Postgraduate Course: Biology of Animal Welfare (AWAB11055)
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 aims to introduce students to the concepts and mechanisms associated with animal welfare biology. It will focus on the fundamental biology underpinning welfare state with a focus on the behavioural, physiological and immune response before exploring the application of this knowledge to the assessment of welfare. |
| Course description |
Through the study of the underlying biology of both positive and negative affective states, students will gain knowledge of how to apply physiological and behavioural measurements to assess animal welfare. There will be particular focus on understanding how to assess stress and pain in animals, as well as how we can assess emotions such as happiness and pleasure. Students will be able to critically review and evaluate measures used in welfare assessment. By applying the scientific principles of welfare assessment and understanding of biology, this course will provide students with the knowledge and confidence to assess the welfare of a range of animals within differing contexts
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
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 |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 41,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 7,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 3,
External Visit Hours 4,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
141 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Feedback |
Students receive detailed written feedback for each marking criterion for each assessment. This includes feedback for each section overall, as well as individual comments in-text. Feedback includes what the student did well, where there is room for improvement, and any suggestions for anything that should stop (following the ¿traffic light¿ system of feedback. Feedback is tailored towards helping students understand how they can improve their future work, and is intended to ¿feedforward¿ rather than purely critique what has already been done. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of the concepts and mechanisms of animal welfare biology
- Synthesise existing knowledge, demonstrating an understanding of animal welfare assessment. Critically evaluate and communicate complex issues in the assessment of emotional states
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | animal welfare assessment,animal behaviour,physiology,biology,stress,pain,positive welfare |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Prof Susan Jarvis
Tel: (0131 6)50 7911
Email: susan.jarvis@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Linda Pollock
Tel: (0131) 650 6149
Email: Linda.Pollock@ed.ac.uk |
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