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ADMISSIONS
INFORMATION
How to Apply to the EATM Program This is a very demanding program, as it involves a continuous two-year commitment from the students. EATM students are required to work at America's Teaching Zoo located on the Moorpark College campus, many long days and weekends. This requirement is in addition to the long hours and days spent working with and caring for the animals, and attending classes. Our Zoo has almost 200 different animals, and is maintained and run entirely by the students. It is extremely difficult to hold down a regular job during this program, as the EATM hours may vary every week. This program involves a great deal of commitment on the part of the students. You will not have much time for yourself, so make sure other areas of your life are in order. You will be working very closely with other people, and around some potentially dangerous animals. Safety is our primary concern, and there are rules and regulations that must be followed. You will also be required to give animals injections, care for and nurse sick animals, and you will become very attached to many of the zoo's animals. You will be required to euthanize some rats, rabbits, or pigeons as food for some of the other animals. Students should be able to do some moderately heavy lifting, and physical work. Also, students should be relatively healthy, as they could potentially be exposed to zoonotic diseases. Students are required to achieve a "C" grade in every course required for the EATM program. Any grade lower then a "C" in any of the required courses, will result in dismissal from the EATM program. There are extra costs necessary for zoo clothing, books, supplies, and off-campus trips. Public Speaking skills are very important, as you will be required to give animal presentations in front of perhaps hundreds of people, maybe several times a week. Finally, by the time you complete this program, you will be able to work in almost any situation where animals are present. Our graduates are working all over the world, in many different settings, from the movie/television industry, Las Vegas show industry, zoos, theme parks (Sea World, Six Flags), and many other areas. Admission Information
NOTES:
EATM Program applications are only accepted from December 1 through
January 31. It is strongly recommended that the students who apply have prior experience working with animals in some capacity, to help understand the long hours and responsibility necessary to care for animals. The more and varied the experience, the better! This helps to prepare you for the wide range of duties you must perform at America's Teaching Zoo on the Moorpark College campus. We suggest that you try to get as much animal experience as possible, before you apply. Some examples are; working with a Veterinarian, Wildlife Rescue Programs, Wildlife Rehabilitation Programs, Zoo Volunteer, or anything else that works with animals, either paid, unpaid, or volunteer. Dog grooming, horse training, or even working in a pet store, will all be beneficial. Since this is a very demanding program intellectually, there are several prerequisite courses that must be completed prior to applying. All students applying to the EATM Program must have these 5 college courses completed! These courses must be completed with a "C" grade or better. These 5 courses DO NOT need to be taken at Moorpark College, but must be taken at an Accredited College. The unit values may differ at various colleges - that is fine - check with the EATM Counselor - cbrinkman@vcccd.edu - if you have questions. These 5 prerequisites are (with the Moorpark College equivalents in parenthesis);
NOTE - The math requirement is INCREASING - effective for students applying for Fall 2009..!!! The Intermediate Algebra requirement above is the new, higher level class we will be requiring starting with the December 1, 2008 application period.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other recommended courses (4) that will apply and finish the General Education requirements toward an Associate Degree at Moorpark College are:
Note - these 4 recommended
courses above will finish the General Education requirements for
the Associate Degree at Moorpark College. These 4 recommended courses
above do not need to be completed before you apply. All courses above must be lower division (freshman/sophmore level). Courses equivalent to those indicated above, taken at accredited colleges, will be given transfer credit. Contact Chuck Brinkman, the EATM Counselor, if you have any questions concerning transfer credit. The EATM staff also strongly encourages students to complete what they can of the above recommended courses, before starting the program.
If you happen to be
in the Moorpark College area, there are some Animal Science (ANSC)
classes you can take BEFORE you start the EATM Program. There are
8 Animal Science classes that are required for students in the EATM
program, but that may be taken before you start the EATM program.
(These 8 classes are listed in the College Catalog and are; ANSC
M02, M03, M04 + M04L, M06, M07 + M07L, M08). Having some of these
Animal Science classes done before you begin the EATM program will
make your first year in the program a bit easier....academically. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EATM Selection Process All students who have completed the 5 college prerequisites listed above, and apply on-time, have an equal chance of admission to the EATM Program. (Only the 5 required prerequisites - with "C" or better grades, are considered during the random selection. No other factors are considered, or will improve your chance for admission.) You will be required to attend a mandatory "Applicant Information Meeting", usually held in March or April. Information about these meeting dates and times will only be sent to those who apply with all the prerequisites completed. After all the AIM meetings are concluded, if there are still more interested students than we have space available for, a random selection from all those who have attended the AIM meetings will be made. Quite a number of students withdraw themselves from consideration, after learning the long hours necessary, or who may be unable to support themselves financially. By the time a final random selection is made, the chance of being admitted is usually 40-60%. Or even better! We also create an "alternate list", in case any students who are admitted decide not to attend. During the random selection process you will be notified if you have been admitted, are on the alternate list, or have not been selected. Alternates will be notified when and if a space becomes available. If you are not selected, you will need to reapply for subsequent years, if you are still interested. We recommend that you continue your college education no matter what. Having more education will only HELP..!!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2008
- 2009 Estimated College Costs per year Registration Fees and Tuition ------- $1000 Books and Supplies ------------------ $2,000 Housing (Room and Board)
-------------------$7,000 - $9,000 (Biggest expense) Transportation & car insurance----------- $1,000+ Personal Expenses -------------------$2,000+ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total non-resident expenses -----$18,000+ Note - You will benefit more from the EATM experience if you also have sufficient funds available for extra-curricular activities (field-trips, internships, etc.). Look into financial aid early, if you need it!! The costs above are only estimates...... students who live at home or with relatives will be able to budget considerably less. rev. 2/08 c4 |
This
page will give you some information regarding the Exotic Animal
Training and Management Program we have at Moorpark College.
This
is a very competitive program. We typically receive about 110-150
applications for the 52 spaces we have available. For students who
will start the program in mid-August, the application period is
from December 1 through January 31. The EATM Program will only accept
applications from December 1 through January 31. Any applications
received before or after these dates will not be acknowledged or
returned. There is only one new class of students starting each
year, in the Fall semester. The application for the EATM Program
is different than the regular application for admission to Moorpark
College. To get the EATM application please download and print it
online from the Application link in the left navigation menu. (If
you do not have computer access, you may email us at -eatm@vcccd.edu
- from September through December, and ask to be mailed an application.)
In addition to the EATM application, official copies of all college
transcripts are required, showing completion of the required prerequisites.
All of these documents must be received in the EATM office by January
31, or your application will not be reviewed. Prospective students
will also be required to attend an EATM Applicant
Informational Meeting (AIM) and orientation. These AIM meetings
will usually occur in March or April (usually on a Friday). Information
concerning the AIM meetings will only be sent to those students
who have all the requested application materials on file by January
31. 
These
courses will help prepare you for the rigorous curriculum in the
EATM program, and will also help to meet the requirements for your
Associate Degree here at Moorpark College. Usually, about 40% of
the students in the program have Associate Degrees, and 25% of the
students who start our program already have a Bachelor's Degree.
The age range of the students may vary from 18 - 50+. Students who
have just graduated from high school, or those without an adequate
academic preparation, may find the course work very difficult. EVERYONE
who applies must have the 5 prerequisite courses completed at the
time of application! You should also have a strong academic
background. Please note that we have found that your high school
and college grade-point-averages are very important in predicting
your success while in the program. Students with better grades will
be more successful here, since many of our courses are very demanding
academically. Only 52 students are admitted each year. There is
no waiting list for admission. You must re-apply each year if not
accepted.