The University of Edinburgh – College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine
Conservation Medicine (Online Learning) MVetSci, PgDip (ICL), PgCert (ICL), PgProfDev
Online
MSc
DURATION
6 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
21 Aug 2026
EARLIEST START DATE
14 Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
GBP 19,100 *
STUDY FORMAT
Distance Learning
* estimated total fee for conservation medicine MSc, intermittent study
Key Summary
Conservation Medicine is an established field that continues to evolve as the ability to study the complex relationships and interactions between animal health, human health and ecosystem health develops.
The subject emerged in the 1990s as a response to the need for a more holistic and interdisciplinary approach to the conservation of biodiversity. In particular, the importance of health in many conservation issues was widely recognised.
With its foundation in the principles of conservation biology, Conservation Medicine incorporates contributions from:
- the health sciences
- ecology
- the social sciences
It may be regarded as the application of One Health to the conservation of biodiversity.
This programme provides veterinarians with the skills, knowledge and global networks required to become effective practitioners of Conservation Medicine.
It is an online programme and the flexible and part-time format allows participants to achieve a world-class award while maintaining busy professional and personal commitments.
Suitable applicants will be qualified veterinarians with an interest in:
- conservation
- wildlife health
- ecological health
It is suitable for veterinarians without any wildlife experience, as well as those already working in conservation.
Graduates from this programme will be prepared for employment and will go on to explore career opportunities in the following areas:
- Conservation and wildlife agencies or organisations
- Charities or non-governmental organisations
- Zoos and ex-situ conservation programmes
- Government veterinary departments
- In-situ conservation programmes
- National parks and forestry departments
- Scientific research in universities or research institutes
- Private clinical practice with wildlife species
- Other NGOs who recognise that veterinary expertise is increasingly necessary as part of a multidisciplinary approach for wildlife and biodiversity conservation projects
You will also be better able to drive the development of novel career pathways as this field continues to evolve in response to the complexity of the conservation challenges we face.
Programme benefits
- Build a personal portfolio of skills and knowledge
- Mentoring and online discussion from teachers and researchers who are specialists in their field
- Access to high-quality interactive online resources/e-journals and online textbooks
- Develop and enhance transferable technological skills in digital learning environments
- The University of Edinburgh has been delivering online degrees since 2005, with more than 11,000 graduates from over 180 countries
- We are experts in online learning and have a strong track record of providing the best experience possible, working closely with academic teams to design a fully online degree that works well for both the educators and our students.
Graduates can expect to enhance career prospects in:
- academia
- research
- governmental and non-governmental organisations
- consultancies
- government veterinary positions
- captive or free-ranging wildlife conservation projects
You will be better able to drive the development of novel career pathways as this field continues to evolve in response to the complexity of the conservation challenges we face.
Further study
After completing this programme, you may wish to consider applying for a PhD or other research programme.
The full degree programme is a total of 180 credits, divided into:
- 80 credits of Core courses
- 40 credits of Elective courses
- 60 credit written reflection, or Dissertation
Courses offer a mix of:
- lectures
- seminars
- tutorials
- practicals
- guest speakers
- recommended reading
Time expectation
20 credit courses are delivered in two blocks of five weeks with one week of independent study and reflection time in between.
10 credit courses are delivered over one block of five weeks.
Each 10 credits of study represents 100 hours of study and a time commitment of 20 hours per week.
Compulsory courses
Core courses
| Certificate phase | Credits |
|---|---|
| Applied epidemiology and surveillance for conservation medicine | 20 |
| Ecosystem health and species conservation | 20 |
| Introduction to conservation medicine | 20 |
| Diploma phase | Credits |
|---|---|
| Veterinary techniques and interventions for conservation medicine | 10 |
| Wildlife disease management | 10 |
| Masters phase | credits |
|---|---|
| Dissertation | 60 - must be written within a 12-month period |
Option courses
Elective courses
| Diploma phase | Credits |
|---|---|
| An introduction to transboundary diseases and their impact on trade and wildlife populations | 10 |
| Captive and free-ranging wild animal welfare | 20 |
| Conservation genetics | 10 |
| Innovative approaches to the health challenges across disciplines | 10 |
| Interventions in wild animal health | 20 |
| Introduction to GIS and spatial data analysis | 10 |
| Introduction to wildlife forensics | 10 |
| Invasive non-native species | 10 |
| Managing and leading conservation projects | 10 |
| Species translocations | 10 |
| Scientific paradigms, research approaches and study designed across disciplines* | 10 |
| The marine environment | 10 |
| The modern zoo | 10 |
| The use of artificial reproduction technology (ARTs) in threatened species | 10 |
| Wildlife trade | 10 |
| Zoonotic disease | 10 |
*this course is a prerequisite for the Dissertation phase; it is an elective for Diploma students
Individual courses
Postgraduate Professional Development (PGProfDev) is the study of individual courses from within a degree programme.
It is aimed at working professionals who want to upskill in a specific area but do not want to commit to a postgraduate qualification.
You may take a maximum of 50 credits worth of courses from within this degree over two years. Credits can also be put towards further study, however, any time spent taking courses will be deducted from the amount of time you have left to complete the higher award.
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
UK government postgraduate loans
If you live in the UK, you may be eligible for a postgraduate loan for online study from one of the UK’s governments.
If you intend to apply for a UK government loan you should apply for the 3-year Masters option.
Study options
- Master's (180 credits): 3-6 years
- Diploma(120 credits): 2-4 years
- Certificate(60 credits): 1-2 years
- Individual courses*(up to a maximum of 50 credits): up to 2 years
The degree programme allows progression from individual courses to Certificate, Diploma and MVetSci phases. Students may also exit the programme on completion of each phase.
The programme is designed to be taken part-time at 20 hours per week, with the flexibility to complete in longer time frames if required.
*Individual courses are also referred to as Postgraduate Professional Development (PGProfDev).
How online learning works
The University of Edinburgh has been delivering online postgraduate programmes since 2005 and is the largest provider of online programmes in the prestigious Russell Group of universities.
Online learning is aimed at people who want to study for a postgraduate qualification alongside ongoing personal and professional commitments. Most of our students continue in their employment while they study.
The varied teaching can include:
- online lectures
- tutorials
- specialist external lectures
- scientific group discussions
- case studies
- problem-based learning scenarios
- literature-based research
- computer-assisted learning
- quizzes
Online students not only have access to Edinburgh's excellent resources, but also become part of a supportive online community, bringing together students and tutors from around the world.
Time commitment
This programme is designed to be fully flexible to fit around your schedule. You can study in your own time and access all your learning resources, such as reading lists, discussion forms and slides from anywhere in the world.
If there are live online sessions, you can watch a recording later in the virtual learning environment at a time convenient to you.
Typically, you will need to dedicate around 20 hours per week to your programme, although managing this is up to you. This may also vary from course to course, and the time commitment may increase when assignments are due.