Diploma in Veterinary Technology is a diploma in Veterinary Medicine programme taught at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada. The programme runs for 2 years. Tuition is CAD 341 per credit for local students.
At a glance
Degree:Diploma
Field:Veterinary Medicine
Duration: 2 years
Local tuition: CAD 341 / credit
Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
Veterinary Technology is a two-year diploma program delivered at Dalhousie's Agricultural Campus in Truro, accredited by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association. The curriculum covers animal medicine and nursing, clinical exercises and pathology, anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology, with an emphasis on companion animals alongside coverage of large-animal practice, laboratory animals, and alternative pet medicine. Instruction combines classroom study with hands-on training at the campus's dedicated small-animal veterinary teaching hospital and campus farm, supplemented by externships at the Atlantic Veterinary College and outside veterinary practices. Enrolment is limited to forty students per intake, allowing smaller class sizes and closer interaction with instructors. The program suits students who want to work as part of a veterinary medical team rather than pursuing a veterinarian's degree itself. Graduates typically work as veterinary technicians alongside practising veterinarians and researchers, or pursue related roles in animal shelters, research, teaching, or wildlife rehabilitation.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: The Veterinary Technology (DipTech) page requires completion of secondary school (Grade 12) including Academic English 12, Academic Math 12, Biology 12 and Chemistry 12, and achievement of 'the minimum average for your program of choice' without a numeric figure shown on the page. All applicants must additionally complete the CASPer situational-judgement test through Acuity Insights; the page notes that no further CASPer test dates remain for September 2026 entry, with 2027/2028 dates to be posted later. No language-test score is published for domestic applicants; international applicants are subject to Dalhousie's institution-wide English proficiency requirement, for example IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with no band below 6.0, or TOEFL iBT 90 overall with no section below 20, unless exempt. The programme begins in September.
Application Details
Start Date:September
Application Deadline:Dalhousie's live Dates and Deadlines page still shows the September 2026 entry cycle as of mid-September 2026, not the 2027 cycle. For that cycle, Bachelor of Science (Nursing), Bachelor of Health Sciences, Bachelor of Science (Medical Sciences) and Bachelor of Social Work close February 15, 2026; the Bachelor of Environmental Design Studies (Architecture) closes March 1, 2026; and the Health Sciences post-diploma option closes June 15, 2026. All other undergraduate programmes are considered on a rolling, space-available basis for both domestic and international applicants, with no separate international closing date published; May 15, 2026 is only the deposit and English-proficiency deadline, not an application deadline. Dalhousie has not yet published September 2027 entry dates. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
