New Zealand Certificate in Animal Care (Companion Animals) (Level 3)

Graduates will be able to work as assistants involved with the day-to-day care, and welfare of animals at pet stores, animal rescue centres, pet grooming, animal day care, kennels and catteries, animal breeders, animal training, pet boarding facilities, horse recreation, animal laboratories, and rural blocks.

Open Entry if the delegated authority at the campus/site is satisfied that the applicant has the capability to complete the requirements of the programme. International applicants are required to have an IELTS score of 5 (general or academic) with no individual band lower than 5 from one test taken in the preceding two years, or an equivalent described in NZQA Rules.

Additional requirements

All application needs to meet or submit the following:

• Health and tetanus declaration. Please follow the below link:
  SIT Online New Zealand Certificate in Animal Care Tetanus Declaration
• Provide a copy of your current criminal conviction history. Please follow the below link:
  Get your own criminal record | New Zealand Ministry of Justice

*Convictions of any offence may not necessarily exclude applicants from enrolment. Any decision is made on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the delegated authority.

Selection processes may apply where the number of applications exceed the number of available places.

English Language Requirements

Applicants, whose first language is not English, or who come from a country where the language of instruction in schools is not English, are required to provide evidence of having achieved one of the following

NCEA Level 3 with University Entrance, or

an International Baccalaureate Diploma or Cambridge A- level qualification for which the teaching and assessment was conducted in English; or

Cambridge Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA),or Trinity College London Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CertTESOL);or

Successful completion of all primary education (being the equivalent of New Zealand primary school years 1 to 8) and at least three years of secondary education (being the equivalent of three years from New Zealand secondary school years 9 to 13) at schools in either New Zealand,,Australia,Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States one of the countries listed in Rule 18.5 where the student was taught using English as the language of instruction; or

Successful completion of at least five years of secondary education (being the equivalent of New Zealand secondary school years 9 to 13) at schools in either New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States where the student was taught using English as the language of instruction; or

Successful completion of a Bachelor's Degree, Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, Bachelor Honours degree, Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma, Masters' Degree or Doctoral Degree, the language of instruction of which must be in English and which must be from a tertiary education provider from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom or the United States or

Successful completion of one of the following internationally recognised proficiency tests listed below to the level required of the programme of study and with all scores achieved in a single test during the two years preceding the proposed date of enrolment

IELTS test - General or Academic score of 5 with no band score lower than 5
TOEFL Paper based test (pBT) - Score of 500 (with an essay score of 4 TWE)
TOEFL Internet based test (iBT) - Score of 35 (with a writing score of 14)
Cambridge English Examination - B2 First or B2 First for schools with a score of 154. No less than 154 in each skill.
OET - Minimum of Grade C or 200 in all sub-tests
NZCEL - a) Expiring Level b) Current: a) Level 3 (General) or (Workplace) b) Level 3 (General)
Pearson Test of English (Academic) - PTE (Academic) score of 36 with no band score lower than 36
Language Cert - B1 Achiever International ESOL Written (LRW) PASS with no less than 25/50 in each skill and Spoken (S) PASS
Trinity ISE - ISE I with no less than distinction in any band

* New versions of some NZCEL qualifications, and in some cases new qualifications, were published on 13 June 2017. These are intended to replace pre-existing versions and qualifications, which have been given expiring status until discontinued on 31 December 2019. (a) denotes expiring (b) denotes current

Full time study

According to Study Link, full time study is completing 50 credits in one 17-week intake.

Full time acceptance in to the programme is at the Programme Manager’s discretion and is not guaranteed.

A suggested full-time example study plan is:

• Intake 1: 4 x 15 credits = 60 credits
• Intake 3: 1 x 10 credits

OR

• Intake 1: 3 x 15 credits + 1 x 10 credits = 55 credits
• Intake 3: 1 x 15 credits

Part time study

The number of papers you select to study per intake should depend on work, family, and other commitments. You may enrol in the papers in any order that you wish to study them.

All work for a paper must be completed during the intake in which you are enrolled in it. If you do not complete the paper within the intake, you must re-enrol in the paper in a later intake.

Use the ‘Study Load Calculator’ table on the following page to calculate approximately how many hours per week you will require for your chosen study plan.

Additional Information

• As a guideline, one credit equates to approximately 10 hours study within an intake period. Click HERE to download a Study Load Calculator (spreadsheet)
• All papers selected within a particular intake must be completed within that intake unless a transfer is requested (conditions apply; see FAQs)
• Online enrolments are on a year-by-year basis and students are welcome to apply for multiple intakes in one enrolment. Further enrolment is the responsibility of individual students. There is no automatic enrolment rollover

Students who have previously completed any NZQA unit standards/or previous version relating to the above papers can apply to have the unit(s) /papers recognised on their record of learning at SIT Online. This is done by filling in a ‘Recognition of Prior Learning’ (RPL) application form and attaching proof of achievement. The RPL application form is available here: http://www.sit.ac.nz/Students/Academic-Support.

