New agreement officially offers Vol State Vet Tech Students Course Credit At University of Tennessee at Martin  

By: B Mack Evans

Volunteer State students who have completed their AAS in Veterinary Technology are officially eligible for course credit at UTM according to a new contract. 

The University of Tennessee at Martin has officially recognized Volunteer State as an eligible institution for its Bachelor of Science Completion Program in Veterinary Technology and Management, and classes are now listed on UTM’s transfer tables.  

Students who graduate from an eligible school with an associate degree in Veterinary Technology and obtain their Veterinary Technician’s License can begin working towards a bachelor’s degree from UT Martin, completely online or with in-person labs. 

Several Vol State students have already taken advantage of this program and even graduated, but this formalization will provide a more streamlined option for students who wish to complete their bachelor’s degree.  

“Having a bachelor’s degree really opens up the things that they can do with their degree,” said Hope Wright, The director of Vol States Vet Tech program. “This will help with Vet Techs that want to go into industry jobs [such as] products for the vet field… [or] laboratory animal medicine.”  

DJ Smith, Vol States faculty licensed Vet Tech continued, “the nice thing about the program is you do not have to go to Martin to take that. That is All-online because you’ve already done two years of school, and they have designed this program for the working Vet Tech, or one that’s already out of school… Four to five semesters is all that it would take if you did it full-time and got through your classes” 

Vol State’s Veterinary Technology Department offers an Associate’s program, which is all that’s required to become a Veterinary Technician.

Vol State offers a very hands-on experience while giving back to our local community; working with Sumner County animal control, students help get animals ready to find their forever homes. Students help spay, neuter, and vaccinate animals that are up for adoption among other procedures they’ll perform during their careers in Veterinary technology.