Animal Studies and Veterinary Nursing

Do you have a passion for pooches, a calling to work with cats or even a fascination with fish? If you love animals and dream of a career in animal care, this course will give you a formal qualification to enter the industry.

Be guided by our team of skilled lecturers who have a wealth of experience in the field, pairing clinical expertise with the drive to provide the highest standard of care to animals to keep them safe, clean, well and content. Learn the foundations of general care of dogs, cats, fish, rodents, rabbits, mammals and invertebrates. Build your knowledge on how to safely handle animals, daily routines such as bathing and drying, assisting with health routines and providing reception services for an animal care facility.

You can gain job ready skills to work as an animal attendant in a kennel, cattery, groomers, vet clinic, local pet shop or even a welfare organisation/animal shelter for abandoned, neglected or injured animals that are in need of care.

90% of surveyed students were highly satisfied with this course.

Study in specialist facilities

SM TAFE is the only TAFE to offer a live veterinary clinic based at our Bentley campus which is open to the general public, staff and students to make bookings for consults and surgeries. Students can gain on-the-job skills in animal care with a range of species including dogs, rabbits, rats, guinea pigs, lizards, fish, along with an aviary housing various birdlife. The clinic allows development of skills in a safe and supported environment.

Our Murdoch campus has a dedicated dog day-care training facility and pet grooming clinic where students can develop hands-on animal care skills in a real-world setting. Mandurah campus also has a modified version of a dog day-care, which represents a short-stay facility for dogs.
 

Do you love animals and want to follow your calling to work with cats, canines and all creatures? If your dream is to work day-to-day with animals, this course will give you job ready skills to be employed in a broad range of roles in the animal care industry, including dog daycare, boarding, rescue shelters, pet sitting, dog walking, breeding establishments and other animal businesses.

Learn from our expert team of lecturers who are specialists in animal care and passionate about teaching and maintaining the highest standards of grooming, health, feeding and welfare for animals. You’ll gain skills in interacting safely, providing animal first-aid, walking and bathing dogs, as well as grooming crossbreed dogs and companion animals according to breed and coat. Build your knowledge of how to provide care to a wide range of animal species including dogs, rodents, rabbits, birds, fish, and reptiles.

This course is ideal if you wish to begin working in animal care, and if you’re already employed or volunteering in the industry, the course will give you a formal qualification to further develop your skillset and help advance further in your current workplace.

Turn your passion into your profession and start your career in animal care with this entry-level course.

Study in specialist facilities

SM TAFE is the only TAFE to offer a live veterinary clinic based at our Bentley campus which is open to the general public, staff and students to make bookings for consults and surgeries. Students can gain on-the-job skills in animal care with a range of species including dogs, rabbits, rats, guinea pigs, lizards, fish, along with an aviary housing various birdlife. The clinic allows development of skills in a safe and supported environment.

Our Murdoch campus has a dedicated dog day-care training facility and pet grooming clinic where students can develop hands-on animal care skills in a real-world setting.

Pet grooming is an important part of ensuring the overall health, hygiene and happiness of domestic animals. If you want to make a career out of your passion for our furry friends, this course will provide you with specialised training in all aspects of pet grooming services.

Learn from our team of experienced lecturers who can guide you to build a solid skillset in pet grooming, which will qualify you to work under supervision in a pet grooming establishment. Grow your knowledge in providing a high standard of hygiene grooming for domestic pets including washing, brushing and drying dogs, cleaning ears, using grooming tools and equipment, as well as specific grooming for different dog breeds and coats.

This is the most comprehensive qualification for pet grooming in Australia, and you’ll gain job ready skills for employment in any facility offering pet grooming services including, mobile or shop front salons, veterinary clinics, boarding kennels and pet retail outlets.

Students must have a genuine empathy for animals along with the communication skills and physical ability to successfully perform work placement in the pet grooming industry.

Study in specialist facilities

Our Murdoch campus has a dedicated Pet Grooming Clinic open to the general public which provides a simulated workplace environment. Students can gain hands-on experience in a real-life setting serving clients, taking care of animals and advancing their skills in pet grooming.

Are you looking to join a school of fish lovers?

This qualification is the crucial first step towards an exciting career in aquaculture. This course provides students with a range of core skills and knowledge relevant to working in the aquaculture industry. Graduates go on to further studies or working in a range on environments including onshore aquaculture facilities, offshore culture facilities and the ornamental fish industry.

