16/09/2026
🐾 2 Study Pathways to Vet Nursing in Australia
If you've ever thought about using your skills to care for sick or injured dogs, cats and other animals, Vet Nursing might be a direction you've considered. But if you're starting with zero Animal Care experience, you might be wondering:
“Where do I actually start?”
Today we're sharing two study pathways you can explore, starting with the fundamentals of Animal Care before progressing into Veterinary Nursing.
✅ Route 1
Certificate II in Animal Care (ACM20121)
⬇️
Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing (ACM40418)
Certificate II takes 6 months, with classes 2 days per week. You'll start with the fundamentals, including daily animal care, health observation, animal behaviour, pet nutrition and how to safely handle different animals.
After completing Cert II and meeting the entry requirements, you can then progress to Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing. Certificate IV takes 18 months, with classes 3 days per week. This is where you'll move further into Veterinary Nursing and learn more about areas such as monitoring animal health, caring for sick or injured animals and assisting vets in a clinical environment.
So this pathway takes around 2 years in total.
🤔 Why start with Cert II or Cert III first?
Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing has entry requirements. If you're starting with no relevant Animal Care qualifications or experience, completing a relevant Animal Care qualification first is one way to build the foundation you need before progressing into Veterinary Nursing.
That's why there's also another pathway you can explore.
✅ Route 2
Certificate III in Animal Care Services (ACM30122)
⬇️
Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing (ACM40418)
Certificate III takes 12 months, with classes 3 days per week. Compared with Cert II, you'll spend more time building your Animal Care knowledge and practical skills, covering areas such as animal health, behaviour, nutrition, welfare and pet first aid.
After completing Cert III and meeting the entry requirements, you can then progress to the 18 month Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing. So this pathway takes around 2.5 years in total.
🏫 Come and experience Animal Care for yourself
Greenwood Academy (RTO Code: 45916) is opening our Sydney and Melbourne campuses for Campus Tours and Trial Classes at the end of September. Instead of trying to figure everything out online, you can come into the campus, see the classrooms and practical learning environment, meet our trainers and get a better idea of what studying Animal Care is actually like.
It's also a good chance to bring along the questions that matter to you, such as:
💬 “Are there Work Placement opportunities?”
💬 “What's the difference between the units in Cert II and Cert III?”
💬 “Which pathway might suit my current experience and future goals?”
If Vet Nursing is something you've been thinking about, coming in and seeing the learning environment for yourself might help you get a much clearer idea of whether this direction feels right for you.
