Certificate in Avian Wildlife Healthcare (Veterinarian) (Level 7)

About the programme

Are you a qualified Veterinarian who is increasingly being presented with injured or sick avian wildlife during your daily practice?

This course, offered in collaboration with the Dunedin Wildlife Hospital, is the only one of its kind in New Zealand aimed at Veterinarians and offers a unique development opportunity. 

Learning mainly online, you’ll be able to gain skills and knowledge in avian wildlife healthcare, with a focus on medicine and/or surgery. Content will include avian anatomy and physiology, trauma procedures and supportive care, post-mortem and pathophysiology, soft tissue and orthopaedic surgery, and contextual aspects of law and ethics. 

A five-day practical placement at the Dunedin Wildlife Hospital, one of New Zealand’s only avian healthcare providers, will enable you to get some fantastic hands-on practice. 

Graduates will have the skills, knowledge and capabilities to:

• Ensure optimal standards of welfare and outcomes for avian wildlife patients
• Plan and manage anaesthesia for avian wildlife patients
• Manage medical diseases in avian wildlife patients
• Perform diagnostics and diagnostic imaging and interpret results for avian wildlife patients, and
• Perform surgical procedures on avian wildlife patients.

Entry

Entry requirements

You must have the following:

• A Bachelor of Veterinary Science (Level 7) or equivalent.
• Registration with the Veterinary Council of New Zealand.

English Language requirements

• 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. 

Prior learning

If you have extensive knowledge and skills due to practical experience in this area, enquire about our recognition of prior learning process at [email protected]. You may have already gained credits towards this qualification.  

Selection process

If the number of applicants exceeds the available places, a waitlist will be used to ensure preference is given to applicants in order of application.