Credit-bearing standalone short courses (PPD)

Our postgraduate degree programmes are made up of short courses that can be taken as standalone study, we also refer to this as Postgraduate Professional Development (PPD).

The Postgraduate Professional Development (PPD) scheme is aimed at working professionals who want to advance their knowledge through postgraduate-level learning, without the time, or financial commitment, of a full award.

Qualification

You may take a maximum of 50 credits worth of courses over two years and gain a University of Edinburgh postgraduate award of academic credit.

You can also choose to continue your studies after one year and put credits towards a postgraduate Certificate, Diploma or full Masters degree.  Any time spent taking courses through the PPD scheme will be deducted from the amount of time you have left to complete the higher award.

Delivery

Courses are delivered fully online using a blend of learning methods supported by the University’s award winning online learning environments.

They are distance learning courses, but you won’t feel isolated - you will have the opportunity to work closely with your fellow students and tutors in a properly supported, collaborative and vibrant online learning environment. With access to the internet, you will be able to study at the times and in the places which suit you best.

Applications

Applications must be made through the University's online postgraduate prospectus.  Search for the parent programme and follow the link to apply to "PG Professional Development in [programme name] (Online Learning) (ICL) - 1-2 years (part-time intermittent study)".  Once you have started your application to the degree within which the course sits, you will be asked to specify the name of the course you are applying to.

If you have questions or concerns throughout the application process, please contact the parent programme support teams directly.  Contact details can be found on the parent programme pages linked to in the concertina.

For more information on the parent programme, please see here: Advanced Clinical Practice

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General Medicine Credits Start Duration (hrs)
Evidence Based Veterinary Medicine in Clinical Practice 10 January 100
Gastroenterology 10 January 100
Hepatology 10 May 100
Non-Surgical Musculoskeletal Disease 10 February 100
Practical pathology and microbiology 10 January 100
Professional and Clinical Skills for Advanced Veterinary Practice      10 November 100
Recent Advances in Internal Medicine 10 September 100
Renal and Urinary 10 May 100
Thoracic Imaging 10 February 100
Companion Animals Credits Start Duration (hrs)
Antimicrobial stewardship in companion animal practice 10 November 100
Approaches to Gastrointestinal Surgery in Dogs and Cats 10 April 100
Canine Endocrine Disorders 10 November 100
Companion Animal Respiratory Medicine 1 10 April 100
Companion Animal Respiratory Medicine 2 10 November 100
Feline Medicine 1 10 September 100
Feline Medicine 2 10 January 100
Feline Medicine 3 10 April 100
Neurological Emergencies in dogs and cats 10 November 100
Standard Diagnostic Testing in Companion Animals 10 February 100
Veterinary Cardiology 2: Cardiac Diseases of the Cat and Dog 10 November 100
Wound Management and Reconstructive Surgery in Dogs and Cats 10 April 100
Equine Practice Credits Start Duration (hrs)
Approaches to wound management in horses                                           10 April 100
Poor athletic performance in horses 10 May 100
Recent Advances in Equine Practice 10 September 100
Standard Diagnostic Tests in Equine Practice 10 February 100
Exotic Pet Animals Credits Start Duration (hrs)
Principles of Exotic Pet Medicine 10 September 100
Rabbit Medicine 10 April 100
Standard Diagnostic Testing in Exotic Pet Animals                                  10 February 100
Production Animal Practice Credits Start Duration (hrs)
Bovine Reproduction: Beef and Dairy  10 November 100
Controlling Infectious Diseases in Beef and Dairy Cattle     10 September 100
Ewe Survival 10 February 100
Feeding for Production 10 April 100
Foot Health 10 September 100
Heifer Rearing 10 January 100
Lamb Growth 10 November 100
Lambing Percentage 10 May 100
Management of the Beef Herd 10 April 100
Recent Advances in Production Animal Practice 10 September 100
Standard Diagnostic Tests in Production Animal Practice                    10 February 100
Udder Health 10 May 100

For more information on the parent programme, please see here: Applied Poultry Science


For more information on the parent programme, please see here: Clinical Animal Behaviour

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Principles of Applied Animal behaviour

20 credits

This course introduces the theoretical concepts that underpin the professional field of Clinical Animal Behaviour, drawn from disciplines of ethology, psychology, anatomy, neurophysiology and psychopharmacology. This course will provide students with a solid foundation of theoretical concepts which will be used throughout the Clinical Animal Behaviour programme.

