The University of Edinburgh – College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine
Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia (Online Learning) MSc, PgDip (ICL), PgCert (ICL), PgProfDev
Online, United Kingdom
MSc
DURATION
6 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
27 Nov 2026
EARLIEST START DATE
Jan 2027
TUITION FEES
GBP 19,100 *
STUDY FORMAT
* estimated total fee for veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia MSc
Key Summary
About: This online MSc/PgDip/PgCert in Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia at The University of Edinburgh covers advances in anesthesia, locoregional techniques, pain management and monitoring. The programme offers flexible year‑round study, species‑specific electives, mentoring and e‑resources. It's accredited by the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists (2022); Edinburgh is top 2%, QS 27 (2025).
Career Outcomes: This programme enables veterinarians, veterinary nurses and veterinary technicians to gain postgraduate qualifications, improve clinical practice and build portfolio. The MSc dissertation develops research skills and can lead to PhD study. Graduates may work as clinical anesthesia specialists, anesthesia technicians, hospital anesthesia leads, clinical researchers or academics.
Anaesthesia and analgesia have vital importance in improving animal welfare, facilitating veterinary treatment, as well as permitting the ongoing medical and surgical developments in a research context.
Advances in anaesthesia over the last 20 years have been considerable. For example, our knowledge of locoregional anaesthetic techniques and an ever-increasing array of treatment options to manage pain, alongside the wider availability of monitoring equipment, means we can aim to optimise animal welfare while reducing anaesthetic-related morbidity and mortality.
This programme allows you to study these advances, during which you can gain knowledge and understanding in the equipment, drugs and techniques associated with veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia.
The teaching team offers a diverse range of clinical and research experience across various species. Through the varied selection of elective courses, you can tailor the programme to suit your clinical interests, including topics such as ventilation, ethics, and non-technical skills, alongside species-specific courses.
Programme benefits
- Flexible learning throughout the year to match busy working lives
- Build a personal portfolio of skills and knowledge
- Demonstrate commitment to a chosen specialty
- 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.
Accreditation
Accreditation of this programme was awarded by the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists in 2022.
The Association was established in 1964 to promote the study of and research into the subject of anaesthesia and analgesia in animals. It also publishes the Journal of Veterinary Anaesthesia and has been active in the founding of the European College of Veterinary Anaesthesia.
The full degree programme is a total of 180 credits, divided into:
- Masters - 180 credits
- Diploma - 120 credits
- Certificate - 60 credits
- Individual courses - up to 50 credits
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
During the Dissertation phase, you will have the opportunity to further develop your scientific skills and utilise scientific theory. The form of the dissertation may vary to suit individual candidates, subject to approval of a submitted proposal.
The dissertation will be a piece of written work 10,000-15,000 words long, which may take the form of one of the following:
- a research study
- a clinical audit
- an extended literature review
Option courses
Elective courses
It is recommended that students take at least one species-related course.
*only available to students in their second year of study, or can be taken as part of the Diploma phase.
Species-related courses from within the Certificate phase are also available to Diploma phase students.
*recommended for students who intend to progress to the Dissertation phase.
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.
You will gain extensive knowledge, understanding and skills within the field of veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia, and a contextual understanding of past and present knowledge and ideas within the subject.
You will gain an awareness of the importance of anaesthesia and analgesia for animal welfare and its context in different situations, including how this is relevant for different societies. The programme encourages an intellectual curiosity, a willingness to question accepted wisdom, and openness to new ideas within the field.
You will also gain an ability to appreciate the significance of, and participate in, the critical analysis of new knowledge and understanding acquired through research and inquiry. Students are encouraged to develop:
- a capacity for independent, conceptual and creative thinking
- a capacity for problem identification
- an appreciation of the use of scientific methods in the collection of evidence, synthesis and analysis
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 Master's option.
This programme enables a variety of veterinary staff, including vets, vet nurses and technicians, to gain postgraduate qualifications.
Whilst working through the programme you will also acquire skills which are important for your own professional development, but will also enable you to improve clinical practice where you work.
In addition, those completing the MSc dissertation element will learn valuable research tools which will enable them to continue clinical research in the future.
Further study
After completing this programme, you may wish to consider applying for a PhD or other research programme.
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 MSc 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 personal and professional commitments. Most of our students continue in their employment while they study.
Expert tutors will support you through every stage of the programme and you can engage with fellow students in supportive and constructive online networks.
Courses are taught and completed entirely online. The varied teaching may 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 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.