Enrolment of new SQPs

Introduction

Enrolments of persons wishing to become SQPs under the Veterinary Medicines Regulations are now being accepted. The system has been designed to meet the requirements of students wishing to qualify on the basis of self-study or with the support of in-company training. However, most students find it highly advantageous to undertake a taught course provided by a specialist educational centre or trainer and a list of these courses which provides information on the examination dates currently available is included below.

AMTRA Enrolment and Related Provision

Persons may only enrol once as an SQP with AMTRA. Persons who fail some or all modules may re-sit those modules a limited number of times they failed on payment of the appropriate re-sit fee. It should be noted that the re-sit fees for modules are higher than the equivalent fees included in the initial enrolment fee due to funding from the Higher Education Funding Council (HEFCE) which is only applicable to an individual once.

The fee structure for enrolment under the new system will be as set out below. It includes the examination fee, the AMTRA assessment fee, the price of the training material, the Harper Adams assessment/credit rating/quality control fee, and for successful candidates, a free NOAH Compendium containing data sheets of those medicines which qualified SQPs can prescribe, free inclusion on the AMTRA SQP Register for the remainder of the calendar year of the examination, access to AMTRA services and to Continuing Professional Development.

Payment of the full fee will be required on enrolment.

Enrolment form for Merchant SQP Enrolment form for Saddler SQP Enrolment form for Equine SQP Enrolment form for Companion Animal SQP Enrolment form for Livestock SQP Rules & Regulations for AMTRA Exams

Some of the following documents, in common with others on this site, require the use of the free Acrobat Reader program. This is normally installed on most computers, but if not you can download it on the Adobe website.

Modular course Structure

AMTRA Examinations will be related to the modular nature of the new course structure. Candidates will be examined separately in:

• Merchant SQPs (R-SQPs) must succeed in all 4 modules, plus an oral & project.
• Saddler SQPs (E-SQPs) must succeed in the Base, Equine and Companion Animal modules & an oral.
• Equine-only SQPs (J-SQPs) must succeed in the Base and Equine modules & an oral.
• Companion Animal only SQPs (C-SQPs) must succeed in the Base and Companion Animal modules & an oral.
• Livestock SQPs (L-SQPs) must success in the Base & Farm Animal Modules and an oral

Some examination centres will enable students to be examined on all modules on the same day. Different types of SQP student can be examined together at the same examination centre on the same day, and additional modules can be added at a later date, so that, for an example and E-SQP could add the Farm Animal module and become an R-SQP.

Extra Guidance for students on the farm animal project

Examination Centres and Taught Courses

AMTRA training can be undertaken as home based learning with two years from enrolment in which to qualify; taught courses are offered by some colleges and trainers on a commercial basis, and although they are highly advantageous, they are an "optional extra".

Current AMTRA Examination centres also offering training courses are listed below, with the timetable of courses and examinations currently on offer. Further examination centres and courses will be added to this list as they become available. Check the AMTRA website (www.amtra.org.uk) for the most up to date information.

• examination application form for Merchant SQP
• examination application form for Saddler SQP
• examination application form for Equine SQP
• examination application form for Companion Animal SQP
• examination application form for Livestock SQP

ASKHAM BRYAN COLLEGE, YORK

Training course for all modules Part 1 - 27-30 May 2008 and Part 2 - 23 September 2008
Examinations in all modules - 24/25/ September 2008

Training Course for all modules 27- 30 October 2008
Final day training and exam dates TBC December 2008

Tuition costs for all courses are available from Askham Bryan College

Askham Bryan College, Askham Bryan, York YO23 3FR
Contact: Sarah Wickham
Email: shortcourses@askham-bryan.ac.uk
Telephone: 01904 772200

BETA - British Equestrian Trade Association

Saddlers training courses to be held at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire:

30 September and 14 October 2008

E-, J-, and C-SQP examinations to be held on

15 October 2008

For further details of courses please contact:
BETA, Stockeld Park, Wetherby, LS22 4AW
Email: info@beta-uk.org
Telephone: 01937 587062

BICTON COLLEGE, DEVON

Merchants’ course:

Course: 27-31 October 2008
Examinations: 22-23 December 2008

Part 1: 25-29 May 2009
Part 2: 13 July 2009
Examinations: 14-15 July 2009

Saddlers’ course:

Training course: 28-29 October 2008
Examination: 30 October 2008

Training course: 29-30 June 2009
Examination: 1 July 2009

Bicton College will charge £380 for the merchants course tuition; the price for the Saddlers course is £220.

