THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2021/2022

Information in the Degree Programme Tables may still be subject to change in response to Covid-19

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies : Animal Welfare and Animal Behaviour

Postgraduate Course: Principles of Applied Animal Behaviour (AWAB11043)

Course Outline
SchoolRoyal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies CollegeCollege of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate)
Course typeOnline Distance Learning AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryThis course will provide students with a solid foundation of theoretical concepts which will be used throughout the Clinical Animal Behaviour programme.
Course description 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.

Course Objectives:
¿Critically appraise our current understanding of the ethology of vertebrate domestic animals including perceptual abilities, cognition, normal behaviour and communication, social learning and the process of domestication to include artificial selection.
¿Critically evaluate key principles underlying behavioural ontogeny; including sensitive periods, socialisation and attachment theory in order to communicate evidence based practice to others.
¿Critically evaluate the influences and interaction between ¿nature¿ and ¿nurture¿ in the development of behavioural disorders for a range of the most commonly kept domestic animals. Be able to debate this with your peers and produce preventative guidance for the general public
¿Demonstrate an understanding of the theory of animal learning relating to associative and non-associative processes
¿Examine the functional anatomy and physiology of the vertebrate nervous and endocrine systems including their role in mediating behaviour, the role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis and the anatomy and physiology of pain.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesNone
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2021/22, Not available to visiting students (SS1) Quota:  None
Course Start Flexible
Course Start Date 09/08/2021
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 200 ( Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 196 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) Online in-course assessments will incorporate a variety of activities constituting 100% of the overall course mark. These in-course assessments provide the opportunity to give students feedback on their performance during the course, and will include:
Reflective Review 50%
Client advice assessment 50%

Feedback Not entered
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the concepts and processes underpinning Tinbergen¿s four questions and their application to animal behaviour
  2. Communicate complex concepts from the relevant scientific literature to a range of audiences
  3. Debate complex issues relevant to the field of clinical animal behaviour with others and make informed judgements on best practice where guidance is lacking within the literature
Reading List
None
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Not entered
KeywordsAnimal Behaviour,Motivation,Cognition,Learning Theory,Neural mechanisms,Stress.
Contacts
Course organiserDr Amy Miele
Tel: (0131 6)51 7396
Email: amy.miele@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMrs Angela Harding
Tel: (0131 6)51 7363
Email: Angela.Harding@ed.ac.uk
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