HUNTINGTON, Ind. – Beginning this fall, Huntington University will offer a dual degree program in veterinary nursing in partnership with Purdue University.

Students enrolled in the four-year program will take in-person classes through Huntington’s Haupert Institute for Agricultural Studies. They will also take online classes through Purdue’s College of Veterinary Medicine Veterinary Nursing Distance Learning (VNDL) program. At graduation, students will receive a Bachelor of Science in animal health from Huntington and an associate degree in applied science in veterinary nursing from Purdue.

This will be the first time Huntington has offered a veterinary nursing program, said Nate Perry, the Haupert Institute’s managing director.

“Veterinary nursing fills a gap for us,” he explained. “We talked to area (veterinary) clinics and supporters. We know there’s a big need and a big gap in the area. We couldn’t start our own program so we talked to Purdue University and asked if they would let us create a dual degree program. We wanted to see if Purdue would partner with us. They were very excited to do that.

“There is a shortage of veterinary nurses. During COVID, a number of families picked up an animal. They added a dog or cat. The number of animals seen by veterinary clinics has grown.”

In a release, Chad R. Brown, director of Purdue’s veterinary nursing programs, said the intimate setting of the Huntington University experience combined with the individual attention students will receive as a part of the VNDL will prepare them for success in an animal related field. “The combination of (degrees) creates multiple career pathways in areas such as veterinary medicine, research, education, pharmaceutical companies and the animal agriculture industry,” he said.

Huntington University is a Christian college with an enrollment of 1,428 students at the start of the 2022-23 academic year. The Haupert Institute began in the fall of 2015 with about a dozen students, Perry said. The program now has about 75 students with more than 30 graduates. Agriculture is the fourth-largest program on campus, he pointed out.

Perry said the application process is open, adding Huntington would like to receive applications by May 1 to meet Purdue’s decision deadline of June 1. Interested students will need to apply to both universities.

Program participants will be enrolled at both universities but will be full-time Huntington students, he said. “They’re our students. They will be going to chapel, competing in sports, they will be a part of our campus life. We’re seeing all these things on a small campus. Add on a degree that’s so recognized, and it’s the best of both worlds.”

Perry said students participating in the dual degree program will pay their tuition and receive any financial aid through Huntington. Huntington will pay Purdue tuition on behalf of the students.

“I’m uncertain how many students may be interested,” he stated. “This gives them another option. It will be beneficial to current Huntington students because it’s another degree program. It will give them exposure to more veterinary clinics, animal health companies and organizations. For new students, this will give them a new opportunity. It will open up doors for people who might not know exactly what they want to do.”

The program’s students will be enrolled year-round, Huntington University said. During the summer, students will participate in mentorships working in area veterinary clinics or practices, or at the university’s Don Strauss Animal Science Education Center and the Three Rivers Farm.