Skip to Content    Skip to Footer
Open House Info

Learn more about this hands-on training program to become a veterinary technician on Thursday, August 29th from 5 to 7 PM. Get details and RSVP.

Veterinary Technology Selection Criteria & Application Process

Annual Application Deadline for Fall Term Start: April 15th

Please Note: If the deadline has passed, contact a health sciences advisor to see if seats may be available for a late application.

Veterinary Technology is a two-year Associate in Science degree. Applicants are evaluated for admission based on a Selection Criteria point system, with extra points awarded to applicants who have completed certain tasks or fulfilled certain requirements in advance. The program's Application Process requires an additional application and submission of materials by the deadline in addition to EFSC's general admissions process.

Selection Criteria

Veterinary Technology Point System

The Selection Committee is guided by a point system. Click on the categories below to learn how points may be earned.

Grade Point Average (GPA)

Points for students applying for a Fall start are awarded based on the applicant's most recent College Grade Point Average (GPA). A minimum GPA of 2.0 is required for acceptance into the program, and points are awarded for GPAs above 2.5.

Transcripts must be in the student's application file for this evaluation to take place. To be eligible for points, the applicant must also have completed at least 12 credit hours of college courses. A maximum of 20 points is possible.

Points awarded for GPA
Points awarded based on GPA
GPA Points
4.0 20 points
3.8 - 3.9 18 points
3.5 - 3.7 16 points
3.0 - 3.4 14 points
2.5 - 2.9 12 points
2.0 - 2.4 0 points
Observation/Volunteer/Work Experience

This requirement cannot be waived.

All Veterinary Technology program applicants must complete a minimum of 20 hours of observation, volunteer and/or work experience to be considered for program acceptance. Hours must be in a veterinary office, wildlife rehab, zoo, or in a county or non-profit animal shelter, ASPCA or Humane Society setting.  Hours completed at a pet store, grooming facility or backyard rescue/foster organization are NOT acceptable.

A maximum of five points will be awarded for additional observation, volunteer and/or work experience completed beyond the 20-hour minimum. For additional points to be awarded, confirmation of each type of experience must be submitted using the Veterinary Experience Form.

Points Awarded for Experience
Points Awarded for observation, volunteer, and work experience
Hours of Experience Points Awarded
20 hours Required (no points)
21 - 25 hours 1 point
26 - 30 hours 2 points
31 - 35 hours 3 points
36 - 40 hours 4 points
Over 40 hours 5 points
Specific College Course Work

Applicants should complete or be enrolled in all of the general education courses required to obtain the A.S. degree for Vet Tech with a “C” or better, and those applicants will be awarded 25 bonus points. Not only will this point award increase the applicant’s total points but will also lessen the program curriculum load once accepted.

General Education Requirements
General Education Requirements and credits
General Education Requirement Credits
Communications 1  3 credits
General Biology 4 credits
College Algebra
(may require Intermediate Algebra as a prerequisite)
3 credits
Fulfill the Civic Literacy Requirement 3 credits
Humanities Core (List 1) 3 credits

Click here to view the official EFSC Catalog A.S. degree general education requirements.

Veterinary Assisting Additional Points

Applicants who enroll in or complete the Veterinary Assisting CCC program by the Veterinary Technology application deadline are eligible to earn additional points as part of their A.S. degree application as follows:

Additional Points granted from Veterinary Assisting CCC
Status Points
Completed Veterinary Assisting CCC Program 10 points
Enrolled in the Veterinary Assisting CCC Program 5 points
Military Service

Applicants with at least two years of military service will be awarded five points. To be eligible, the applicant must submit proof of service by the application deadline.

Essay

All Veterinary Technology applicants are required to submit a 300-word, handwritten essay on the following topic: "Veterinary Technicians: What are they, and what role do they play on the veterinary team?" (Students must cite at least 1 source and document it APA style.)

In the event of applicants with similar point totals, this essay may be evaluated as a tie-breaker to determine applicant selection.

