Study Guide for Animal Science Students Version 4 Animal Science College PO Box 1520 Canning Vale Business Centre Western Australia 6970 Phone: 61 8 94561060 Facsimile: 61 8 63130662 Web: www.animalsciencecollege.com.au Email: admin@animalsciencecollege.com.au A division of Applied Vocational Training www.appvoc.com
Introduction Welcome to our college. We hope that your studies with us will be both informative and productive. Our staff comprise of a group of Veterinarians, Veterinary Nurses and Animal Carers that specialise in education and training. We are a division of Applied Vocational Training, our company specialises in training in the Animal Care industry, principally Animal Care (science) and Veterinary Nursing. Important Notes There are some key issues that relate to our course that you should consider before making your first enrolment: Suitability for studies at this level This course is aimed at a minimum Certificate III level. We have a commitment to providing a solid knowledge base for our modules and some are quite detailed. Some of the modules have content similar to challenging upper high school and technical college subjects. Some students may find that these studies are too complex for them. We ask that before you start the course you have a quick look at our booklet Animal Care Topics which you can download from our website at no cost (or purchase a printed one for a small fee from our office). It will give you an idea of the sort of level you might need in the course. We reserve the right not to offer you further enrolments if we believe from your initial enrolments, that you need further preparation for the course. Recognition of Study Modules Our modules (such as Animal Health, Animal Behaviour etc.) are like books or study guides that provide you with knowledge about animal science and care. These modules alone however do not provide you with certification for any of the units found in the Certificate III in Animal Studies (such as ACMGAS302A - Provide enrichment for animals). The reason is that the units from the Certificate III describe practical skills, not just knowledge. To gain credit for any of the Certificate III modules you will need to complete the Animal Practical Training module in the workplace. This is not an issue for most students who are simply looking to improve their knowledge, but can be an issue if you transfer to another course. For more information please contact us. Animal Care Workplace for Certificate III students We do not organise a workplace for you to attend. We may be able to help by providing a package that introduces you and us to a workplace, and we may also be able to suggest workplaces that you may approach to attend. However it is your responsibility to find a suitable workplace. 1
Please note that prior to starting the Animal Practical Training Module, we require you to have completed and passed the below two modules Animal Health Working with Animals; Health & Safety Once you have completed the above modules, we require a completed Workplace Declaration Form signed by the person who will be supervising your work placement. This Declaration Form can be obtained from our office or can be downloaded from the Animal Practical Training section in the Student Info Area of Moodle (if studying online). Once we have received the completed declaration form we can enrol you in the Animal Practical Training module. Studying with us Most of our students living in Australia or Overseas will study online or by correspondence (paper based). Some students living in or visiting Perth may also choose to attend some of our weekly tutorial sessions. We may also offer some voluntary one day workshops that students may consider attending. (It could be worth a trip to Perth) Before you start your studies spend an hour and have a quick look at the free Animal Care Topics workbook. You can download from our web site: www.animalsciencecollege.com.au From the home page, login in to the student portal Username: Student Password: ascstudent Select Student Portal from the top right: Then select Study Guides and Forms Download the PDF document Animal Care Topics If in Perth you can purchase from our office for $10. This study guide can also be downloaded from the same page. Making a start To make a start you need to enrol in a module. We recommend you follow the sequence found on our website or in the list shown in the course overview. Most students will start with the Animal Health Module. When nearing the end of this module you would then enrol in the next one. Of course you are free to pick and choose which module you like (a few advanced ones require you first to complete an earlier module). We prefer you do not enrol in more than two modules at a time. Animal Structure and Function is found to be challenging by many students and it might be best to study this over a longer period of time whilst continuing working on other modules at the same time. How to enrol All students can enrol in modules via our enrolment store. There is a link on the front page of our website or you can go there directly at http://www.animalsciencecollege.com.au/zenstore/ Please 2
