Program Advantages
The Animal Care Assistant Certificate program is designed for students who want to work in the animal care field or to gain skills to help them transfer into, and succeed in, Alfred State College’s Veterinary Technician AAS program. The Animal Care Certificate gives these students hands-on skills that will help them find employment in animal care, or to develop the skills and knowledge to help them be successful in a Veterinary Technician or another animal care related academic program if they wish to continue their education after completing the certificate.
Graduates of the program will be able to:
- Properly utilize terminology related to the anatomy of domestic large and small animal species, directional terms and positions, medical abbreviations, and record keeping.
- Safely and properly restrain common domestic large and small animal species.
- Successfully care for and perform specific husbandry tasks related to common domestic large and small animal species.
- Demonstrate an understanding of basic behaviors of common domestic large and small animal species.
US Dept. of Labor: Veterinary Assistant & Laboratory Animal Caretakers
| 2023 Median Pay | $36,440/yr or $17.52/hr |
| No. of Jobs in 2023 | 118,200 |
| Job Outlook | 19% (much faster than most) |
| Employment Change for 2023-2033 | 22,900 New Jobs |
Job Opportunities
- Kennels
- Zoos
- Stables
- Animal shelters
- Pet stores
- Veterinary clinics
- Aquariums