Diploma in Veterinary Technology is a diploma in Veterinary Medicine programme taught at Olds College in Olds, Canada. The programme runs for 18 months. Tuition for international students is CAD 8,450 per semester (CAD 3,075 per semester for local students).
At a glance
Degree:Diploma
Field:Veterinary Medicine
Duration: 18 months
Local tuition: CAD 3,075 / semester
International tuition: CAD 8,450 / semester
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
The Veterinary Technology Diploma at Olds College is an 18-month accelerated, on-campus program that prepares students for practical animal care work across multiple species. Over five terms, students progress from foundation coursework in anatomy, pharmacy, nutrition, and animal behaviour through disease-specific procedures, clinical skills, and surgical nursing and anesthesia, learning diagnostic laboratory procedures, diagnostic imaging, dentistry, and client communication along the way. Students complete week-long team rotations caring for cats, dogs, horses, cattle, and exotic animals, and the final term includes a six-week industry practicum working directly with industry professionals at a placement of the student's choosing. The program is delivered in Olds, Alberta, and is intended for students able to meet its physical demands, including handling animals and working weekend shifts. It is designed for students pursuing careers as Registered Veterinary Technologists, with graduates working in veterinary clinics, diagnostic and research laboratories, livestock operations, and wildlife rehabilitation centres.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Admission to the Veterinary Technology diploma requires 65% or better in each of English Language Arts 30-1 or 30-2, Math 30-1 or 30-2, Biology 30 and Chemistry 30, plus 40 hours of job shadowing or employment verified on Olds College's Job Shadowing/Employment Verification Form. Admission is competitive: applicants offered a seat typically hold an overall average of 80% or higher across the required courses. Applicants must meet Olds College's English Language Proficiency Requirement: IELTS Academic 6.0 in each band, TOEFL iBT with all bands 4.0 or higher, CAEL Online 60 overall with no band below 50, PTE Academic 55 overall with no skill below 55, Duolingo English Test 110, or Oxford ELLT 6 overall with no band below 5. The program also requires a six-week directed-field-study practicum, completed at the end of the program.
Application Details
Start Date:Fall, Winter, and Spring
Application Deadline:Olds College and its programs apply through ApplyAlberta, for both domestic and international applicants, with a $90 application fee either way. The college publishes no single institution-wide closing date: as of September 2026 applications for the current 2026-27 intake year are open, and applications for the 2027-28 intake year (Fall 2027 entry) open 1 October 2026 at 9 a.m., after which seats fill on a rolling, space-available basis up to each program's start date. International applicants follow the identical ApplyAlberta process and are advised to apply four to six months ahead of their intended start to allow for study-permit processing; no separate international closing date is published. This applies equally to competitive-seeming programs such as Veterinary Technology and Farrier Science, which set only an opening date, not a fixed deadline. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
