How to Find Vet Tech Internet Programs in Houston, Texas
Programs to earn a degree as a veterinary technician can be found in any area that has Internet access. Finding one in a large city such as Houston, Texas, does not have to be complicated if you follow a few steps.
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Instructions
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Contact the Penn Foster School, a full-blown distance learning education school with no physical campuses. The school offers courses via print media as well as learning modules available online. You also have the options of taking tests via the Internet, except when it is necessary to take a proctored exam. Then Penn Foster will set you up in a physical location in Houston (such as at the Houston Community College main campus), where a proctor can give you the exam. Vet techs must take several weeks of practical training classes in a real veterinary setting, and Penn Foster will set that up as well, usually in a large veterinary office near your physical location.
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Contact St. Petersburg College. Because this is an online as well as physical campus school, there are more options available for students taking the program for a veterinary technology associate in science degree. The school offers scholarships to eligible students, as well as payment plans and reduced fees. You must apply and go through the admissions process, much like if you were attending a regular college. Classes online start at certain times of the year, which is different than programs like Penn Foster where you can begin anytime. St. Petersburg offers courses online, but tests are administered at Houston Community College or the University of Houston. Lab courses are also required to be taken in-person and are set up at a host veterinarian's office by the St. Petersburg College staff.
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Contact Cedar Valley College, another school that offers both on-site and distance learning education options, with specific times to register for classes as well as when classes begin. The Cedar Valley College program can take from 2 to 4 years to complete the associate in science degree. The school offers financial aid, which can be helpful since they cost more than career schools such as Penn Foster. Cedar Valley also requires hands-on lab work, but unlike St. Petersburg College, it requires that you perform these labs on its actual campus. Because the school knows it may be difficult for students to make the trip every day to the school, it offers a fast-track option where you can do all lab work within one weekend. Cedar Valley College campus is located in Lancaster, Texas, which is about 3 1/2 hours from Houston, so taking a weekend to drive there and do your lab work is feasible.
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Contact Purdue University. This program offers a very specialized distance learning program and requires you to apply for admission and begin classes at specific times of the year. Though many of the classes are offered online, you must buy textbooks and other supplies that can make this more expensive than some of the other programs. Purdue asks that its students record their performances of many practical tasks and then submit them to the faculty for evaluation, so if you wish to pursue your degree through Purdue, you must have access to a video camera or digital recording device. This program also requires you to work with a "clinical mentor," such as veterinarian whom you are employed by or volunteering with. This mentor fills out evaluations and forms during your work to help the Purdue faculty keep track of your progress.
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Contact San Juan College. Another distance learning and physical campus school, San Juan offers most of its coursework online and through mailed textbooks and worksheets. It is an accredited school by the American Veterinary Medical Association, and at completion of the coursework you will have earned an associate degree. You must do clinical instruction at an approved facility, but unlike some schools that set up facilities for you, you can choose your own. However, it must be approved by the San Juan faculty, so paperwork including preceptor agreements, facility agreements, and hospital standards agreements must be completed by your chosen facility and returned to the school.
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Tips & Warnings
Vet techs must hold an actual degree, so make sure the distance learning program you choose is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). You can look on the website for chosen schools, or you can call and ask directly.
If you are interested in taking a vet tech program immediately, without waiting for a semester to begin, consider a program offered by a school such as Penn Foster.
