The University of Edinburgh – College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine
Applied Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare MSc
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
MSc
DURATION
3 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
GBP 25,940 / per year **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* round 4 | round 3: 8 May 2026 | round 2: 6 March 2026
** full time international/EU | full time Scotland, rest of UK: GBP 13,130
Key Summary
About: The Applied Animal Behavior and Animal Welfare MSc at The University of Edinburgh began in 1990 by Professor David Wood-Gush. This on-campus Easter Bush program teams with SRUC, JMICAWE and Edinburgh Zoo, includes practical visits to zoos, labs, abattoirs, markets and farms; maintains links with RZSS, SSPCA, UFAW and Brooke. Keywords: animal behavior, welfare science.
Career Outcomes: The MSc gives a basis for careers in animal behavior, welfare policy, zoo and farm management, consultancy, research and education. You’ll join an international network and can pursue PhD. Career opportunities include roles in welfare organizations, zoos, government, NGOs, academia, private consultancy.
This was the first animal welfare MSc offered in the UK, established 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.
Today, the MSc has an international reputation and the support of well-known animal welfare organisations in the UK and Europe, including:
- Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS)
- The Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA)
- The Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW)
- Brooke
The programme content provides 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.
This is an on-campus degree programme based at the Easter Bush Campus. For students looking to pursue distance learning, you might be interested in the online MSc International Animal Welfare, Ethics and Law.
Why study 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.
The programme has two elements, a taught component and a dissertation project.
The taught component of the degree consists of five courses, and is worth 120 credits. The dissertation is worth 60 credits.
Each course is a combination of lectures, seminars, practical sessions, and visits.
Throughout the taught courses, you will take part in visits to farms and animal facilities. In addition, you will be expected to spend a large proportion of time in 'out of class' study.
The MSc is a one-year course for full-time students. It is also possible to complete the MSc part-time over two or three years. Please note that candidates who require a Tier 4 Visa must study full-time.
Taught course
- Introduction to applied animal behaviour and animal welfare
- Biology of animal welfare
- Animal cognition and consciousness
- Scientific methodology
- Animal welfare applications
Dissertation
The dissertation is a chance to put your newly acquired knowledge and skills into practice in a less structured environment.
Students undertake a wide variety of dissertation topics, some examples are:
- Effects of captivity on the skeletons of callitrichids
- Effects of foraging devices on activity budgets of woolly monkeys and chimpanzees
- Effects of urbanisation on the social behaviour and food supply of the European badger
- Enhancing word learning in horses
- Mate preferences of female Canna wood mice
- Post-operative pain assessment in dogs
- Pre-weaning survival in outdoor piglets
- Tactile communication between cats and humans
- Welfare of elephants in captivity
By the end of this programme, you will be able 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.
Funding for postgraduate study is different to undergraduate study, and many students need to combine funding sources to pay for their studies.
Most students use a combination of the following funding to pay their tuition fees and living costs:
- borrowing money
- taking out a loan
- family support
- personal savings
- income from work
- employer sponsorship
- scholarships
The MSc provides a strong basis for a career in animal behaviour and welfare. The degree is a respected qualification that can enhance your career prospects, providing a route to an international network of animal welfare and behaviour professionals.
Each year, a cohort of 20 - 30 students join the programme from locations across the globe, meaning you will be exposed to a broad range of perspectives. We also welcome a number of guest lecturers with respected reputations from within the international community.
Such a diverse learning environment provides a great opportunity for networking within the community.
Our graduates have gone on to work in a number of different sectors.
Professional links
The MSc has an international reputation and the support of well-known animal welfare organisations in the UK and Europe, including:
- Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS)
- The Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA)
- The Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW)
- Brooke
Further study
After completing this programme, you may wish to consider applying for a PhD or other research programme.
The MSc is a one-year course for full-time students. It is also possible to complete the MSc part-time over two or three years. Please note that candidates who require a Tier 4 Visa must study full-time.