International Animal Welfare, Ethics and Law (Online Learning) MSc, PgDip (ICL), PgCert (ICL), PgProfDev

Level: Postgraduate taught

Subject: Veterinary Medicine

Year of entry: 2026

Study options

Mode of study

Online learning

Part-time intermittent study
  • PgProfDev | 2 years | Start date: multiple dates
  • MSc | 6 years | Start date: September 2026
  • PgCert (ICL) | 2 years | Start date: September 2026
  • PgDip (ICL) | 4 years | Start date: September 2026
Part-time
  • MSc | 3 years | Start date: September 2026

Key facts

School

Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies

College

College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine

Programme website
Accreditation

Not available

Apply now

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About the degree programme

The overall objective of this online distance learning programme is to provide knowledge and an understanding of animal welfare science, with a focus on the international issues arising from animal use in all its forms.

Animals are a hugely important part of our world, relied upon for food, used as research models, companions, working animals, for sport and in recreation. 

More than 60 billion land animals are raised for meat each year around the world, and with increasing meat consumption in places such as China, these figures are set to rise. 

Animal welfare is and must be a key priority; understanding and enhancing it is necessary for protecting animal health, human health and environmental protection. 

The programme offers courses in a variety of areas, including:

  • history, culture and concepts of animal welfare
  • animal behaviour
  • animal welfare assessment
  • animal ethics
  • recommendations and policy
  • legislation, regulation and enforcement
  • science communication
  • applied animal welfare - production, companion and captive wild animals

The School was the first UK veterinary school to offer an on-campus Applied Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare masters in 1990 and has continued to build a team of internationally acclaimed animal welfare experts to offer this online programme. 

Study options

PhaseDurationCredits
Masters3-6 years180
Diploma2-4 years120
Certificate1-2 years60
Individual courses*up to 2 yearsup to a maximum of 50

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).

Programme benefits

  • Flexible learning throughout the year to match busy working lives.
  • Complements the timetable of MSc Equine Science, which allows you to choose elective courses on Equine Behaviour and Welfare.
  • Build a personal portfolio of clinical and non-clinical skills and knowledge
  • Demonstrate commitment to a chosen clinical 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.

We had the best lecturers from around the world. The top animal ethicists and animal welfare scientists were there for us to talk to online and it was just so inspiring.

Jane Stirling MSc International Animal Welfare, Ethics and Law graduate

Tuition fees

Tuition fees by award and duration

Tuition fees for full-time and part-time options are listed for one academic year.

Part-time intermittent study
Part-time

Graduate discount

If you are a University of Edinburgh graduate, you will be eligible for a 10% discount on your tuition fees for this programme. You may also be eligible if you were a visiting undergraduate student.

Find out how to receive your graduate discount

Deposit

You do not have to pay a deposit to secure your place on this programme.

Funding opportunities

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
  • scholarships

Explore sources of funding for postgraduate study

Search for other funding opportunities

You can find scholarships, bursaries and other funding you might be eligible for on our Scholarships and Student Funding site.

Postgraduate funding opportunities

These entry requirements are for the 2026-27 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2027-28 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2026.

Qualifications

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in animal science, biology, psychology, zoology or veterinary science.

We may also consider your application if you have a degree in social science, ethics or law, or if you are an experienced veterinary nurse; please contact the programme team to check before you apply.

If you have relevant work experience and an undergraduate degree in an area other than science, law, ethics or social science we may also consider your application. Please contact the programme team to check before you apply. You may be admitted to the certificate level or Postgraduate Professional Development only in the first instance.

Computer Requirements

This is an online programme so you will be accessing materials, discussion boards and a range of tools via the internet. While the programme team and the University's Information Services (IS) department provide distance learning support, please remember that you are still responsible for your own technical set-up.

You are not expected to be a technical whizz, and we provide guidance and training for the tools we use. However, we expect that you will take responsibility for your access to the programme, make back-ups of your work and organise alternative access if required.

Computer Requirements

International qualifications

To find international equivalent qualifications, select where you studied from the country or region list.

English language requirements

You must prove that your English language abilities are at a high enough level to study this degree programme.

This is the case for all applicants, including UK nationals.

You can meet our English language requirements with one of the following:

  • an English language test
  • a degree that was taught and assessed in English
  • certain professional qualifications

English language tests we accept

We accept any of the following English language tests, at the specified grade or higher:

  • IELTS Academic: total 6.5 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 92 with at least 20 in each component We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
  • C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 176 with at least 169 in each component.
  • Trinity ISE: ISE II with distinctions in all four components.
  • Oxford ELLT: total 7 with at least 6 in each component.
  • Oxford Test of English Advanced: total 145 with at least 135 in each component.
How old your English language tests can be
Tests no more than two years old

The following English language tests must be no more than two years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality:

  • IELTS Academic
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition)
  • Trinity ISE
  • Oxford ELLT
  • Oxford Test of English Advanced
Tests no more than three and a half years old

All other English language tests must be no more than three and a half years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality.   

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English-speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration.

UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English-speaking countries (non-MESC).

Approved universities in non-MESC

How old your degree can be

If you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts.

This time limit does not apply to your degree if you are a national of a majority English-speaking country.

Find out more about our English language requirements

Find out about other English language qualifications we accept, including professional qualifications.