Aquaculture is a fast-growing industry. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) issued a report in 2018 stating that ‘aquaculture is fastest growing food production sector worldwide’. Typical entry-level jobs for those holding Certificate II include:

• Australian and overseas aquaculture farms
• hatcheries and nurseries   
• live post-harvest holding facilities, such as processing plants, wholesalers or 
• transporters, pet shops, public aquaria, zoos or other facilities with aquatic animals 

Study in a specialised facility in the maritime heart of Fremantle

Fremantle campus features extensive salt and freshwater aquaculture facilities, and experienced staff which offers plenty of relevant hands-on opportunities. Our staff have involved students in the culture and applied research projects of many marine and freshwater organisms over the last two decades including species such as abalone, dhufish, yellowtail kingfish, marron and barramundi.

Are you looking to join a school of fish lovers?

This course is ideal for those looking to expand on the skills and knowledge they gained in Certificate II in Aquaculture. It also comes packed with opportunities to upskill with either boating or diving skills. While a solid foundation in aquatic science is essential, the aquaculture sector prefers to hire staff with additional boating and/or diving qualifications.  

Further skills from the maritime industry

Certificate II in Maritime Operations (Coxswain Grade 1 Near Coastal)

• commanding and operating a vessel less than 12 metres long with unlimited outboard engine propulsion, or inboard engines less than 100 kilowatts

Coxswain's can gain employment in the small vessel sector in commercial workboats, aquaculture, fisheries and tourism.

Specialist facilities in the maritime heart of Fremantle

Our Fremantle campus features a working aquaculture facility with hatchery tanks and filtration systems and is within convenient walking distance to the fishing industry in Fremantle. Our lecturers have a strong relationship with the Australian Centre for Applied Aquaculture Research (ACAAR) in the neighbouring facility.

This higher level qualification will provide you with the practical skills and knowledge to manage the operations of fish farms, marine farms and hatcheries. It is suitable for students that hold a Certificate III in Aquaculture or have substantial aquaculture industry experience.

You will also learn skills in planning and designing a water supply and disposal system, and stock culture systems and structures. You will learn the skills necessary to supervise and manage staff.

The environments in which our graduates work include:

• aquaculture farms or fishout/put-and-take operations
• hatcheries and nurseries
• live post-harvest holding facilities, such as processing plants, wholesalers or transporters
• pet shops, public aquaria, zoos or other facilities with aquatic animals

Study in a specialist facilities

Fremantle campus features extensive salt and freshwater aquaculture facilities, and experienced staff which offers plenty of relevant hands-on opportunities. Our staff have involved students in the culture and applied research projects of many marine and freshwater organisms over the last two decades including species such as abalone, dhufish, yellowtail kingfish, marron and barramundi.

Are you passionate about the care of pets and want to build a career working day to day with a range of animals and creatures great and small? This course will give you the job ready skills to become a fully qualified Veterinary Nurse or Animal Welfare Worker.

Playing an essential role in animal health care, a Veterinary Nurse dedicates their daily work to maintaining and monitoring the welfare and wellbeing of sick animals. Be guided by from our expert team of lecturers who are professionals in the field as you learn how to assist Veterinarians with surgery procedures on animals both pre and post-operation.

Develop clinical skills in administering anaesthesia and medication, radiology (x-ray), dental procedures, nutrition and applying bandages to wounds. Build knowledge of how to nurse animals back to health and providing advice and support to animal caregivers, as well as daily tasks such as keeping equipment clean and sterilised.

Vet nurses are in high demand and you can work in a range of diverse settings such as at a veterinary clinic, animal hospital, specialist clinic, in wildlife rescue or at a zoo.

This course is popular and highly competitive to get into. Please ensure you enter all your work and work experience, both related to the field and unrelated, in your application.

Study in specialist facilities

SM TAFE is the only TAFE to offer a live veterinary clinic open to the general public, staff and students to make bookings for consults and surgeries. The clinic is based at our Bentley campus and allows our training Vet Nurses real-world experience while being supervised by qualified Veterinarians and Vet Nurses.

Students can gain on-the-job skills in animal care with a range of species including dogs, rabbits, rats, guinea pigs, lizards, fish, along with an aviary housing various birdlife. The clinic allows development of skills in a safe and supported environment, in preparation for industry work placement.

You can visit the Student Vet Clinic at South Metropolitan TAFE(opens in a new tab) on Facebook.