Clinical Animal Behaviour

20 credits

In this course, students will gain an appreciation of the interaction between health and behaviour in domestic/captive animals and develop their understanding of the development, diagnosis and management of behavioural disorders and conflicts in a range of companion animal species including; dogs, cats, horses and other household pets.

Anthrozoology

20 credits

This course is designed to expand knowledge and appreciation of how humans and non-human animals interact, covering theoretical and practical aspects of the interaction. There is an emphasis on examining the animal aspect of the interaction while adopting a multidisciplinary approach to the wider subject area.

Evidence Based Veterinary Medicine in Clinical Practice B

10 credits

The course begins with a focus on foundation concepts of evidence-based veterinary medicine (EBVM), which must be understood and appreciated by professional scientists in a veterinary context.


For more information on the parent programme, please see here: Conservation Medicine


For more information on the parent qualification, please see here: Data Driven Sustainability

CourseCreditsDuration (hours)
Making Science Relevant to Policy and Decision Making20200 / 20 per week
Understanding Planetary Health and Data10100 / 10 per week
Foundation in Nutritional Epidemiology10100 / 10 per week

For more information on the parent programme, please see here: Equine Science

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 ​​​​Equine Digestion and Nutrition 

This course provides an in-depth knowledge of equine digestion and nutrition, allowing students to pursue careers in research, industry or academia.

  • 20 credits
  • Course Leader: Dr Andrea Ellis
  • September start

Course content provides students with a research driven, evidence-based approach to understanding equine digestive health delivered by world-leading experts in equid nutrition. Key topics covered are the anatomy and physiology of the digestive system, ration formulation, the evaluation of food sources and nutritional management.

Students will explore the nutrient requirements of horses involved in all types of work to formulate bespoke dietary plans and make recommendations on appropriate rations.

The course offers an evaluation of the nutritional value of feedstuffs and an emphasis is placed on health and welfare concerns associated with the inclusion of various types of feedstuffs in the diet.

For full details of this course, including learning outcomes, please visit the Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study page.

Equine Orthopaedics 

This course is an in-depth exploration of key topics that affect the sports horse industry and the application of treatment in the equine athlete.

  • 20 credits
  • Course Leader: Dr Oliver James
  • September start

The course content explores anatomy, physiology and the musculoskeletal system takes an evidence-based approach to disease, injury management and prevention in the context of the orthopaedic anatomy of a sports horse.

Students explore the most recent advances in treatments and novel therapies with the opportunity to engage with clinical specialists and leading researchers.

On completion of the course, students will have enhanced skills and be able to apply knowledge and understanding to real-life scenarios in support of professional, clinical or amateur equine care.

For full details of this course, including learning outcomes, please visit the Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study page.

Equine Behaviour, Welfare and Ethics 

This course offers a focus on the effect physical environment and management has on the behaviour and welfare of both the developing and adult horse.

  • 20 credits
  • Course Leader: Dr Tamsin Coombs
  • January start

The course will introduce students to the evolution of equids (horses and donkeys) and how this relates to their normal behaviour and physiology.  The course then focuses on physiology and behaviour associated with poor welfare.

It will explore the relationship between management and welfare throughout an entire animal's life and how we can measure and assess welfare in a variety of situations.

The use of equids, their welfare and associated policy and legislation will be examined at a global level. Students will also explore the application of ethics to our use of equids and the trade-offs between human, environmental and equid wellbeing. 

