Course Information

2026-2027 Academic Year

DRAFT CMS until August 14, 2026.

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AA41 Veterinary Assisting Honors

Course Code	AA41
Course Title	Veterinary Assisting Honors
Course Description	Develop the skills, techniques, and knowledge to earn a veterinary assistant credential. Perform proper veterinary practice management and client relations through hands-on skills. Formulate veterinary medical dosages using appropriate medical terminology. Establish animal handling skills in practicum settings and establish surgical and radiological procedures through skill-based scenarios. Build leadership and employability skills through authentic experiences from Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE), classroom instruction, and FFA participation. Gain the knowledge and skills for careers in the Animal Science pathway. This course is designed for 11th or 12th grade students with an interest in animal medicine. * For safety reasons, enrollment should not exceed 15 students.
Cluster Grouping	Cultivating Resources
Career Cluster	Agriculture (AGRI)
Course Lead Consultant	Sherilee Deal sdeal2@ncsu.edu
Course Status	Standard
Course Type	Adapted
POL (Proof of Learning)	Credential
Credential as POL	Certified Veterinary Assistant OR Elanco Veterinary Medical Applications Certification
Curriculum Date	Summer 2020
Hours of Instruction	135-150
Recommended Maximum Enrollment	15
Course Credit	1
Inherently Honors	Yes
Meets Computer Science (CS) Graduation Requirement	No
Math Option Credit	No
Prerequisites	AA22 Animal Science II - Food Animal Honors OR AA23 Animal Science II - Companion Animal OR AA32 Equine Science II Honors
Cluster Grouping(s)	Cultivating Resources
Career Cluster(s)	Agriculture (AGRI)
Pathway Level(s)	Animal Science (ANSC) - Career Major Equine Science (EQSC) - Career Major
Aligned Credential(s) or Certification(s)	Certified Veterinary Assistant Elanco Veterinary Medical Applications Certification
CTSO(s) (Career and Technical Student Organization)	The National FFA Organization North Carolina FFA Association
SOC Code(s) (Standard Occupational Classification Code)	Agricultural Technicians (19-4012) Animal Scientists (19-1011) Biological Technicians (19-4021) Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers (11-9013) First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers (45-1011) Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists (19-1023)

Proof of Learning (POL) Specifications

CTE State Assessment: The post-assessment will be a 100-item multiple choice test administered through the NC Instructional Management System.
Credential: Please work with the specified vendor(s) to coordinate and schedule.
Performance-based Measurement (PBM): Please follow the PBM guidelines set forth in the Performance-based Measurement Guide for the specified course.

Recommended Maximum Enrollment
Indicates the recommended maximum number of students who should be enrolled in a course based on best educational practice.

Meets Computer Science (CS) Graduation Requirement

Yes: The course meets the Computer Science graduation requirement.
Yes*: The course can be offered in both middle and high school and meets the Computer Science graduation requirement.
No: The course does not meet the Computer Science graduation requirement.

Refer to the DPI website for more detailed Computer Science graduation requirement information.

Math Option Credit
Refer to the Math Options Charts on the DPI website for more detailed math options information.

Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSO)
Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSO) are an integral part of this curriculum.

CTSOs incorporate strategies used to teach course content, develop leadership, citizenship, responsibility, and proficiencies related to workplace needs.

Work-based Learning (WBL)
Work-based Learning (WBL) is an integral educational strategy within the North Carolina Career and Technical Education (CTE) system. It provides students with real-world work experiences, allowing them to apply academic and technical skills while developing crucial durable employability skills. These experiences occur at employer worksites, coordinated with school-based activities to illustrate the practical relevance of academic learning.

Work-based learning strategies, integral to all CTE career clusters in North Carolina, encompass the four phases of the Career Development Continuum: career awareness, exploration, preparation, and participation as noted in the image below. Learn more at Career Development and Work-based Learning | NC DPI.

WBL Courses with Academic Credit:

CTE Advanced Studies
CTE Cooperative Education
CTE Entrepreneurial Experience
CTE Internship
CTE Pre-apprenticeship
CTE Apprenticeship

WBL Activities without Academic Credit:

Guest speaker
Career fair
Job fair
Transition fair
Field trip (workplace tour)
Job shadowing
Workplace challenge/Industry-sponsored project