The first university to open a major for pets

First training program

In recent years, raising pets (mainly dogs, cats, and ornamental birds) in Vietnam has tended to become more and more popular, especially in developed provinces and cities.

According to statistics from Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry (TUAF), by 2022, the country will have eight million pet dogs and two million pet cats. The pet care industry’s sales in Vietnam account for 13% (equivalent to USD 500 million) in Southeast Asia.

The more the pet care industry develops and the need for human resources expand, the scarcer and rarer veterinarians or people with high qualifications in this field become.

According to the survey data in 2022, the demand for veterinarians specializing in pets in the 2022–2027 period mainly belongs to two groups of subjects: veterinary clinics and hospitals (54%), and businesses operating in the field of animal husbandry and veterinary medicine (44%). The rest (7%) is state agencies.

In response to this practical demand, the TUAF’s Faculty of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine has developed a training program so that, after graduation, learners can perform skills in disease diagnosis, prevention, and treatment on pets or self-implement pet-specializes business models.

In 2023, TUAF will be the first unit to open a veterinary training major specializing in pets (formal system). This is a major that first appeared at training institutions in the field of animal husbandry and veterinary medicine in Vietnam.

The training program is taught for more than 4 years in the form of credits. The scope of enrollment is nationwide, and the subjects are high school graduates based on their scores in the 2023 high school graduation exam, achieving the entrance quality score determined and announced by the university in accordance with regulations.

Creating job opportunities

According to Mrs. Phan Thi Hong Phuc, TUAF’s Dean of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, the opening of a pet major comes from training capacity and social needs, as well as TUAF’s mission, goals, and development orientation. The pet training program will contribute to promoting the university’s future development strategy. Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry is putting great effort into becoming one of the leading universities in Vietnam by 2030.

"In terms of training capacity, we have a team of experienced lecturers with doctoral degrees of over 60%. The courses are taught by the university's lecturers and some leading experts in Vietnam and internationally. Students will thus gain professional knowledge, basic practical skills, and the ability to work independently in this field," said Dean Phan Thi Hong Phuc.

The graduates will have many job opportunities at veterinary clinics and hospitals, businesses operating in the field of veterinary medicine and pets, and administrative agencies at commune, ward, or higher levels, as well as educational and training institutions such as colleges and universities related to their majors.

The opening of a pet major is assessed to be in line with the TUAF’s development strategy in multi-disciplinary training. This is also a major with high practical application, creating human resources and jobs for employees and meeting the future needs of society and the market.