read the notes and follow the animal science links. You can make a payment using a credit card or payment into our bank account. If you prefer, you can also place an order by phoning us. Students coming to our training centre can still enrol online, or enrol at our office. You can come in any time during normal office hours to enrol, or enrol if you attend our tutorial on a Tuesday evening. 3
Online Studies Once you have enrolled you will be issued by email a username and password that allows you to access our online learning system where all module information and assessments are accessed and submitted online. You will receive an information package that describes how to use the system at the same time. This is our preferred way of studying in this course. Correspondence Studies This mode of study is available for students who do not wish to use the online system for any reason. This is only available for students living in Australia as we do not post overseas. We charge an extra fee for this service (see fees and charges). In this case all modules and assessments are sent via Australia Post in the mail. Attending college Students living in Perth or visiting can drop by our office during normal office hours to enrol or attend to any admin matters. If you need some assistance from a tutor face to face, we have one available each Tuesday during term times from 4 6 pm. You do not need to call, just drop by. Of course you can enrol at that time as well if need be. See below for term dates. Support for students Tutors are available to answer your questions at most times. Our preferred method of contact is email and usually we will respond to your questions on the same day. (Except weekends) admin@animalsciencecollege.com.au We are also available for phone support and if we are not available when you call, we will get back to you as soon as we can. We may even be able to set up a Skype meeting with you if the matter is complex. Telephone (08) 94561060 Students coming to our tutorial sessions will be able to get support then as well. Our Policy Documents Our policy documents for the provision of training and our engagement with students can be provided on request or can be viewed by visiting our main website at: http://www.appvoc.com/current%20students/policydocs.html Workshops planned We expect to be running some one day workshops later in the year and you will be notified of these via email once dates have been fixed. The table below indicates our early planning and the workshops will run consecutively. 4
Anatomy and Physiology Hands on dissections. 1 day Anatomy and Physiology videos Animal Health Practical health examinations 1 day TPR / Use of examination equipment for animals Bandaging and casting Animal Handling To be advised. Various species on different days 1 day Diagnosis workshop Learn some laboratory diagnostic skills X rays and other diagnostic equipment 1 day These workshops may be held over a weekend. All students (even overseas) are invited. If you are living outside of Perth we can provide information on accommodation and transport. Term Times for 2012 Semester 1 Term 1 Tuesday 7 February Tuesday 3 April 9 weeks No Classes Tuesday 10 April, 17 April 2 weeks Term 2 Tuesday 24 April Tuesday 26 June 10 weeks No Classes Tuesday 3 July, 10 July, 17 July 3 weeks Semester 2 Term 3 Tuesday 24 July - Tuesday 25 September 10 weeks No Classes Tuesday 2 October, 9 October 2 weeks Term 4 Tuesday 16 October - Tuesday 27 Nov 7 weeks Course Overview Recognition of Qualifications The Certificate III in Animal Studies is a qualification that is recognised Australia wide. Applied Vocational Training (Animal Science College division) is approved by the Australian government to deliver this course. 5
Entry into other courses All colleges (technical and university) recognise all nationally approved courses. However this qualification will not guarantee you entry into any other course and you should look at the particular course you are interested in and ask the delivery provider how they view this qualification for entry into their course. You can expect however that this qualification would support your application into any related course such as Veterinary Nursing or Animal Science and Biology. Recognition outside Australia There is no mutual recognition of this type of qualification with other countries, the same applies for Australian Veterinary Nursing qualifications. If you are thinking of working or studying in another country, you should contact them to find how they view an Australian certification. The Details To check the national recognition of the course and our status as an approved provider, go to the Australian Government Training website at: www.training.gov.au On the home page you can do a quick search for the nationally recognised course by entering the course code: ACM30110 and then click on the code link for more details To find out about our registration, on the home page do a search for Organisation / RTO and enter the code: 5273 and follow the links to our scope. Time to Complete the Course You can remain a student for as long as you like. If you have a break and then resume studies at a later time, that is fine. We do however place a time limit of 3 years for students completing the full Certificate III in Animal Studies. This is done to ensure your knowledge is up to date. For students taking longer than this time we will need to review your enrolments. For Australians seeking government financial assistance for full time studies, the usual duration of a Certificate III course is 6 months. You will need to complete the course within 6 months of your first enrolment. 6
