Many aspects of animal care, behaviour and science are theory-based. That makes these subjects ideal for online study. If you’re serious about studying animals online, then start by defining the field you’re most interested in. By choosing a self-paced online animal course, you can be sure it will fit in with your life.

Is animal care the right career for you? 

Caring for animals is often a messy business! It’s not for everyone, but if you don’t mind getting dirty, getting up early and love animals, then a career in animals could be right for you!  Remember, animals need care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so you may need to be prepared to work a 7 day roster.  There are many careers in animal care including:

• Kennel attendant
• Dog Handler / Trainer
• Horse strapper
• Horse care or trainer
• Pet Grooming
• Dog Walking
• Zookeeper/Volunteer
• Vet Nurse
• Wildlife Vet Nurse
• Farmer
• Farm hand (Dairy, Beef, Goats, Poultry, Pigs)

There are a huge range of animal care courses available online, they start from learn courses such as we offer through to Cert I, II, II and V, as well diplomas and degrees.  Where you start in your animal career will depend upon your level of education and current situation.

Most Cert I – III animal care courses don’t require previous study, however Vet Nursing and Captive Animal Management (Zoo Keeping) will require either Cert I or II or prior work experience.

These courses will work for you if you are looking for a fully tutor supported animal course online that doesn’t cost you the earth but will still get you thinking and learning and most importantly, get you the result you want.  Many students do a single subject as a stepping stone to a Nationally Recognized course or degree, however many of our animal students are studying for their own knowledge and skills and many have the opportunity to apply it directly to their current employment or own animal enterprise.

The qualifications needed to work with animals depend on the role you’ll be performing – and the preferences of the employer. Certain professionals, such as veterinarians, require a university education, while other roles may not require any formal qualifications. But whatever the position, showing your commitment by learning about animal care online could help you stand out.  Many students use Careerline’s animal courses as a stepping stone to more formal qualifications.  For example, a student interested in a career as a zookeeper, might first study our Zoo Keeping course combined with volunteer work, then go on to study a Cert III Captive Animal Management. 

Studying animals online can be the perfect stepping stone into a career working with animals. How you start that career will depend on your aims. We strongly suggest that you compliment any online animal studies with regular volunteer work with an animal shelter, wildlife park or zoo, stables or local vets, or take an entry-level position to build up your experience. Most employers are looking for people with real life practical experience. There are many paths open to you.

At Careerline Courses, we design our courses to cover topics in detail. While some of our animal courses are linked to specific careers, others are designed to provide a useful base of knowledge you could apply to many different jobs. Equally, many of our students are motivated by a personal interest in animals, or a desire to provide better care for their pets or livestock. Essentially, we provide you with the knowledge, but it’s your choice how you use it!

Our short animal courses can be completed more quickly than our standard courses. These courses typically require only a 20-hour commitment. As well as being a fast way to learn the basics, short courses are also cheaper, and allow you to explore a new subject, without making a large financial commitment.

Absolutely! Many of our students already have jobs, as well as personal and family commitments. That’s why our self-paced online animal courses are designed for maximum flexibility. Most of our courses require around 100 hours of learning time, but you’re free to schedule this in a way that works best for you.

No, our animal certificate courses assume no prior knowledge and are designed as a practical guide to help you learn. Our expert tutors Dr Karen and Dr Karin will help you learn about the animals you care for.  

All our online animal courses come with unlimited experienced and expert tutor support via email.  We only employ tutors who are current in their field which means they are not sitting around our office waiting for phone calls!  We find email works best, if there is a problem that can’t be resolved give us a call on 07 5536 8783 or email our student support desk.

You will get a real tutor who provides you with personalised support and feedback. No tick and flick. Learn with real tutors who will be there for you every step of the way. When you enroll will receive a welcome email from your tutor. You are free to email them for help or guidance as much as you need to. We employ tutors who are active in their field so the support is by email.

Generally the courses should take you about 100 hours of study.  We give you up to 12 months to complete the course, but you can finish faster.  Each lesson has a written assignment for you will receive individual feedback from your tutor.  There are also self assessment quizzes for each lesson (non assessable).  The strength of our courses is in that each lesson has an assignment, this means you are forced to engage with the content and can’t just skip over an important lesson.  By the end of the course you have really engaged and that equals learning!