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 classroom and hands on learning where each classroom 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.
Students interested in joining the Veterinary Assistant Program will follow these steps below in order to join and complete the program.
The 2025-2026 cohort of the Veterinary Assistant Program is no longer accepting new students this year.
If you are interested in joining the next cohort of the Veterinary Assistant Program, please refer back to this page in Spring 2026 for details on how to join the program starting in Summer 2026.
Complete registration and payment for a Summer 2026 semester exam date.
This is the first step to enter the program where you register and pay for one of the assessment dates offered during the summer semester. Questions on the assessment will evaluate reading comprehension, at a 9th grade reading level, and math, at a basic algebra level.
In order to register and attend the next step of the process, mandatory orientation, students must register for and complete the assessment exam during one of the dates listed below.
Details for the Summer 2026 semester will be available during the Spring 2026 semester.
Pass the assessment to attend the free, mandatory orientation.
To attend the mandatory orientation session, you must have already completed the required assessment exam for the veterinary assistant program.
This session reviews all aspects of the Veterinary Assistant Program including but not limited to: schedule, expectations, student and faculty responsibilities, registration and payment, and more. After the orientation session, students will know the process to register for the first classroom module of the Veterinary Assistant Program. This orientation session is free to those that are able to register.
Details for the Summer 2026 orientation sessions will be available during the Spring 2026 semester.
Register for first module of the program to begin your coursework.
Only students that attend orientation will be eligible to register for the first module. Payment for the first module is due when the student registers.
Students can only register for one module at a time. For each subsequent module (2-4), students eligible to move on to the next course 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 through the academic year, ending approximately in May.
Hands-on experience at a vet hospital or clinic.
Students may work with a local veterinary office or clinic and complete a clinical book. Details about this process are discussed in the orientation session.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our Veterinary Assistant program consists of training where certificates of completion are given to those that complete.
A Vet Tech program is a degree program with a multi-year commitment and is not currently offered at Montgomery College.
Classroom modules for the program begin in September and end approximate in May.
In terms of investment/cost, the combined approximate price for the classroom modules for the 2025-2026 academic year is $2,350 for Maryland Residents. Non-Maryland residents would 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 and math, at a basic algebra level.
Unfortunately, no, you must complete the assessment exam prior attending orientation. There are three test dates through the summer that you can register for and can be viewed above. 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.