Course Content There are 12 modules available currently. A description of each module is found at the end of this brochure and excerpts can be found on our website at www.animalsciencecollege.com.au Students can enrol in one or two modules at a time and are under no obligation to complete any set number of modules. Some students will only enrol in subjects that they interested in. Other students may want to study all modules that are available. Some may choose to complete the Certificate III in Animal Studies (see details later). Some modules however require you to have completed (or have equivalent studies from elsewhere) some other modules (prerequisites) Modules Nominal Hours Animal Health 24 None Animal Behaviour 22 None Working with Animals; Health and Safety 18 None Animal Structure and Function (Anatomy & Physiology) 36 None Animal Nutrition and Feeding 22 None Ethics and Legislation 24 None Animal Breeding 22 None Prerequisites Diagnosis and Treatment of Disease 32 Animal Health Animal Diseases 24 Animal Health Diagnosis and Treatment of Disease Animal Pharmacy and Medicines 22 None Principles of Genetics 24 None Dentistry for Small Animals 18 None Animal Practical Training 150 (150 hours spent in a workplace) See details later Nominal Hours indicate an estimate of the time you would spend reviewing all the materials in a module. You will most likely need to add the same amount time as shown in the nominal hours for additional study and attending to assessments. 7
Order of study We recommend you follow the order of units as shown in the table listing all of the modules. This is not compulsory but recommended for most students. Of course if you are only choosing subjects that interest you and not doing the full course, you can enrol in any order you like as long as you consider the prerequisites. Certificate III in Animal Studies This certificate requires students to have a sound theoretical knowledge AND relevant practical skills. Students wishing to complete the Certificate III need to complete the following 10 modules: Animal Health Animal Behaviour Working with Animals; Health and Safety Animal Structure and Function (Anatomy & Physiology) Animal Nutrition and Feeding Ethics and Legislation Animal Breeding Diagnosis and Treatment of Disease Animal Diseases Animal Practical Training Fees and Charges Please note that current fees and charges are shown here, any changes to fees will be advised via email or post. Please note we do not accept payment for the whole course in advance and advise that you pay for one or two modules at a time as you go. 8
The following charges apply: (Australian Dollars) All modules (except 2 below) $160 Animal Structure and Function $180 Diagnosis and Treatment of Disease $180 Animal Practical Training workbook $150 These charges apply to students studying online and using our online course. They include all training manuals, course notes, assessments and feedback. Other Possible Charges Animal Practical Training Correspondence Students Collecting a printed module from our office Books and Supplies Workshops Issuing of Certificate III Our fee of $150 for the practical training module to issue the workbook, monitor your progress in the workplace and enrol you in accident and liability insurance. You may also choose to pay an additional fee of $120, which we pay to a workplace you attend. We find that a payment to the workplace of $120 to supervise and support your training will open doors otherwise closed. In this case your total expenses will be $150 + $120 ($270 total) If you are already attending an animal workplace or have an agreement with a workplace for you to attend without payment, the $120 fee will not apply and you only pay $150 for the workbook If you are in Australia and choose to use the postal system and not the online process an extra charge of $15 per module applies to cover postage of materials and assessments. If you require collection of a printed module from our office, then extra fees may apply for copying (usually less than $10) You do not need any books for this course. However students may like to purchase some supplies such as a stethoscope and thermometer from us if in Australia Costs to be advised For students completing the full certificate we issue a digital certificate and statement of completion. A quality printed paper certificate can be issued for $15 plus postage (we will post to anywhere in the world) 9
