Graduate Certificate in Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care
Course code: GC-SAECC
March, July
AUD $11,488 (2026 indicative first year fee). Commonwealth Supported Places (CSPs) are not available
AUD $12,000 (2026 indicative first year fee)
IELTS 6.5: with no band less than 6.0
Course structure
Overview
The Graduate Certificate in Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care covers the techniques necessary to perform emergency and critical care procedures, and the essential knowledge for monitoring of these patients. This includes identifying and addressing life threatening conditions such as:
- Major trauma
- Toxicities
- Sepsis
- Gastric dilation and volvulus
- Cardiac failure
- Respiratory and ventilatory failure
- Renal failure
- Urethral obstruction.
This course goes beyond practical treatment - you’ll gain an understanding of the underlying pathophysiology and evidence behind the treatment, giving you the confidence to make sound decisions when faced with the huge variety of emergencies seen in veterinary practice.
Course structure
This course comprises four subjects, each worth 12.5 credit points. These subjects are completed entirely online giving you the flexibility you require to juggle work and study. Assessments include online quizzes, written interpretations of case studies, and open-book examinations.
This course can be completed at your own pace over six months, one year or two years.
Workload
- A part-time workload involves two subjects per semester, with an estimated 10 hours study time per week.
- A full-time workload involves four subjects per semester and an estimated 20 hours study time per week.
Explore this course
Explore the subjects you could choose as part of this certificate.
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Cardiovascular & Respiratory Emergencies · 12.5 pts |
Failure of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems may be acutely life threatening if adequate intervention is not forthcoming. Hence effective management of such cases will save lives that would otherwise be lost. This subject provides the opportunity to gain a thorough understanding of the physiology and pathophysiology of these systems. Additionally, this subject covers foundational topics such as fluid therapy, shock and acid-base analysis. Understanding of these topics is highly advantageous if emergency patients are to be successfully managed. Students will build on knowledge that was acquired as an undergraduate and develop a deeper understanding and improved clinical confidence in these areas. A good understanding of this subject is highly desirable before continuing with further study in this course. |
| Abdominal & Urogenital Emergencies · 12.5 pts |
Abdominal emergencies commonly present to emergency veterinarians however history and clinical signs are often non-specific. By increasing your understanding of both the pathophysiology and clinical aspects of abdominal conditions you will increase your confidence in the management of these challenging cases. This subject covers gastrointestinal conditions, pancreatitis, acute liver failure, acute renal failure, urethral obstruction and female reproductive emergencies. |
| Haemato, Neurologic & Global Conditions · 12.5 pts |
This subject will teach you how to manage a patient with major trauma, septic shock, and severe anaemia; to perform and interpret an AFAST scan and give a blood transfusion. Both the pathophysiology and clinical aspects of the following conditions are covered: trauma, burns, hyperthermia, toxicities, coagulopathies, IMHA, IMT, anaphylaxis, diabetic ketoacidosis, Addisonian crisis, hyperosmolar hyperglycaemic syndrome, SIRS/sepsis and DIC. This subject will build on knowledge that was acquired as an undergraduate leading to a deeper understanding and improved clinical confidence of these conditions. |
| CPR, Eye Emergencies & Practical ECC · 12.5 pts |
Anaesthetising ECC patients can be daunting. Learn how anaesthetists deal with this tricky cohort of patients. The ophthalmology tutorial uses images to increase your confidence in diagnosis and treatment of emergency eye conditions. As well as tutorials on ophthalmic emergencies and anaesthesia, this subject tackles many of the practical aspects of ECC including but not limited to: CPR, monitoring, imaging, cytology, nutritional support and technical procedures. Interpretation of cytology, clinical pathology, ECGs and radiographs are reviewed and techniques for jugular and arterial catheter placement, chest drain placement, oxygen support, feeding tubes are demonstrated. |