Serving Southern California Since 1988
Learn by doing: animal care and clinical skills in hands-on labs, lectures online through Open LMS, and a 240-hour externship at an affiliated veterinary site. Financial aid available for those who qualify.
Get started
Reserve your seat for the next class. An admissions advisor will follow up during business hours.
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New modules start about every 4 weeks. You can enroll at the start of any module.
Watch inside
Meet your instructor and hear from students about training with animals at CHAC.
Why CHAC
Four reasons students choose California Healing Arts College.
Animal handling, restraint, feeding, basic nursing care, vaccinations, surgical preparation, radiographs, and patient monitoring.
Fully equipped campus labs plus online lectures through Open LMS, with day and evening schedules Monday through Thursday.
Your final two modules are a 240-hour externship at an affiliated veterinary site: real animals, real clients, real workflows.
Approved to operate by the state of California since 1988 and accredited by ACCSC.
36 weeks to graduateIs this you?
The Veterinary Assistant program is built for people who want a hands-on career working with animals. You practice with the equipment and techniques used in professional animal care settings.
Program overview
Skills you'll master
9-module curriculum
Nine modules over 36 weeks: seven combining hands-on labs with online lectures, then a 240-hour externship at an affiliated veterinary site.
Hospital Basics
Anatomy & Physiology / Medical Terminology / Clinical Assistant
Pharmacology
Anatomy & Physiology / Animal Behavior & Restraint
Animal Care
Anatomy & Physiology / Surgical Assistant
Anatomy & Physiology / Laboratory Assistant
Externship 1: 120 hours
Externship 2: 120 hours
All modules must be successfully completed before beginning the externship. You can enroll at the start of any module. Additional hours are required per module for homework and class preparation. See the CHAC School Catalog for the full outline.
Hands-on training
Career opportunities
Graduates are prepared to assist veterinarians and veterinary technicians in animal care settings across Southern California.
Career support included
Job titles vary by employer and may require additional licenses or certifications. CHAC provides career assistance but does not guarantee employment.
Tuition & financial aid
CHAC is authorized to offer federal grants and loans to qualified students. Our Financial Aid Office reviews your options with you one-on-one.
For those who qualify: federal grant aid that does not have to be repaid. We help you complete the FAFSA.
Federal Stafford Loans are available to eligible students through the U.S. Department of Education.
Free to apply. Our Financial Aid Office helps you complete and submit the FAFSA to see what you qualify for.
Not sure if you qualify? Submit the form and our Financial Aid Office will review your options with you.
Financial aid is available to those who qualify. Eligibility is determined per student by the Financial Aid Office. Tuition, fees, and total program charges are listed in the current CHAC School Catalog and Enrollment Agreement.
Enrollment process
Name and phone. Takes 60 seconds.
An advisor follows up about questions, start dates, and funding eligibility.
Visit Carson, see the labs, and meet with an admissions representative.
Complete your application, finalize funding, and arrive for Day 1.
Campus location
Enrollment questions
800 clock hours over 36 weeks: nine modules, including a 240-hour externship. Graduates earn a diploma in under 9 months.
No. The program starts with hospital basics and builds up. You need a high school diploma or equivalent to enroll.
It is hybrid. Lectures are online through Open LMS and videoconference; laboratory work is hands-on at the Carson campus. Basic computer skills and a device with internet access are required.
Classes run Monday through Thursday, with a morning session from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm and an evening session from 5:30 pm to 10:30 pm. New modules start about every 4 weeks, and you can enroll at the start of any module.
Graduates are prepared to assist veterinarians and veterinary technicians in veterinary hospitals and clinics, emergency and specialty hospitals, animal shelters, zoo and wildlife centers, diagnostic laboratories, and grooming and boarding facilities. Employment is not guaranteed.
Yes, for those who qualify. CHAC is authorized to offer federal grants and loans, including Federal Pell Grants and Federal Stafford Loans. Our Financial Aid Office reviews your options with you one-on-one.
Yes. California Healing Arts College is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) and approved to operate by the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE).
Your future starts now
Submit the form and an admissions advisor will follow up during business hours with the next start date and your aid options.
Accreditation & approvals: California Healing Arts College is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC, accsc.org) and approved to operate by the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE, bppe.ca.gov).
CHAC does not guarantee employment, specific earnings, certification, licensure, or career outcomes. Individual outcomes vary by student. See our School Performance Fact Sheet for completion and placement data. The current CHAC School Catalog and Enrollment Agreement supersede any statement on this page.
Information on this page is believed to be current at the time of publication and may change without notice. Always refer to the most recent CHAC School Catalog and School Performance Fact Sheet, both available from Admissions and at chac.edu/catalog, before signing an enrollment agreement. Photos may include actual CHAC students or stock imagery; images are illustrative only.
CHAC is an equal opportunity educational institution and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, or belief.
Students or members of the public may file a complaint about this institution with the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education by calling toll-free (888) 370-7589 or at bppe.ca.gov.
If you submit a form on this page, you provide express written consent to be contacted by CHAC by phone, text, and email, including via automated systems, about enrollment, even if your number is on a Do Not Call registry. Consent is not required to enroll. Reply STOP to any text to opt out.
Tuition, fees, and total program charges are set forth in the current CHAC School Catalog and Enrollment Agreement. Pricing and financial aid eligibility are determined per student by the Admissions and Financial Aid Office.
