Applied Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare

Our programme has an international reputation and respected teaching staff, offering a degree that will further your career in the animal behaviour and welfare community.

This programme is delivered in collaboration with SRUC (Scotland’s Rural College), the Jeanne Marchig International Centre for Animal Welfare Education (JMICAWE) and Edinburgh Zoo giving students the benefit of a world-leading teaching team.

International reputation 

We established the first animal welfare MSc in the UK in 1990. The programme was initiated by Professor David Wood-Gush, one of the first scientists to investigate the effects of factory farming on animals.  

Set up in collaboration with SRUC, the Jeanne Marchig International Centre for Animal Welfare Education (JMICAWE) and Edinburgh Zoo, the programme is taught by academics and experts from all these institutions. 

Today, our MSc has a strong international reputation and the support of well-known animal welfare organisations in the UK and Europe, including: 

Teaching 

Taught by staff from SRUC and the University of Edinburgh, our programme will provide you with a thorough overview of the current key issues in animal behaviour and welfare. 

You will gain an understanding of animal welfare issues in a broad range of contexts through practical visits to zoos, labs, abattoirs, markets and farms. 

Career prospects 

Our MSc provides a strong basis for a career in the field of animal behaviour and welfare. Every year we welcome between 20 - 30 students from locations across the globe, meaning you will be exposed to a very broad range of perspectives.   

Such a diverse environment provides great opportunity for networking within the professional community. We also welcome numerous guest lecturers each year with respected reputations within the international field. 

Our MSc is a respected qualification that will enhance your career prospects, providing a route to an international network of animal welfare and behaviour professionals. 

Our graduates have gone on to work in a number of different sectors.


MSc, PGDip, PGCert


Degree requirements 

You will need at least a 2:1 or its equivalent at undergraduate level in a relevant discipline. These include: 

  • Animal Science 
  • Biology 
  • Psychology 
  • Veterinary Science 
  • Zoology 

However, candidates with a relevant background and alternative qualifications may be accepted onto the programme, and are encouraged to contact us for further details.

International students 

A 2:1 is equivalent to GPA of 3.25. 

If you are unsure of your degree classification, Edinburgh Global provides information by country. 

Entry requirement guidance by country 

English language requirements 

You must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies, regardless of your nationality or country of residence.

English language tests

For 2021 entry we will accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

  • IELTS Academic: total 7.0 (at least 6.5 in each module)
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Special Home Edition): total 100 (at least 23 in each module). We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements
  • CAE and CPE: total 185 (at least 176 in each module)
  • Trinity ISE: ISE III with a pass in all four components

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL or Trinity ISE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.

For more information, please see the degree finder page.

Immigration advice 

Edinburgh Global provides detailed information on the visa application process. 

Visa application advice at Edinburgh Global


We aim to give you a scientific background and approach that will have a wide range of applications both in research and practical environments. 

Aims 

We aim to enhance knowledge and understanding in the scientific study of animal behaviour and animal welfare. We will teach you how to apply this scientific approach effectively both in research and practice, alongside developing interpersonal and problem-solving skills. 

An MSc in Applied Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare will provide you with a solid grounding in the discipline that can be applied to: 

  • research 
  • animal management 
  • animal care 
  • production 
  • inspection, assessment and preparation of legislation 

You will also benefit from the knowledge and experience of professionals working throughout the international animal behaviour and welfare community. In addition to the core teaching team, we invite many guest lecturers from worldwide organisations and institutes. 

Learning outcomes 

On this degree you will have the opportunity to: 

  • demonstrate a critical understanding of the principal theories, principles and concepts in animal behaviour and animal welfare.
  • plan and execute a significant project of research on applied animal behaviour or animal welfare by applying knowledge and a range of specialised techniques. 
  • critically review, consolidate and synthesise knowledge to address contemporary issues in animal welfare.
  • communicate about animal welfare and animal behaviour, using appropriate methods, to a range of audiences with different levels of knowledge/expertise.
  • exercise substantial autonomy and initiative in your own work and make informed judgements, on your own or collectively, on challenging animal welfare issues.

The programme has two elements, a taught component (120 credits) and a dissertation project (60 credits). 

The MSc is a one year course for full-time students. It is also a possible to complete the MSc over a period of two or three years. 

Please note that candidates that require a Tier 4 Visa, do not have the 2 or 3 year flexible option and must study full time. 

Timetable – Full time option

September to December 

Weeks 1-5Teaching block one
Week 6Revision break
Weeks 7-11Teaching block two
Week 12Revision
Week 13-14Exams

January to August 

 

Weeks 1-5Teaching block three
Week 6Revision break
Week 7 Exams
Week 8Teaching
Week 9Assignments and presentations
Week 10 onwardsDissertation project

Part-time study 

Two year option               

Year one

Teaching blocks one and two (September - December) 

No classes (January - August)

Year two

No classes (September - December) 

Teaching block three (January - March) 

Dissertation project (March - August) 

Three year option 

Year one

Teaching blocks one and two (September - December) 

No classes (January - August)

Year two

No classes (September - December) 

Teaching block three (January - March)

Year threeDissertation project (part-time over 12 months, September- August)

You will take five courses to complete the taught component of the degree. 

The taught component of the degree consists of five courses and is worth 120 credits. 

Each course contains a mixture of lectures, seminars, practicals and visits. You will be expected to spend a large proportion of time in 'out of class' study. 

Introduction to Applied Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare (20 credits) 

We will discuss: 

  • How the study of behaviour can be applied to animal welfare. 
  • How an understanding of animal behaviour can be applied to common practical problems. 
  • The basis of current issues relating to animal welfare. 
  • The development of UK/EU animal welfare legislation in a global context. 
  • Animal welfare from an economic perspective and in the context of global trade issues. 
  • Issues such as ethics, climate change and welfare in developing countries. 

