Certificate in Animal Care L3 (Companion Animals) (Distance)

Module Name	Assessment	Learning Hours
Working in the Animal Care Industry	ANML01A1	50
Animal Care and Welfare Regulatory Requirements	ANML02A1	100
Animal Forms and Functions	ANML03A1	150
Animal Husbandry, Behaviour, Handling and Transportation	ANML04A1 ANML04A2 A ANML04A2 B ANML04A2 C	250
Animal Health and Treatments	ANML05A1 ANML05A2 A ANML05A2 B ANML05A2 C	150

How will you learn?

Learning hours are asynchronous. This means you complete them in your own time. There is no set class time, and learning takes place at different times for students/ākonga enrolled in the programme. You are encouraged to interact with other students - ākonga through forums and group messaging. Keep in mind that not everyone likes to study when you do, so you may need to wait for a response.

Total learning hours are 700 hours. That is about 18 hours part-time study per week, including self-directed learning and practicum hours.

Learning Activities – Hei Mahi

There are a range of different activities to help you remember the learning content. Each type of activity has a specific function and purpose in how it will help you learn.  

1. Quizzes: these test how much you have remembered and will provide you with instant feedback. Quizzes are set so that you can do them as many times as you want – your answers are not saved so you may want to take your own notes as you complete each one.
2. Forum Activities: these activities are designed for you to think about what you have learned and apply your knowledge to situations that you might experience in the  animal care work place. You will be able to get feedback from your tutor and your classmates about your ideas, so participating in the forum activities is a great way to speed up your learning.
3. Research Activities: these activities are designed to increase your confidence with finding out information on your own. They usually take the form of questions that ask you to find a specific answer: your feedback will come from the amount of research that you do.  For example, if you visit three websites and they all say the same or similar thing, you can feel confident that you have found a good answer to the research question. This will be extremely useful for you if you plan to do further study after completing this programme.
4. Reflection Activities: these tasks will often occur near the end of a set piece of learning and are intended for you to think about how useful the information was to your learning goals, and whether there is anything that you are still unsure of or would like further information on or help with. There will be a forum where you can ask your tutor (or your classmates) any questions that come from your reflections.
5. Note-taking Activities: at key points in the learning you will be prompted to make your own notes that you will be able to keep after you have completed the programme. This is a great way to help you remember what you have learned, which is why we have made this a learning activity instead of providing pre-written downloadable notes. It’s more empowering for you as a learner to write notes in a way that is unique to you. It is also an essential study skill for anyone thinking about more study when you have completed this course.
6. Literacy and Numeracy Activities: often there are specific literacy or numeracy skills required for jobs in the work place. The particular literacy or numeracy skills will either be the focus of a learning activity or will be included as part of one of the activity types listed above. Practicing these will give you an edge when job-hunting!

Assessments - Aromatawai

A total of 70 credits are awarded for the programme.

There are 7 assessments to complete, one each for the first three (3) modules, and two each for Modules 4 and 5. However, the practical tasks for the Module 4 and 5 assessments have been separated into parts A, B, and C to make it easier for you to submit your evidence as soon as you have completed each task.

Assessments will be awarded an achieved or not-achieved result.  All learning outcomes must be met to obtain an achieved result. All assessments must be completed in full, with all answers correct, for an achieved result.

Assessments are recorded as follows:

• Achieved – all work has been achieved to the standards set in the assessment and performance criteria.
• Not Achieved – the student - ākonga has yet to complete the relevant work to be awarded the assessment or unit.

Assessment Submission

All assessments are due on a Sunday at 11.59pm (there is occasionally a due date on a Friday 11.59pm, however you will be advised of this at the start of the module). You will see the specific due dates for your intake by clicking on each assessment tab in the left navigation panel.

Work Experience/Work Placement

The programme requires learners to do a 40–hour work placement in an animal care facility. The animal care facility includes pet stores, animal rescue centres, pet grooming, animal daycare, kennels and catteries, animal breeders, animal training and pet boarding facilities. 

To complete the practical side of your assessments, your placement must include access to cats and dogs. You will also need access to one of: rabbits, rodents, or birds, which can be: 

• your own animal.  
• one you access via friends, family or someone you know. 
• one you access via your work placement (if this option is available to you) 

You might need to do work placement hours in more than one organisations or animal care facility. For example, you could do your work placement as: 30 hours handling dogs in Animal Shelter A and 10 hours in Cattery B, but it is important that you have a suitable training agreement in place which each location. Please note that it is important that throughout your placement you demonstrate day-to-day care and welfare of animals. 

Your placement is an opportunity to practice and apply your skills and knowledge in Animal Care and you are expected to be involved with the day-to-day care and welfare of animals. 

We recommend completing modules 1 and 2 before starting work placement. You will need to collect evidence of your completed work placement hours – this can be time sheets or signed declarations from your work placement supervisor.

You will submit this information the same way assessments are submitted.  The page to submit evidence of your completed placement hours is called ‘Placement Check-in WPE’ in the navigation panel on the left.

Please read this information as soon as possible so that you can plan for when you need to submit your timesheets or signed declarations.  In this programme you will need to submit your Placement Check-in evidence in:

• Module 2
• Module 3
• Module 4
• Module 5

Work Experience Requirements

Please download the provided Letter of Introduction and carefully review its details. Familiarise yourself with the terms and conditions outlined within the document. 

It is very important that prior to commencing any work placement at any establishment, a signed Training Agreement is received by NZMA.  

This agreement provides clarity for yourself, the workplace, and NZMA around each party’s roles and responsibilities including health and safety while you are completing your work placement.  

Any hours completed prior to the signed Training Agreement being completed and provided to NZMA will not count towards the 40 required hours to complete your programme. 

Please follow instructions below to have your Training Agreement signed:

• Provide your chosen workplace/s with the Letter of Introduction linked above. 
• This letter guides your conversation with the workplace to ensure they are aware of what you will need to do and how they can support you. 
• Email support@nzma.ac.nz your work placement details, including name, role and email address for the supervisor who is to sign the form. 
• Please include your full name and student ID in the email. 
• Our Support team will send you and your employer a PDF version of the training agreement to sign. 
• Once completed, you will get an email notification to confirm when the form has been signed by everyone and you can commence your work placement! 

Important Note: If your Training Agreement has not been signed prior to the commencement of Module 4, please be aware you may be suspended from your studies until this is received. 

Studying at Level 3

Graduates of this qualification will be able to:

• comply with all regulatory requirements and relevant industry codes of practice for animal care and welfare.
• maintain positive interpersonal relationships and ethical behaviour in the provision of animal care.

Graduates of the Companion Animals strand will also be able to:

• apply knowledge of companion animal form and function to identify and respond to individual variations to normal health and behaviour.
• apply knowledge of companion animal health, behaviour, handling, and husbandry to assist with day-to-day care and transportation.

A graduate of a Level 3 certificate is able to:

• demonstrate some operational and theoretical knowledge in a field of work or study.
• select from and apply a range of known solutions to familiar problems.
• apply a range of standard processes relevant to the field of work or study.
• apply a range of communication skills relevant to the role in the field of work or study.
• apply literacy and numeracy skills relevant to the role in the field of work or study.
• work under limited supervision.
• demonstrate major responsibility for own learning and performance.
• adapt their own behaviour when interacting with others.
• contribute to group performance.

We’re here to help

If you're ever unsure about something or need assistance, please don't hesitate to contact your tutor. You can send them a message via email or via the 💬 messages feature on the top right corner of the online campus.