Huntington University Adds Veterinary Nursing Degree Program

The Don Strauss Animal Science Education Center at Huntington University, Huntington, Ind. has made it possible for the school to announce an innovative new major in Veterinary Nursing.

Thanks to a cooperative arrangement with Purdue University, Huntington University will be able to offer students a program that will confer two degrees in four years: a Bachelor of Science in Animal Health from Huntington University, and an Associate in Applied Science in Veterinary Nursing from Purdue University.

Through this concurrent, dual-degree program, students will take in-person classes on Huntington University’s home campus, and online classes in the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine Veterinary Nursing Distance Learning program.

Purdue’s Veterinary Nursing program has been accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) since 1976, and is one of four AVMA-accredited veterinary nursing programs in the U.S. that is affiliated with a college of veterinary medicine.

“With interest and career opportunities growing in the veterinary nursing field, this program allows students to fast-track their careers by combining Purdue’s strong veterinary nursing program with Huntington University’s Christ-centered approach to agriculture and animal health,” said Nate Perry, managing director of the Haupert Institute for Agricultural Studies at Huntington University.

Students enrolled in the program will attend school year-around for four years. In addition to academic coursework, they will participate in hands-on mentorships and technical training. These practicum experiences will take place in cooperation with local veterinary practices; at the Don Strauss Animal Science Education Center; and on the school’s 25-acre Three Rivers Farm.

In addition to the new Veterinary Nursing major, Huntington University offers undergraduate bachelor’s degree programs in Agribusiness; Agricultural Education; Animal Science; Crop Science and Agronomy; and Biology/Pre-veterinary Medicine.

“This opportunity is the next step for Huntington University’s Ag program,” said Rex (R.D.) Schrader, II, member of the Ag Advisory Council for the Haupert Institute for Agricultural Studies. “The program provides prospective students with a little different environment than they may experience at Purdue, and ties well with the addition of the Don Strauss Animal Science Education Center that was recently constructed. It’s exciting that there is going to be a school here locally that can help serve our marketplace.”  

The Don Strauss Animal Education Center at Huntington University opened in the fall of 2020 and has seen growing use by the school and community ever since. The 10,000-square-foot facility was named in honor of the late Don Strauss, founder of Strauss Feeds. The Strauss family of North Manchester, Ind. granted the lead gift for the project.

“We are delighted to learn of Huntington University’s new Veterinary Nursing degree program,” said David Grant, Director of Strauss Feeds. “Our family’s intent in supporting the construction of the Don Strauss Animal Education Center was to create more agricultural learning opportunities for students, while supporting the region’s agricultural community. This program clearly does both.”

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