FAQ Do I need to purchase any books to complete this course? No books are required for the course as all learning materials and references are provided. You may of course need to do research online or at a library to help complete your assignments. Can I obtain Credit for previous studies? We have a policy to grant credit for any similar or past studies that may be relevant to this course. This most likely applies to students wishing to complete the full Certificate III. You will need to talk to us if this is the case and we will provide more information. What happens if I do poorly in my assessments? All assessment in this course is on a pass or hold basis. This means that if you do not pass an assessment the first time you are given a hold for that assessment and further opportunity to gain a pass. We will provide as much support as possible to assist you in progressing through the course. How do you know that I am completing my assessments fairly? We will!!! We may ask you to submit a statutory declaration stating just that. If you are doing the practical training module, we will contact your workplace supervisor one way or another. How will I know of my progress in the course? Your results will be available to you online, or if studying by correspondence in Australia, they will be emailed or posted to you each semester where you have made progress. I am Australian and am eligible for government financial support if I am a full time student, what do I need to do? You need to speak directly to Centrelink. For us to consider you studying full time, you need to complete the full Certificate III in 6 months from your first enrolment. This means finishing 9 modules and 150 hours in a workplace. It will be busy for you. Centrelink check each registered students progress with us How can I directly enter details onto a PDF document that I wish to submit to you? We recommend that you download the free PDF-XChange PDF Viewer From http://www.tracker-software.com If you open your PDF document using this program, click on the Typewriter tool... and you can type directly onto the document. Save the edited document and email it to us. 10
Module Details Animal Health Animal Behaviour Working with Animals; Health and Safety Animal Structure and Function (Anatomy & Physiology) Animal Nutrition and Feeding Ethics and Legislation Animal Breeding Diagnosis and Treatment of Disease Animal Diseases Animal Pharmacy and Medicines Principles of Genetics Dentistry for Small Animals Principles of animal health. Assessing the health of animals. An introduction to the concepts of disease and the principles of managing health and disease. Concepts of Hygiene Learn the principles of animal behaviour. How various processes in the body affect behaviour. Study some particular topics about behaviour in various animals Concepts of safely working with animals. This is occupational health and safety. Includes safe handling of animals and diseases that could be passed from animal to man. The foundation of animal care. Learn how the various body structures are made up and function. The basics of nutrition. Learn about how foods are made up. The principles of feeding animals and analysing diets. This module has two parts. Ethical practices for those keeping animals, both as Pets and as livestock. An overview of the legislation that affects animal owners is presented. Although the legislation relates to Australia, it is similar throughout the world. The principles of successfully breeding animals are found in the module. Includes an approach to problems in breeding and an introduction to genetics The processes of disease investigation are explained here. An overview of various treatment methods is also provided with some specific examples from diseases in particular animals An overview of the concepts of diseases in animals is presented here. Diseases of various body systems and their clinical signs are considered and examples from a variety of species are discussed. Learn about medicines used to treat animals. Information about the various groups of medicines is given. An overview of how medicines should be kept and used is also provided Learn the principles of genetics and how we select animals for breeding. Which traits are strongly inherited and genetic techniques in use. Keeping an animal s teeth healthy. The structure of teeth, equipment used in Veterinary Hospitals. Problems with teeth 11
Practical Training Module Animal Practical Training This module is only offered to students intending to complete the Certificate 3 of Animal Care. Students are required to attend an animal workplace for at least 150 hours, full time or part time. It may be their place of work or they may attend as a volunteer. A workbook is provided with a checklist of practical skills that must be attended to at the workplace. We also arrange some accident and liability insurance for students attending the workplace. We do not arrange workplaces for students, so you must have access to a workplace in order to complete this module. We need the manager to the workplace to confirm your attendance and skills. Suitable workplaces could include a pet shop, farm, animal rescue group, zoo, veterinary practice or any other industry that cares for animals. It does not matter what species is cared for. If you need support arranging a workplace, we have a package for your use that introduces you and us to a potential workplace that might accept you as a volunteer. We do not accept a Veterinary Practice as suitable for students in Western Australia (unless you are already working in one) as our vet nursing students have priority placements. We will accept a Veterinary Practice outside of WA. 12