New Zealand Diploma in Veterinary Nursing (Level 6)

Your workload  

All study is highly structured, including directed and self-directed learning and work placement in veterinary clinics.

Full-time 

• 35-40 hours per week (including 7.5 hours per week in work placement)

Part-time (year one)

• 17-20 hours per week (including 3.5 hours per week in work placement)

Part-time (year two)

• Total 17-20 hours per week (including 4 hours per week in work placement)

Work experience requirements  

You must complete practical skills to successfully finish this programme.

• For all delivery options, a total of 240 hours of veterinary clinic work experience is required to complete clinical nursing skills. This must include experience in at least two different veterinary clinics (minimum of 40 hours in the second clinic).
• Assessment of skills will be completed through varied assessment methods including video. However, you will not be required to take videos inside a veterinary clinic.
• You may complete work experience hours weekly or in blocks depending on what works for you, and the clinic.
• We strongly encourage you to seek more than the minimum number of work experience hours to ensure the best application of new knowledge.

As part of our efforts to be ready for voluntary accreditation via the Allied Veterinary Professional Regulatory Council, our skills lists are mapped to the RCVS Day-One Competencies and the AVMA Clinical Competencies.

How you will study

We are a leader in the provision of on campus and online veterinary nursing education. Every student will have a Learning Adviser to provide group and one-on-one support, and help is always on hand through our extensive support systems. 

We're proud to be partnering with Toi Ohomai to offer online delivery with block courses in Tauranga and with WELTEC to offer an on campus option in Wellington.     

Full-time on campus  

• Completed in one year.
• Two days per week of facilitated sessions at the Dunedin or Wellington campus, supplemented with online, self-directed study.
• Work placement blocks may be required to be completed outside of the Dunedin region for Dunedin-based students.

Block courses for online students

There are three block courses for this online programme. Block courses are compulsory. Attendance requirement for block course 3 may be waived depending on progress in the Clinical Skills 2 course. You may select which venue you attend for these block courses.

Cohort (study type and start time)

• Full-time February students attend all three block courses in their year of study.
• Part-time year one students attend block course 1 only.
• Part-time year two students attend block courses 2 and 3.
• Students who start the programme in July will have block course requirements communicated on enrolment.

South Island venue

• Block course 1 is held in Christchurch (venue will be confirmed each year).
• Block courses 2 and 3 are held in both Christchurch and Dunedin (at the School of Animal Health, Otago Polytechnic).

North Island venue

• Block course 1 is held in Tauranga, Toi Ohomai Windermere Campus and, subject to enrolment numbers each year, Porirua at Whitireia campus.
• Block courses 2 and 3 are held in both Tauranga, Toi Ohomai Windermere Campus and Porirua at Whitireia campus of Weltec. 

Work experience

Work experience for a total of 240 hours in a veterinary clinic is required for all delivery options to complete this programme.

• Some support will be provided with sourcing work placements for those students enrolled in an on campus programme (i.e. Dunedin or Wellington).
• These placements may be based in the local area, or require travel to another area, as arranged with each individual student. 
• Students enrolled in online learning must organise their own work placements, although staff are able to provide advice on request. 

Entry requirements 

Academic requirements

• New Zealand Certificate in Animal Technology (Level 5) (Veterinary Nursing Assistant) OR equivalent. 

Please note: the New Zealand Certificate in Animal Technology (Level 5) Rural Animal Technician alone does not meet entry requirements for the New Zealand Diploma in Veterinary Nursing.

Alternative criteria

• If you don’t hold the New Zealand Certificate in Animal Technology (Level 5) or equivalent but do have significant clinical veterinary experience, knowledge and skills, you may be eligible to have this experience assessed and applied towards the entry criteria for this programme. 

Other requirements 

You will also be required to provide the following:

• If you are a new student to the School of Animal Health
  • Criminal Convictions History (via the Ministry of Justice), which is 6 months old or less, before the start date of your programme (even if your report is clean we are required to sight this, your enrolment will be contingent on this report). 
• In addition, all applicants must complete a health declaration and declaration of any criminal conviction to ensure fitness to practice prior to acceptance into the programme. (Convictions of any offence may not necessarily exclude applicants from enrolment. Any decision is made on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the delegated authority.)

All applicants must have: 

• Evidence of a companion veterinary clinic who will support the practical components of the programme*.

Please note: Whilst you don't need to provide us with evidence of your Covid-19 vaccination status to study this programme, please be aware that some placement providers may ask you for this. 

We also recommend that you hold a current First Aid Certificate.

*Once your application has been received, if successful, you will be sent an unconditional offer into the programme. In this unconditional offer, there will be a link provided to enable you to complete your enrolment. This will include forms where you can provide details of your veterinary clinic work placement where you will complete the required hours of work experience for this programme.

English Language requirements 

• If English is not your first language, you must provide:
  • New Zealand University Entrance OR
  • Overall Academic IELTS 6.0 with no individual band score lower than 5.5 (achieved in one test completed in the last two years), OR
  • Acceptable alternative evidence of the required IELTS (see here for NZQA proficiency table and here for list of recognised proficiency tests).

If you need to improve your English Language skills, we offer a wide range of English programmes. 

Please note: You must also have access to a computer, camera, video and the internet to be able to successfully study this programme.

Want your existing skills recognised?

If you have extensive knowledge and skills due to practical experience in this area (5-7 years), you could gain this qualification through our Assessment of Prior Learning Pathway (APL). This option enables you to study part-time online, to evaluate your veterinary nursing career and to present a portfolio of evidence to show how you meet the requirements of the qualification.

Find out more >

Tuition fees

The tuition fees shown above are approximate only. There may be a slight fee increase per year once Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) rules and guidelines are applied. These fees also don’t include additional costs or living costs.

Additional costs

Some of the following additional costs may apply, depending on your circumstances:

• Ongoing access to a computer, camera, video, and the internet.
• Travel, accommodation, and food costs associated with attendance at work placements (all students) and block courses (distance students).
• Highly recommended textbooks: $400 (approx.)
• Clinical uniform: $50 (approx.) – buy an Otago Polytechnic polo and scrub shirt if your veterinary clinic work placement doesn’t provide a uniform.
• Name badge: $15 (pin-back) or $18.50 (magnetic) - buy an Otago Polytechnic name badge if your veterinary clinic work placement doesn’t provide a one for you.
• Scrub top: $45
• Stethoscope: $21 (if you do not have one)
• Closed-in shoes: $100 (approx.) - health and safety requirement for block courses and clinical work placement.

Completing your application

You can enter information and upload documents directly into the application form. You may wish to prepare some of the required documentation beforehand.

To begin your application, click the Apply button at the top of this page.

You will need to provide:

• Certified copies of proof of identity and proof of residency (where appropriate) 
• Proof of academic entry requirements (e.g. proof of your prerequisite qualification)
• Criminal Convictions History Report - see details in the entry requirements section