Bicton College, East Budleigh, Budleigh Salterton, Devon, EX9 7BY
Contact: Alan Johnson
Email: ajjohnson@bicton.ac.uk
Telephone: 01395 562300
Fax: 01395 567502

GREENMOUNT CAMPUS, CO. ANTRIM

SQP course dates:
Base: 15-17 September 2008
Farm: 22-23 September 2008
Equine: 13 October 2008
Companion: 14 October 2008

Examinations in all modules: 20/21 October 2008

Greenmount will charge £303 for the merchants training course (all modules), £216 for the saddlers course (base + equine + companion animal), £216 for the farm animal course (base + farm animal), or £173 for the equine or companion animal courses (including the base module).

The College of Agriculture Food and Rural Enterprise, Greenmount Campus, 22 Greenmount Road, Antrim, BT41 4PU

Contact: Louise Millsopp
Tel: 028 9442 6634
Fax: 028 9442 6901
Email: louise.millsopp@dardni.gov.uk

HARPER ADAMS UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, SHROPSHIRE

Tuition costs for Harper Adams courses are available from Harper Adams

Harper Adams University College, Newport, Shropshire, TF10 8NB
Contact: Lisa Chapman, Short Course Administrator
Email: lchapman@harper-adams.ac.uk
Telephone 01952 815300

SAC (SCOTTISH AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE)

SAC - Craibstone, Aberdeen

Course (all modules) 1-5 September 2008

Examination in all modules - 23/24 October 2008 (Farm Animal Assignment due date 9 October 2008)

SAC - Auchincruive, Ayr

Course (all modules) 23-27 June 2008

Examination in all modules 30/31 July 2008 (Farm Animal assignment due date 23 July 2008)

For further details of courses and costs please contact:

Jill Offer
Avian Science Research Centre
SAC
Auchincruive
Ayr KA6 5HW

Phone: 01292 525101 Fax: 01292 525098
email: jill.offer@sac.ac.uk

SPARSHOLT COLLEGE, HAMPSHIRE

SQP Course dates:

Base: 1-3 September 2008
Farm: 4-5 September 2008
Equine: 4 October 2008
Companion: 18 October 2008

Base: 8-10 December 2008
Farm: 11-12 December 2008
Equine: 24 January 2009
Companion: 7 February 2009

For further information, costs and to book courses, contact Amanda Miller.

Examinations in all modules - 28/29 October 2008
Examinations in all modules - 17/18 February 2009

Sparsholt College
Winchester
Hampshire
SO21 2NF

Contact: Amanda Miller
Email:amanda.miller@sparsholt.ac.uk
Tel: 01962 797388

UNIVERSITY OF LINCOLN

C-SQP examinations: 14 October 2008
Examinations in all modules: 4/5 November 2008
Examinations in all modules: 24/25 November 2008
Examinations in all modules: 15/16 December 2008
C-SQP examinations 26 March 2009
Examinations in all modules 4/5 June 2009
Examinations in all modules 22/23 June 2009

R-SQP Training Course: 23-25 September 2008 and 26-28 November 2008 (6 days)
C-SQP Training Course: 30 September - 2 October 2008
C-SQP Training course 17-19 March 2009
R-SQP Training course 10-12 March, 12-14 May 2009 (6 days)
R-SQP Training course 31 March- 2 April, 1-3 June 2009 (6 days)

For further details please contact Simon Goodger:

University of Lincoln, Riseholme Hall, Lincoln, LN2 2LG
Email: sgoodger@lincoln.ac.uk
Telephone: 01522 895295
Fax: 01522 545436

WRITTLE COLLEGE, CHELMSFORD

Training courses:
Base: 8-10 September 2008
Companion: 11 September 2008
Equine: 12 September 2008
Farm: 15-16 September 2008

Base: 30 March - 1 April 2009
Companion: 2 April 2009
Equine: 3 April 2009
Farm: 6 - 7 April 2009

Base: 13 - 15 July 2009
Companion: 16 July 2009
Equine: 17 July 2009
Farm: 20 - 21 July 2009

Examinations on all modules:
12/13 November 2008
17/18 June 2009
16/17 September 2009

A 2-hour revision session is available on the morning of the first day of the exams.

For further information, costs and to book courses contact: Michelle Williams
Writtle College, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 3RR
michelle.williams@writtle.ac.uk
Tel: 01245 424200 extn 25697
Fax 01245 420456

This page last updated 23/07/2008