Certifications and Credentials

This page covers the credentials the academy issues: the fifteen catalog credentials, the six pathway diplomas and certificates, the three gates every credential requires, how credentials build on one another, and what a credential does and does not establish.

The fifteen catalog credentials

Each catalog program carries one credential, earned by completing the program's terms, assessments, and any practicum requirements

• Veterinary Assistant (VET, 395 hrs)
• Veterinary Technician (VTE, 1,010 hrs)
• Veterinary Surgical Technician (VST, 445 hrs)
• Veterinary Technology (VTN, 525 hrs)
• Pre-Veterinary Medicine Certificate (PVM, 770 hrs)
• Veterinary Pathology Technician (VPT, 510 hrs)
• Veterinary Practice Manager (VPM, 330 hrs)
• Professional Pet Groomer (GRO, 345 hrs)
• Feline Care Specialist (FEL, 170 hrs)
• Professional Dog Trainer (PRT, 345 hrs)
• Animal Behavior Technician (ABT, 485 hrs)
• Animal Care Assistant (ACA, 170 hrs)
• Grooming Salon Practice Manager (GSP, 655 hrs)
• Equine Nursing Technician (EQN, 440 hrs)
• Zookeeper Assistant (ZKA, 440 hrs)

Several programs also issue intermediate certificates along the way. Animal Behavior Technician, for example, includes a Certificate of Completion (Behavior Foundations) and a Certificate of Proficiency (Behavior Modification) before the full program credential. These are stackable proof of progress that you can show an employer before you finish the program.

The six pathway diplomas and certificates

• Professional Dog Groomer Diploma (IPDG, 1,248 hrs): GRM-BIZ capstone: business plan defense, demonstration groom, and signed practicum log.
• Professional Dog Trainer Diploma (PDT, 1,112 hrs): TRN-BIZ capstone: business plan, demonstration training session, and continuing-education plan.
• Dog Bather–Animal Care Assistant Diploma (ACA, 988 hrs): ACA-BIZ capstone: workforce-readiness portfolio and demonstration handling session.
• Pet Sitter Certificate (PPS, 56 hrs): PPS-BIZ: business launch portfolio.
• Professional Cat Groomer Certificate (CAT, 58 hrs): CAT-BIZ: service-line launch plan.
• Professional Pet Care & Business Ownership: Advanced Diploma (PPC, 1,500 hrs): PPC-BIZ: full enterprise plan defense. The final credential in the set.

The pathways are described in Leashed Diploma Pathways.

What earning a credential requires

Three gates, in order

1. The work. Every lesson, check, assignment, and quiz in the program, with attempts recorded. The Competency Rubric requires "Competent" on every row, with no averaging. See Assessments and Rubric.
2. The practicum. Signed live-animal or live-client hours for your pathway: breed variety for groomers, training hours for trainers, multi-service hours for PPC. Unsigned hours do not count. See Progress Tracking.
3. The panel. The capstone defense before instructors: present the business plan or portfolio, defend the figures, and demonstrate the craft live. Panels challenge assumptions, including pricing, staffing costs, and volume.

If any gate is not met, the credential is not issued.

How credentials build on one another

• ACA builds into IPDG: technical modules credit toward IPDG-101–204, and all business modules transfer.
• PPS builds into ACA, IPDG, PDT, or PPC.
• CAT builds into IPDG or PPC.
• PPC is the final credential; it does not build into another.

The "Build on Your Credentials" card on each program page shows the building path for that program. You do not have to choose the 1,248-hour diploma on your first day: you can begin with the 56-hour sitting certificate, work, return for the assistant diploma, and build into grooming. Each credential is complete on its own and counts toward the next.

What a credential establishes

• For employers, the value of the credential is the gates behind it: safety-gate sign-offs, signed practicum hours, and a panel defense. When you evaluate a candidate, ask which pathway the credential belongs to, whether the practicum log is available, and what the capstone covered.
• For you, the business subjects: Business Operations, Marketing, Finance, and Legal: carry value alongside the craft credential. The curriculum is built on the view that most pet-care businesses fail on business fundamentals, not on craft, so the owner-operator foundation is part of the credential on purpose.

Verifying a credential

To verify a graduate's credential, contact the academy through the address below with the graduate's name and the credential name. State the pathway and the capstone as well if you have them; those details make the record easier to locate.