Please use the following checklist to ensure that all relevant information and documentation has been included. Remember, your application will be assessed based on the information that you provide us with.  Processing of your application will be delayed if we need to come back to you for missing information.

• I have read all sections of the Programme Information on this page
• I have read the SIT Online Frequently Asked Questions section
• I have met all admission criteria for the programme (found under "Application Criteria")
• I have selected the paper(s) I wish to study
• I have selected intake(s). (I have selected alternate intakes rather than overlapping intakes)
• I know my intended payment method
• If my organisation/company is paying for my studies, I have a completed and approved purchase order to attach to my online application.  I am aware that should my organisation or company not pay my fees, these will become my responsibility
• New students – I have provided an active NSN in the name I am enrolling in or I have verified ID and will attach it to my online application
• New students – I will attach academic documentation (NZQA record of achievement/academic transcripts/certificates).  These do not need to be verified. (If you do not have any academic documentation to support your application, please attach a comprehensive CV outlining your education and work experience)
• I have computer access, an Internet connection and access to software to create electronic documents e.g. Microsoft Word or Open Office

What is the Zero Fees Scheme?

The Zero Fees Scheme means we do not charge tuition fees, however there is a Student Direct Material Cost that you need to pay. The administration fee is for processing your application and the Student Direct Material Cost gives you secure access to Blackboard® our online learning environment and to student support services throughout your study with us.

Who qualifies for the Zero Fees Scheme?

• A New Zealand citizen completing the full qualification or 
• An Australian citizen/New Zealand Resident or Permanent Resident who will be residing in New Zealand for the duration of your enrolment.

Instructions to help you with your application:

1. Read the Programme Information on this page and the SIT Online Frequently Asked Questions and find out if you meet the application criteria for both the programme and the unit/s you wish to study.
2. Check your eligibility for Zero Fees. If you are not eligible to study under this scheme, please call 
   0800 748 257 for further options.
3. Complete your online enrolment checking that:

If you are a new student …

• Provide an active NSN number in the name you are enrolling in (contact NZQA on 0800 697 296 to get your NSN number if you do not know it);
• If you do not have an active NSN, then attach a copy of your verified ID in the name you are enrolling in
• If you are a Resident or Permanent resident of NZ, please provide a copy of proof of residency;
• Attach all academic documentation to support your application including copies of any certificates of courses you have undertaken / NZQA record of achievement / transcripts / CV;

Attach supporting documents as required and outlined on the previous page.

1. Please check that you have included all the required information and supporting documents.  Your application will be assessed based on the information that you provide. Missing information will delay the processing of your application.
2. Please scan and email all additional documentation to sitonline@sit.ac.nz.

What happens next?

• You will receive an automatic email confirmation when we receive your online application. Processing may take up to three weeks. However, we will get in touch with you sooner if we require further documentation
• Once your application has been accepted you will be sent a conditional offer of acceptance with an invoice and instructions on how to make payment
• Once we have received your payment (or if you have opted to pay by Credit Card, Student Loan or Purchase Order) you will be sent an Enrolment Confirmation Letter and Important Information Booklet. Closer to the start of the intake you will receive a Time To Get Started Letter which will give you all the necessary information, tools and guidance to start your study with us

To be awarded the New Zealand Certificate in Animal Care (Level 3) (Companion Animals Strand), ākonga must achieve a minimum of 70 credits. This may vary depending on the transition plans of returning students.

This qualification may build on the National Certificate in Educational Achievement (Level 1) [Ref: 0928] or the National Certificate in Educational Achievement (Level 2) [Ref: 0973], both with Vocational Pathways Primary Industry endorsement, or the New Zealand Certificate in Primary Industry Skills with optional strand in Self-Management and Employability Skills [Ref: 2218].This qualification may lead to the New Zealand Certificate in Animal Management (Level 4) with strands in Canine Behaviour and Training; Companion Animals; Fish, Amphibians and Reptiles; and Zookeeping [Ref: 2489]; or the New Zealand Certificate in Animal Healthcare Assisting (Level 4) with strands in Companion Animal Healthcare, Equine Healthcare.

This qualification may complement these qualifications: This qualification may lead to the New Zealand Certificate in Animal Management (Level 4) with strands in Canine Behaviour and Training; Companion Animals; Fish, Amphibians and Reptiles; and Zookeeping [Ref: 2489]; or the New Zealand Certificate in Animal Healthcare Assisting (Level 4) with strands in Companion Animal Healthcare, Equine Healthcare,

Assessment Portfolio including: Assignments; Case-studies; Examinations; Group/Collaborative assessments; Practical demonstrations; Presentations; Projects; Tests/Quizzes; Written reports; summaries; contextual documents; Work-integrated assessment.

For more information on required and recommended textbooks for this course please refer to the textbook list here. 

Please note that textbooks need to be ordered at least 3-4 weeks prior to the commencement of your study