orientation.
Students will only be able to register for one module at a time as they move through the program. For each subsequent module (2-4), students that are eligible to move on to the next module will receive an email from a member of the program with directions for moving forward and how to register.
Students will complete four modules in the required order:
- Veterinary Assistant Training I: Outpatient Care
- Veterinary Assistant Training II: Diagnostic and Pharmacy
- Veterinary Assistant Training III: Patient Care and Treatment
- Veterinary Assistant Training IV: Anesthesia, Surgery, and Emergency Care
These classroom modules begin in September and run throughout the academic year, ending approximately in May.
When you have successfully met the requirements for all modules of the program.
Upon completing Module IV, students will have received 96 hours of training in the classroom and will receive a certificate of completion representing the time spent in the program.
Optional External Learning
Students that will be in the program may have an opportunity to explore experiential learning through a clinical externship. This type of additional hands-on learning can provide career insight, mentorship, and help develop essential real-world skills. More details will be shared during the orientation session.
The clinical externship is not a requirement to complete the Veterinary Assistant Training Program. Students must be at least 18 years old and meet specific eligibility requirements that are shared during orientation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our Veterinary Assistant program consists of training where students receive a certificate of completion representing the time spent in the program.
Vet Technicians are licensed professionals having completed a multi-year degree program and are able to perform medical tasks. This is not a program currently offered at Montgomery College.
Classroom modules for the program begin in September and end approximate in May.
In terms of investment, the combined approximate price for the classroom modules for the 2025-2026 academic year is $2,350 for Maryland Residents. Non-Maryland residents pay an additional out-of-state fee for each classroom module.
Classes are typically held in-person at the Campus Center (CC) on the Rockville Campus on Fridays. Students may choose one of the two scheduled options, based on availability.
Yes, there a required textbook and we provide it to you during the first module.
Unfortunately, no, there is no study guide provided. This is a computer based assessment and questions are randomized. The questions you will see on the assessment focus on assessing reading comprehension at a 9th grade level, and math, at a basic algebra level.
Unfortunately, no, you must complete the assessment exam prior attending orientation. There are test dates offered through the summer that you can register for and can be viewed above when available. Dates for the upcoming summer semester will be posted by April of that given year.
We want you to be best prepared for the upcoming program and commitment.
At orientation, you receive information about the entire program and the expectations of completing the program. You will also learn about how to register for the first classroom module of the program.
Only those that attend orientation are allowed to register for the first classroom module.
We share how to register during the mandatory orientation. Only those that attend orientation are allowed to register for the first classroom module.
Contact Natalie Martinez, Disability Support Services Counselor for WDCE at Natalie.Martinez@montgomerycollege.edu or call 240-567-4188. Requests should be made at least three weeks prior to the start of class to ensure arrangements are made prior to the classes.