English language requirements

What you will study

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
Certificate phaseCredits
International Animal Welfare Science 20
Animal Ethics, Policy and Law 20
Dissertation phaseCredits
Dissertation60 - must be written within a 12-month period

In order to progress to the final level to attain the Masters (dissertation element), you will have to: 

  • Pass at least 80 credits of coursework with a mark of at least 50% in each of the courses which make up these credits (including the two core courses) and no mark <40% for any course
  • Gain a minimum average mark of 50% for the 120 credits

Option courses

Elective courses
From International Animal Welfare, Ethics and LawCredits
Captive and free-range wild animal welfare20
International cat and dog welfare20
Production animal welfare20
Welfare of animals used for scientific purposes20
From related programmesCredits
Anthrozoology20
Clinical animal behaviour20
Equine behaviour, welfare and ethics20
Equitation science20
Making science relevant to policy and decision-making20
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. 

Individual courses available within this programme

Find courses for this programme

Find out what courses you can study on this programme and how each of them are taught and assessed.

The courses on offer may change from year to year, but the course information will give you an idea of what to expect on this programme.

Part-time intermittent study

We link to the latest information available. This may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

Disclaimer

Elective courses listed are a selection of popular choices of students on this programme. Course availability is dependent on the number of students, and availability of places on non-programme owned courses. We cannot guarantee that all courses will be available to all students each year.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

Courses are taught and completed entirely online. The varied teaching may include:

  • online lectures
  • tutorials
  • specialist external lectures
  • group discussions
  • case studies
  • problem-based learning scenarios
  • literature-based research
  • quizzes

Support for your studies

You will have access to a range of support services if you need them throughout your degree.

We will assign you to a student adviser, and this should be the first person to contact if you need help. They can guide you to other University service teams depending on what support you need.  

How we support you

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.

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.

Find out more about the benefits and practicalities of studying for an online degree:

Postgraduate online learning

Watch our video to see how online learning works.

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.  

Equipment and software needs

To study this online programme, you will need access to:   

  • a computer or laptop  
  • the internet  
  • the latest version of a web browser  

As an online student, you will have access to a range of software you can download to help you complete your coursework, including Microsoft Office 365. 

IT support is available if you have technical difficulties.  

IT and computing help

Support for online students

Support for online students is given as much emphasis as for our on-campus learners. The learning technology is fully interactive and enables you to communicate with our highly qualified teaching staff from the comfort of your own home or workplace.

A dedicated e-Learning team ensures the programme runs smoothly and the programme is supported by an experienced team of academic and administrative staff. Each student is also provided with a Student Adviser.

Further study

After completing this programme, you may wish to consider applying for a PhD or other research programme.

Applying for research degrees

Moving on to a PhD (advice from the University's Careers Service)

Graduate profiles

MSc International Animal Welfare, Ethics and Law graduate Deborah Calantropio-Covington reflects on her experience on the programme, including the flexibility of online learning, why she chose this programme, and what she has gained from it.

I qualified as a vet 40 years ago and it was a big decision to return to education after all that time, but it was one of the best decisions I've ever made. 

The International Animal Welfare, Ethics and Law programme was wonderful, made so by a great programme team, and my thinking has broadened is so many different directions.

I loved the global interactions made possible by the online nature of the programme and I would highly recommend it to anyone, at any stage, of their career. 

Meta Osborne - MSc International Animal Welfare, Ethics and Law, 2023

The degree was captivating and provided an in-depth and relevant education that I am truly grateful for. 

Poppy Sibthorpe - MSc International Animal Welfare, Ethics and Law, 2023

Careers Service

Our Careers Service can help you to fully develop your potential and achieve your future goals. 

The Careers Service supports you not only while you are studying at the University, but also for up to two years after you finish your studies. 

With the Careers Service, you can: 

  • access digital resources to help you understand your skills and strengths
  • try different types of experiences and reflect on how and what you develop
  • get help finding work, including part-time jobs, vacation work, internships and graduate jobs
  • attend careers events and practice interviews
  • get information and advice to help you make informed decisions 

Visit the Careers Service website 

How to apply

You apply online for this programme. After you read the application guidance, select your preferred programme, then choose 'Start your application' to begin.

When to apply

Programme start date Application deadline
7 January 2026 30 November 2025
1 April 2026 28 February 2026
14 September 2026 21 August 2026

We encourage you to apply as soon as possible so that we have enough time to process your application. This is particularly important if you are also applying for funding. Applications may close earlier than published deadlines if there is exceptionally high demand.

For an application to be reviewed, it must be a complete application by the application deadline with all supporting documentation uploaded, including references and transcripts.

If you already have evidence that you meet the English language entry requirements, such as via an approved English language test, please upload this evidence at the time of your application. If you have not already met your English language requirements, please upload that evidence as soon as you have it.

Applicants to the PgProfDev programme can join in September, January or April.

Applicants who wish to take advantage of UK government funding must commence their programme of study in September and confirm this at the point of application.

Application fee

There is no fee to apply to this programme.

What you need to apply

As part of your online application, you will need to provide: 

You will also need to submit some or all of the following supporting documents:

When you start your application, you will be able to see the full list of documents you need to provide.

You must submit one reference with your application.

Apply

Select the award, duration and delivery mode you want to study. Then select the start date you want to apply for.

After you apply

Once you have applied for this programme, you will be able to track the progress of your application and accept or decline any offers.

Checking the status of your application

We will notify you by email once we have made a decision. Due to the large number of applications we receive, it might take a while until you hear from us.

Receiving our decision

What to do if you receive an offer:

Academic contact

Dr Jill Mackay

Programme Director

Contact details

Address

Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies
Easter Bush Campus
The University of Edinburgh
EH25 9RG

Related degree programmes

Other degrees in Veterinary Medicine

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