Postgraduate Course: International Animal Welfare Science (AWAB11020)
Course Outline
| School | Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies |
College | College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course enables you to critically understand the concept of animal welfare and the underpinning scientific evidence used to assess welfare in animals. You will be introduced to societal and cultural influences and global challenges in animal welfare, and to the complex relationships between humans and non-human animals. |
| Course description |
Animal welfare is underpinned by scientific evidence and cultural influences. Global challenges reflect the complex relationship between humans and non-human animals in a variety of different fields. In this course, you will receive a background in the scientific understanding of animal welfare, including physiology, behaviour, and human factors, and integrate these concepts into the critical evaluation of animal care, management, and husbandry.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2026/27, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
MVM Online Learning Block 1 |
| Course Start Date |
21/09/2026 |
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 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Assessment of this course will include written work (e.g., essays, reports, research proposals), presentations, and group activities. Assessment briefs will be published on Learn at the beginning of the course. Please contact the programme team for more details. |
| Feedback |
Students will receive written or oral feedback on summative assessments within 3 weeks of assessment due date
Formative assessment will be used to help students shape summative work.
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| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of the principal theories and concepts of animal welfare science, including recognition that animal welfare is multi-dimensional and involves a number of societal and scientific aspects that need to be integrated when addressing a welfare problem.
- Critically evaluate complex issues in the assessment of animal welfare and communicate to different audiences.
- Apply critical analysis, evaluation and synthesis of the scientific research in animal welfare to develop ideas about potential solutions.
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Reading List
| A course reading list will be provided with relevant resources to support the teaching materials. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Knowledge and skills will include:
A. Research and Enquiry
Graduates of the University will be able to create new knowledge and opportunities for learning through the process of research and enquiry. This may be understood in terms of the following:
- be able to identify, define and analyse problems and identify or create processes to solve them
- be able to exercise critical judgment in creating new understanding
- be ready to ask key questions and exercise rational enquiry
- be able to critically assess existing understanding and the limitations of their own knowledge and recognise the need to regularly challenge all knowledge
- search for, evaluate and use information to develop their knowledge and understanding
- have an informed respect for the principles, methods, standards, values and boundaries of their discipline(s) and the capacity to question these
- understand economic, legal, ethical, social, cultural and environmental issues in the use of information
B. Personal and Intellectual Autonomy
Graduates of the University will be able to work independently and sustainably, in a way that is informed by openness, curiosity and a desire to meet new challenges. This may be understood in terms of the following:
- be independent learners who take responsibility for their own learning, and are committed to continuous reflection, self-evaluation and self-improvement
- be able to make decisions on the basis of rigorous and independent thought, taking into account ethical and professional issues
- be able to use collaboration and debate effectively to test, modify and strengthen their own views
- be intellectually curious and able to sustain intellectual interest
- be able to respond effectively to unfamiliar problems in unfamiliar contexts
C. Communication
Graduates of the University will recognise and value communication as the tool for negotiating and creating new understanding, collaborating with others, and furthering their own learning. This may be understood in terms of the following:
- make effective use of oral, written and visual means to critique, negotiate, create and communicate understanding
- use communication as a tool for collaborating and relating to others
- further their own learning through effective use of the full range of communication approaches
- seek and value open feedback to inform genuine self-awareness
- recognise the benefits of communicating with those beyond their immediate environments
- use effective communication to articulate their skills as identified through self-reflection
D. Personal Effectiveness
Graduates of the University will be able to effect change and be responsive to the situations and environments in which they operate. This may be understood in terms of the following:
- appreciate and use talents constructively, demonstrating self-discipline, motivation, adaptability, persistence and professionalism
- be able to manage risk while initiating and managing change
- be able to flexibly transfer their knowledge, learning, skills and abilities from one context to another
- understand social, cultural, global and environmental responsibilities and issues
- be able to work effectively with others, capitalising on their different thinking, experience and skills
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| Keywords | Animal Welfare,Animal Behaviour,Welfare Assessment,Animal Sentience,Sustainability,One Health |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Sarah Brown
Tel:
Email: sbrown13@exseed.ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Stephen Mitchell
Tel: (0131 6)51 7112
Email: stephen.mitchell@ed.ac.uk |
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