Our helpful tutors and support team are happy to answer any questions you may have about the Animal Care College or our courses. Please call Freephone 0800 041 8500 or 01409 220 775 or contact us.

A list of popular questions are also provided here as a reference guide.

The Animal Care College’s courses are widely used throughout the pet care sector by leading charity and commercial organisations.

We have worked with many of the major animal care providers and services in Britain including:

• British Small Animal Veterinary Association
• British Veterinary Nursing Association
• Ministry of Defence
• Battersea Dogs Home
• Police forces
• Dogs Trust
• Pets at Home
• as well as many veterinary practices and other pet related organisations

Animal Care College courses are structured to support National Vocational Qualifications while providing a useful and stimulating series of studies for all those involved in caring for animals both professionally and as enthusiasts.

Certification is carefully monitored and Awards are highly regarded within the world of small animal care.

Our courses have also been endorsed under the Quality Licence Scheme. This means that the Animal Care College has undergone an external quality check to ensure that the organisation and the courses it offers, meet defined quality criteria. The Quality Licence Scheme, endorses high-quality, non-regulated provision and training programmes.

The Quality Licence Scheme is part of the Skills and Education Group, a charitable organisation that unites education and skills-orientated organisations that share similar values and objectives. With more than 110 years of collective experience, the Skills and Education Group’s strategic partnerships create opportunities to inform, influence and represent the wider education and skills sector.

Quality Licence Scheme endorsement involves robust and rigorous quality audits by external auditors to ensure quality is continually met. A review of courses is carried out as part of the endorsement process.

The Animal Care College’s courses are ‘open learning packages’, which have been specifically written to help students learn relevant skills from the comfort of their own home – also known as distance learning.

There are no deadlines, so you can learn anywhere and at any time – enjoy your course at a pace that suits you.

Experienced tutors are on hand to support you throughout your course and there is no need for attendance.

We do not set time limits or deadlines so you can learn at your own pace. You are free to study when it suits you and your progress may therefore depend upon how much time you would like to commit to study.

Distance learning is designed to be flexible, but as a guide, students who can spend 4-6 hours a week studying tend to complete a single unit of most of our courses within a month.

Those who have less time to spare can pick up their studies as and when suits them. Those who have more time may wish to put more hours towards their studies.

Most of our courses are suitable for complete beginners – with the exception of a few courses, which require students to be working in a practice.

Some courses will require students to undertake special/evolution studies or placements as part of their learning – see individual course and career pathway pages for more information.

Some of our courses give students the opportunity to complete and submit a Special Study to their tutor for marking, which will count towards their final grade – these may also be referred to as ‘Case Studies’.

A Special or Case Study is an essay written on a topic of the student's choice that is relevant to the course of study. It can be researched by book study, through personal experience or carrying out a survey among owners or carers, members of a dog training class or the general public.

The choice of topic is wide, but generally they should include an introduction, comments or a report on your findings, and a conclusion (a definite conclusion may not always be possible). It may include illustrations, photographs, graphs or simply text.

• Level 2 should be approximately 2,500 words
• Level 3 should be approximately 3,000 words

Completing a Special Study allows you to further increase your knowledge and understanding of the subject in a way that will be useful to you in the future.

For some courses, Special Studies are compulsory, for other courses it is optional. For more information on which courses have Special Studies, visit the individual course pages – details will be included under ‘Course Summary’; for pathways, you can find this information under ‘What you will Learn’.

Our courses fit easily around family, job and other commitments, they are designed to be studied at home, are clear and straightforward and regularly updated.

There are no time limits or deadlines so you can work at your own pace and in your own time.

Major changes came into the animal care sector in 2018 with new statutory requirements for pet shops, boarding kennels and breeders.

We are here to help whenever you need us. Tutors can assist you with any queries, either by phone or email and are there to provide prompt expert feedback on your assignments.

There are two ways you can enrol on our courses.

• To enrol by phone, please call Freephone 0800 041 8500 or 01409 220 775 and speak with one of our helpful course advisors
• To enrol online, please click here

Yes, we accept enrolments from students worldwide. If you are planning to work in the animal care sector overseas, it is advisable to check the criteria demanded by the country you plan to work in (if applicable) as it can differ from country to country.

Students enrolling from overseas are required to pay in one sum and will receive their initial and subsequent course lessons in digital format.

We offer a ‘pay as you go’ option whereby you can enrol with an initial deposit, followed by instalments which are paid promptly each month or with each assignment submitted, whichever is the sooner.

If you would like to enrol using our ‘pay as you go’ option, please visit our enrolment page.

While we do not set deadlines for completing assignments, we do recommend to students that they complete their course within 2 years of enrolment – this is because we frequently review our courses and update the course materials when necessary.

If you have enrolled:

Within the last 3 years and still have your course materials; you are welcome to continue with your course by sending in your next assignment to us when you are ready. This will be marked by your tutor and returned to you, so you can continue with your studies as normal.

NB If your course carries a qualification from an external awarding body and not Animal Care College’s own certification, please note that the content and/or qualification may have changed since you enrolled to take into account new regulations or requirements; therefore your request will be reviewed in line with the rules set out by the awarding body and may not be available to resume after 2 years from your enrolment date. If the qualification is available, there may be an additional charge in order to complete your studies and we will advise you accordingly.

Between 3 - 5 years ago and still have access to your course materials, you may be asked to pay an additional fee if you’d like to continue with your studies. Please complete our resume course form to submit this request.

If you no longer have your course materials, you will be asked to pay an additional fee if you’d like to continue with your studies. Please complete our resume course form to submit this request.

More than 5 years ago.
We are not usually able to accept course continuation requests unless they are under exceptional circumstances, you may wish to re-enrol or complete our resume course form in order to provide further details for your request to be reviewed.

We pride ourselves on providing courses that allow flexibility in learning and allow our students to study in their own time and at their own pace to fit in with their commitments in life.

In the event that your circumstances change after enrolment we are here to help and invite you to contact a member of our team to discuss the options available.

In many cases we are able to offer reduced/affordable payments which will allow you to continue with your studies (in line with the payments you make) until such time as your circumstances change.

For more complicated situations you may speak with the Student Liaison Officer who will work with you to find a solution.

Yes, in line with the terms and conditions of enrolment you have 14 days from receipt of your materials to decide if the course is suitable for you; if the course is not suited to you, please return the materials you have received in good and perfect order to the address indicated on your paperwork within 14 days, we recommend that you return the materials using a recorded/trackable service.

If you have elected to pay by ACC Instalment plan, you may terminate your participation on the course at any time by giving 2 months’ notice in writing via our cancellation request form. In line with the terms and conditions of enrolment, any outstanding payments plus any due during the notice period will be payable.