- Level
- 2-Year UG Diploma
- CIP code
- 01.8301
- Duration
- 2 year college diploma
- Field
- Zoology and Animal Welfare
- Institution
- Public College
- Offer speed
- Fast Offer Speed5–7 days
Program overview
A two year Ontario College Diploma at Algonquin covering animal anatomy and physiology, clinical procedures, anaesthesia, laboratory and imaging, pharmacology and clinical placements.
This two year diploma sits on the PGWP list under an animal science code and runs a single September intake.
The veterinary technician diploma is taught at Algonquin College’s Ottawa campus on Woodroffe Avenue, the main campus of a public Ontario college founded in 1967. Algonquin lists the veterinary technician diploma on its PGWP list under CIP 01.8301, and because it runs two years or more it can support a permit of up to three years. Algonquin notes that eligibility is fixed when you apply for your study permit, so applying while 01.8301 is on the frozen 2026 list protects your position for the veterinary technician diploma. Ontario also requires a provincial attestation letter before the veterinary technician diploma can support a study permit.
Entry to the veterinary technician diploma needs Grade 12 or equivalent at 70 percent or above. The English requirement is IELTS 6.5 with no band below 6.0, and tuition for the veterinary technician diploma is recorded at CAD 16,274 for the year. Algonquin charges a CAD 135 application fee, and if your study permit is refused it keeps only CAD 250 of the fees paid for the veterinary technician diploma, provided the refusal letter reaches it within ten days. For 2027 the veterinary technician diploma is open to international students only in September 2027, so a missed deadline means a long wait. Apply Study Visa handles the application for the veterinary technician diploma, the fee payment, the attestation letter and the Canadian study permit as one process.
What it costs per year · indicative
Living cost is an estimate; tuition is the institute's published international fee. We confirm exact, current figures before you pay anything.
Do you qualify?
These are the published minimums. Whether your profile fits — with your marks, gap and budget — is exactly what a free counsellor check confirms.
Admission requirements
Who can apply (guide for international students):
- Education: Grade 12 or equivalent, at the percentage stated for this programme.
- English (meet any one): IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with no band below 6.0; TOEFL iBT 88 with 22 in each section, or 4.5 in each section on the new scale for tests taken after 21 January 2026; or the Duolingo English Test at 120 with 120 in Literacy and no subscore below 105. PTE Academic is not listed among the tests Algonquin accepts, so do not book it for this programme.
- Application and payment: Algonquin charges a CAD 135 application fee. Pay the required fees by the deadline on your admissions letter to secure your seat and attestation letter. If your study permit is refused, Algonquin refunds all but a CAD 250 administrative fee, provided the refusal letter is dated after your latest acceptance letter and reaches the college within ten days. Other withdrawals before the start carry a CAD 2,200 penalty.
- Scholarship: No entrance scholarship is recorded against this programme. Algonquin offers awards to international students based on grades once enrolled, so budget the full tuition.
- Additional requirement: Grade 12 English and mathematics are expected, and some programmes set subject minimums above the overall percentage.
- Work rights: Algonquin lists this programme as PGWP eligible under CIP 01.8301, supporting a work permit of up to three years. A PGWP also requires a language test at CLB 5 in all four abilities for college credentials, taken within two years of applying. This is separate from the English test you need for admission. No open work permit for a spouse or partner, since IRCC now limits those to master, doctoral and select professional programmes.
- Study permit: Apply Study Visa prepares the attestation letter request, the financial evidence and the Canadian study permit submission with you.
English requirements
Documents you'll need typical · we confirm yours
- Valid passport (6+ months validity)
- Class 10 & 12 marksheets and certificates
- English test scorecard (IELTS / PTE / TOEFL) or MOI certificate
- Statement of Purpose (SOP)
- Financial proof — bank statement / loan sanction + GIC
- Passport-size photographs
- Study-gap affidavit or work-experience letter (if applicable)
Getting documents right is the #1 reason applications succeed or get refused — our team checks every file before submission.
Career opportunities
Typical destinations for graduates:
- Registered Veterinary Technician: after registration
- Veterinary Clinic Technician: animal hospitals
- Laboratory Animal Technician: research facilities
- Emergency Veterinary Technician: emergency clinics
- Animal Shelter Technician: humane societies
- Practice Manager: after experience
Reality check: Graduates write the national exam and register with the Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians to use the RVT title.
About Algonquin College
- Type
- College
- Ownership
- Public
- Rating
- ★ 4.7
- Established
- 1967
- Reference No.
- O19358971022