Biology of Animal Welfare (20 credits) 

Key points covered: 

  • How the principles of endocrinology and neuroscience relate to behaviour. 
  • The impact of genes, genetics and breeding on behaviour expression. 
  • How the environment, as well as experience, may affect behavioural biology and how different biological factors integrate to produce different behaviours. 
  • What is meant by stress and the relationship between stress and animal welfare. 
  • The physiological and behavioural responses to a range of stressors, particularly pain. 
  • How these responses are measured scientifically and how this can be used in animal welfare assessment. 

Animal Cognition and Consciousness (20 credits) 

The areas of motivation, learning and cognition underpin the study of animal behaviour and welfare. You will be presented with the scientific basis of these areas, with particular reference to animal welfare. We will also focus on current and historical interpretations of the concept of animal consciousness as well as experimental approaches. The implications of the study of animal consciousness for models of animal welfare will be studied alongside basic moral principles of animal use. 

Scientific Methodology (20 credits) 

Topics include: 

  • scientific methodology 
  • experimental design 
  • statistical software 
  • data summary and distribution 
  • parametric and non-parametric statistical methods 
  • oral and written communication 

At the end of this course, you will be able to apply scientific and statistical methods to real research projects. You will also be able to discuss reasonably complex statistical issues with a statistician. 

Animal Welfare Applications (40 credits) 

This course will bring together all the knowledge you have gained so far and demonstrate how it can be applied to real situations. Issues such as environment, breeding and euthanasia will be considered in relation to farm, zoo, companion, laboratory and wild animals. 

We will consider the ethics of keeping animals for different uses and discuss where animal welfare issues arise. The knowledge gained in scientific methodology will be applied to assess welfare in real-life situations. 

Dissertation Project 

You will undertake a dissertation project on your chosen research theme from March until August. 

Your dissertation is worth 60 credits and will give you the opportunity to further develop the skills gained from taught component of the programme. 

This is a chance to test your newly-improved scientific skills and utilise scientific theory in a less structured environment. 

You will begin your project in March and should have it completed by the middle of August. (This depends on study mode.) 

Examples of past dissertation topics:

  • Welfare of elephants in captivity 
  • Tactile communication between cats and humans 
  • Enhancing word learning in horses 
  • Post-operative pain assessment in dogs 
  • Pre-weaning survival in outdoor piglets 
  • Effects of foraging devices on activity budgets of woolly monkeys and chimpanzees 
  • Mate preferences of female Canna wood mice 
  • Effects of urbanization on the social behaviour and food supply of the European badger 
  • Effects of captivity on the skeletons of callitrichids

Tuition fees 

Fees are set by the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and differ for home and overseas students. 

Postgraduate taught fees

Funding 

Our scholarships

University Scholarships 

You can search for scholarships according to your nationality and subject area using the University Scholarships searcher. 

Find funding using the Scholarships searcher.

Education Beyond Borders Scholarship

The University offers up to 30 scholarships to displaced people to study on a full-time postgraduate programme starting in September 2025.  Applications are open to individuals from a displaced background who currently reside in the UK and hold an offer to study with us.  The deadline for 2025 applications is now closed. 

Anyone planning to apply is encouraged to read the guidance and attend an information session.

Education Beyond Borders Scholarship

Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding

The University of Edinburgh subscribes to a funding database specifically for those looking for funding to support postgraduate studies.  The guide contains a huge database of funding opportunities, comprehensive guidance and tools to help you prepare a winning grant application including.

The Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding Online


The University has a strong and long-standing commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and to promoting a positive culture which celebrates difference, challenges prejudice and ensures fairness.


You will need to complete an online application form which includes references, transcripts and other supporting documents. 

Applications must be submitted through the University’s online application service, EUCLID. Offers cannot be made without a fully completed online application. 

The application does not have to be completed in one session - you can save your progress and return to complete the application at another time. 

Please note that the deadline for applications for the programme starting in September 2022 is the 22nd July 2022; however, it is advised that you apply as soon as possible as offers will start to be made from February. 

Supporting documents 

Your application will require supporting information, with transcripts where applicable, including: 

  • A degree certificate 
  • If you are yet to graduate, a formal letter from your university can be uploaded in place of a degree certificate to secure a conditional offer 
  • A transcript of your degree certificate, or an interim transcript if you are yet to graduate, which provides details of degree examinations passed and the marks and grades awarded 
  • One signed and dated letter of reference on headed paper 
  • An English language certificate from within the last two years, if applicable 
  • A copy of your CV. 

Online application form 

Apply for this degree

Applications close in July for the following September start. We suggest that your application is submitted by January as the programme is often oversubscribed and you may be added to a reserve list. 

Paper form 

If you are unable to complete the application online, the Postgraduate Office at the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine will be able to provide you with a paper form. 

Contact the Postgraduate Office 


Our campus

We are located in Easter Bush, a state-of-the-art facility with good transport links. We recommend that you find accommodation in south Edinburgh.

Programme Team

Details of the core teaching staff and the courses they teach.

Testimonials

Browse our graduate profiles by career path and find out how an MSc in Applied Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare has benefited our graduates

Academic research

Many of our graduates have progressed onto PhD study and joined research projects in the field of animal welfare.

Commercial companies

Many of our graduates now work for commercial companies or have started their own business.

Education and consultation

Some of our former students now teach or work as consultants.

Charities

Many of our graduates now work for animal welfare charities.

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