Application Process

Applicants must satisfy all program entrance requirements by the deadline to be considered and should be familiar with the Selection Criteria as they apply. All application documents should be submitted to the EFSC Health Sciences Admissions and Advising Office on the Cocoa Campus in Building 11, Room 228 or emailed to healthscience@easternflorida.edu by the application deadline.

Please note: to apply for only the Veterinary Assistant College Credit Certificate, visit that certificate's web page.

Check Application Deadlines and Contact an Advisor
Application Deadline: April 15
Meet with a Health Sciences Advisor

Because this is a limited access program with many variables and special application requirements, prospective students should contact a Health Sciences Advisor for more information. If the deadline has passed, you can also ask the advisor if seats may be available for a late application.

Students with myEFSC Portal access should schedule an appointment using EAB Navigate. Future Students with no EFSC login, use the link below. You will then be contacted via email with confirmation of your appointment.

Request Advising Appointment

Apply for General Admission to Eastern Florida State College

New and Returning Students:  Complete and properly submit the application for general admission to Eastern Florida State College. There is a one-time $30 non-refundable application fee for admission that must be submitted at the time of application to the college. This application is available online. Complete all general admissions requirements with the EFSC General Admissions office.  Readmit students will not be charged the $30 application fee.

Please note that application processing can take up to 14 days due to the current volume of applications. Check your email frequently for your acceptance letter.

Current Students: Move onto the next step.

Take General Education Classes

Students who are applying to the Veterinary Technology program should complete their General Education Classes prior to the application deadline. 

Complete Observation/ Volunteer/ Work Experience

Note: This requirement cannot be waived.

All Veterinary Technology program applicants must complete (and submit proof of) a minimum of 20 hours of observation, volunteer and/or work experience to be considered for program acceptance. Hours may be done in a veterinary office, or in a county or non-profit animal shelter, ASPCA or Humane Society setting. A separate work experience form should be submitted for each setting. 

Complete the Online Health Sciences Application

Complete the online Health Sciences Application for Veterinary Technology. You will be prompted to log in using your student email address and password that are sent in your EFSC general admissions acceptance letter.

A $25 non-refundable fee for the Health Sciences application must be paid through your myEFSC online account or at a campus Student Accounts Business Office by the application deadline.

Submit Required Documents to the Health Science Admissions & Advising Office

All applicants must submit the following documents to the Health Sciences Admissions and Advising Office on the Cocoa Campus in Building 11, Room 228 or via email to healthscience@easternflorida.edu by the April 15th annual deadline:

  • Essay: Write a 300-word, handwritten essay on the following topic: "Veterinary Technicians: What are they, and what role do they play on the veterinary team?"
  • Volunteer/Work Experience/Observation form
  • Unofficial EFSC transcripts and unofficial transcripts from any other colleges you have attended.  Unofficial EFSC transcripts can be obtained from www.floridashines.org or myGPS.
  • Military Information (if applicable)
Complete a Post-Acceptance Background Check

All applicants accepted into the program must submit to a mandatory background check following notification of program acceptance and before the start of classes.

In accordance with Section 1301.76 of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) manual for registrants, accepted students will also be required to sign a waiver stating that they have not been convicted of a felony for controlled drugs.

Section 1301.76 states:
"The registrant shall not employ, as an agent or employee who has access to controlled substances, any person who has been convicted of a felony offense relating to controlled substances or who, at any time, had an application for registration with the DEA denied, had a DEA registration revoked or has surrendered a DEA registration for cause. For purposes of this subsection, the term 'for cause' means a surrender in lieu of, or as a consequence of, any federal or state administrative, civil or criminal action resulting from an investigation of the individual's handling of controlled substances."

Equal Access Policy

Eastern Florida State College is dedicated to providing a nondiscriminatory environment which promotes equal access, equal educational opportunity, and equal employment opportunity to all persons regardless of age, race, national origin, color, ethnicity, genetic information, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy, disability, marital status, veteran status, ancestry, or political affiliation in its programs, activities, or employment.

EFSC recognizes the rights of students and applicants with disabilities, including those with hepatitis B, under the protections of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.