AMaster's course in Applied Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare is being taught at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies at the University of Edinburgh. Dr. Natalie Waran, the course director, will be relocating from the College of Science and Engineering to the Division of Veterinary Clinical Studies at the Easter Bush Veterinary Centre, and the new intake of students will all be based at Easter Bush.
The course, which is the first and only postgraduate degree in the subject area, was first mounted in October 1990 under the direction of Professor David Wood-Gush and, so far, has welcomed over< 200 students from different countries around the world. It has earned a strong international reputation and the support of many well-known animal welfare organizations in the UK and in Europe, including the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Advocates for Animals, the British Veterinary Association, and the Universities' Federation for Animal Welfare.
The aim of the course is to provide students with knowledge and understanding of animal behavior and welfare that can be applied effectively in science, and in practice. Dr. Waran has emphasized that this unique Master's course has developed rapidly over the past 12 years and this move to the veterinary school will provide new students with exciting opportunities. Although the focus of the course will remain the same, the range of options available to students will widen to include more on captive and free-living wildlife, as well as companion animals and welfare issues related to laboratory animal use.
Web pages relating to the course can be found at www.vet.ed.ac.uk/animalbehaviour/index.html