There is also a focus on human behaviour and its relationship with equid welfare to understand how we can begin to change behaviour in order to improve the lives of equids worldwide. 

For full details of this course, including learning outcomes, please visit the Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study page.

Equine Reproduction 

This course covers anatomy and physiology of equine reproduction, evaluation of breeding soundness, management techniques and the latest technologies used across the industry. 

  • 20 credits
  • Course Leader: Dr Mina Davies-Morel
  • January start

This course explores a range of topics associated with equine breeding and is delivered by leading experts in veterinary medicine, front line research and industry.  The course provides students with an in-depth examination of equine reproduction in order to apply key skills, knowledge and understanding to their own horse breeding endeavours. 

The course is fully online and delivered in a flexible, but structured, format which provides students with the opportunity to network, enhance skills and prepare to apply knowledge and understanding to real-life scenarios which can enhance existing professional or amateur equine practice. 

For full details of this course, including learning outcomes, please visit the Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study page.

Equine Behavioural Medicine*

This course investigates why problematic and abnormal behaviours occur and how to resolve them.

  • 20 credits
  • Course Leader: Dr Gemma Pearson
  • January start

Students will learn how to investigate when a horse presents with a problematic behaviour to formulate a differential diagnosis and effective treatment plan. The course investigates the emotions that drive behaviour in horses with an emphasis on how to recognise, and address, when pain and/or stress are contributing factors. 

The course offers an insight into why horses behave the way they do through an exploration of the neurophysiology that explains behaviour, and how this is modified by early life experiences. Students will gain the tools create behaviour modification plans to improve equine behaviour and welfare.

There is a focus on human behaviour change and how this knowledge can be used to improve success rates and overall satisfaction on an individual client basis or to change hearts and minds to improve both human and equine welfare. 

Each week presents a new topic and includes relevant case studies so students can experience the real-world application of this knowledge. 

For full details of this course, including learning outcomes, please visit the Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study page.

*Equitation Science is a pre-requisite for this course

Equine Exercise Physiology 

This course covers anatomy and physiology of the major implicated systems and their adaptation to exercise in the horse, the application of this knowledge to cases of poor performance and evaluation of training regimes across a range of equestrian disciplines.

  • 20 credits
  • Course Leader: Dr Victoria Lindsay-McGee
  • April start

This course provides students with a detailed understanding of equine exercise physiology and the adaptations that occur in response to athletic function.  There is a focus on applying this knowledge to assessing the sustainability of various training regimes for all classes of the equine athlete and methods of assessing and monitoring performance, and potential performance, in the horse.  Consideration is also given to the health and impact of ill-health on the performance horse and the evaluation of current research in this area of equine science. 

The course is fully online and delivered in a flexible, but structured, format which provides students with the opportunity to network, enhance skills and prepare to apply knowledge and understanding to real-life scenarios which can enhance existing professional or amateur equine practice. 

For full details of this course, including learning outcomes, please visit the Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study page.

Equitation Science 

This course takes an objective, evidence-based approach to understanding horse welfare to decide on the most ethical training methods to horses in your care.

  • 20 credits
  • Course Leader: Dr Gemma Pearson
  • April start

Equitation Science uses an objective, evidence-based approach to understand and improve the welfare of horses in their interactions with humans; this can be during training, competition or even just in the stable.  It uses a multidisciplinary approach with an emphasis on learning theory alongside a wide range of techniques including investigating the use of technology to provide objective measures of welfare or performance and sports psychology to understand how riders/handlers may influence their horse's behaviour.

Students learn how to apply scientific methods to identify ineffective training techniques and those that may result in problems with horse welfare. You will then apply these skills to build training plans that will enhance both performance and horse health and wellness.

Knowledge gained on this course can be applied to all horses by amateur and leisure horse owners to elite riders and professional trainers.

For full details of this course, including learning outcomes, please visit the Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study page.


For more information on the parent programme, please see here: Food Safety


For more information on the parent programme, please see here: Global Food Security and Nutrition


For more information on the parent programme, please see here: One Health