New Zealand Diploma in Veterinary Nursing (Level 6)

About the programme

This one-year programme is only for those who already hold a New Zealand Certificate in Animal Technology (Level 5) (Veterinary Nursing Assistant), or the older version of this qualification, the National Certificate in Veterinary Nursing.

Complete this programme to become a qualified veterinary nurse. 

This diploma aligns with international standards for veterinary nursing. Successful completion will enable you to meet the educational standards for entrance to the NZVNA/Allied Veterinary Professional Regulatory Council's voluntary register where you will be able to use the title of Registered Veterinary Nurse (RVN). It builds on the New Zealand Certificate in Animal Technology (Level 5) (Veterinary Nursing Assistant).

How you'll learn

You can either study on campus in Dunedin or Wellington, or online with two to three compulsory block courses in Christchurch/Dunedin (South Island) or Tauranga/Wellington (North Island). Both options also include 240 hours of work placement. 

This is what we call a ‘flexible facilitated’ format, which is a combination of online and in-person teaching, combined with a work placement. This flexible approach means you will enjoy a varied course of learning and be supported by our staff both remotely and in person.

Start dates and studying part-time

Our February intake is for our on campus or online delivery (full-time or part-time). Our July intake is only for online study during semester two of the first year of this programme.

The future of this programme

From 2025 we will offer a new, two-year New Zealand Diploma in Veterinary Nursing (Level 6) which is the result of a large-scale review of veterinary nursing programmes. Our new diploma is for those that don’t hold the New Zealand Certificate in Animal Technology (Level 5) (Veterinary Nursing Assistant) or the National Certificate in Veterinary Nursing. Please visit our Veterinary Nursing page for more info about the new diploma.

Entry

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.

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