Guidelines and Requirements for Prospective AWR’s

Certification Eligibility Requirements

This certification is for individuals who have met the education requirements needed to become an Associate Wildlife Rehabilitator.

  • Complete AWR application.
  • Meet 50 hours education requirements across 13 disciplines- See below.
  • Pass CWR exam with 80% or higher.
  • Make the payment for certification.

Education Requirements for AWR

Successful completion of 50 hours of courses/workshops/conferences divided amongst the following disciplines:

  • ID, Natural History & Behavior (4hrs)
  • Handling, Restraint & Human Safety (4hrs)
  • Basic Physiology (4hrs)
  • Intake, Triage & Stabilization (5hrs)
  • Euthanasia (3hrs)
  • Hydration & Fluid Therapy (4hrs)
  • Thermoregulation (3hrs)
  • Wound Management (3 hrs)
  • Medications (4hrs)
  • Nutrition (4hrs)
  • Captive Housing (4hrs)
  • Release Criteria (4hrs)
  • Calculations (4hrs)
Click here for more information regarding educational disciplines.

Approved courses, workshops, and conferences will count towards meeting educational requirements.

Each applicant must submit documentation of successful completion of the educational requirements.

  • Acceptable proof of completion includes a certificate of attendance or completion, transcript, a receipt signed and dated by a representative of the event coordinator, or an email or letter from the instructor or similar personnel confirming attendance and successful completion.
  • Course/Workshops/Conference descriptions and links to information on these events must be included in documentation. 
  • Any applicant that has successfully completed an A.S. degree or higher in Wildlife Rehabilitation at an accredited college or university is eligible satisfy all education requirements with transcript submission. This is subject to discretion upon review of transcripts and course content. Transcript submission will be required and all applicants are subject to being asked for syllabuses to be provided for any given course as needed.
  • Science/Pre-Vet/Vet Technician courses taken at colleges and universities may be used for full/partial credit to meet educational requirements of certain disciplines. Credit value will be determined upon review of transcripts and course content. Transcript submission will be required and all applicants are subject to being asked for syllabi to be provided for any given course as needed.
  • 8 hours per day will be awarded for approved wildlife, veterinary, ecology, or conservation related conferences and the hours may be distributed amongst multiple disciplines 

Applicants may split and distribute the education hours of one event that covers multiple disciplines into multiple categories:

  • For example: 4 hours basic course on wildlife rehabilitation could potentially be used to satisfy 1 hour in handling, 1 hour in physiology, 2 hours in intake.
  • An education event that only partially applies to a required discipline may be awarded at half credits to satisfy education requirements.
  • The smallest unit of credit that may be distributed is one semester/quarter hour.
  • A single credit segment cannot be duplicated into multiple categories.
  • Comparable experience may be substituted for educational experience, however, the applicant must have at least one course/workshop/conference in each category.
    • Applicants should include the duration of time for professional experience and how the time spent qualifies for the discipline being submitted for.
    • Examples may include:
      • Presentation of a paper at an approved regional or national wildlife, veterinary, ecology, or conservation related conference
      • Publication of a paper in an approved peer-reviewed wildlife, veterinary, ecology, or conservation related journal.
      • Instructor of a wildlife, veterinary, ecology, or conservation related course (courses will each be approved one time only)

Please download and fill in Education Field Template to allocate which education criteria you would like submitted to each category and designate which hours for each discipline. You will upload this completed template with your application in the designated field.

Approval of education requirement fulfillment is at the discretion of the certification body.

Attainment of Certification

Candidates who submit 50 hours of approved education and pass the Certified Wildlife Rehabilitator™ examination will receive a certificate indicating their certification status. Those with this status will be permitted to use the trademarked designation AWR™ after their names. A registry of Associate Wildlife Rehabilitators will be maintained by the CWR CRB and publicly displayed on the CWR website. Certification status is recognized for a period of 2 years at which time the candidate must either submit 16 hours of approved continuing education hours (CE) or retake and pass the current Certified Wildlife Rehabilitator™ examination to retain certification.

Revocation of Certification

The CWR CRB reserves the right to revoke certification for any of the following reasons:

  • Falsification of any part of an application
  • Misrepresentation of certification status
  • Violation of the IWRC Code of Ethics