MSc International Animal Welfare (Distance Learning)

This programme delivers a multidisciplinary, global approach to animal welfare, combining world-leading scientific expertise with the practical and communication skills needed to drive real-world change.

Location: Non Campus Specific
Study mode: Distance Learning (3 years)
Subject area: Animal and Biological Sciences
Start date: September 2026
Agency code: MIAW

Apply now

Programme overview

This distance learning programme can be done in 3 years, but you may choose to complete it in up to 6 years.

Animal welfare is a critical global issue, fundamental to sustainability, food security, reliable scientific research and meeting societal expectations for our treatment of animals. The field urgently requires professionals who can navigate the complexity of these animal welfare issues from an international perspective.

The MSc in International Animal Welfare prepares you to become an expert with a contemporary understanding of animal welfare issues, able to devise the evidence-based solutions required to solve complex problems in animal welfare from an international perspective.

We equip our students with the skills and knowledge to make a real difference to the lives of animals worldwide.

Teaching approaches are grounded in real world animal contexts using problem-based learning, collaboration, and evidence basis. We prepare our students to be able to apply the range of communication skills needed to effectively communicate Animal Welfare to a wide range of stakeholders.

The programme supports students in developing as adaptive professionals who can learn independently, respond to rapid change and apply expertise responsibility across diverse contexts.

The SRUC Legacy

SRUC is highly renowned for their animal behaviour and welfare research and for driving innovation in animal welfare. SRUC jointly pioneered the development of the first MSc in Animal Welfare in the world. We have been at the forefront in research and educating leaders in animal behaviour and welfare for more than 35 years. We now want to expand our global impact by making this course accessible anywhere in the world through our distance learning programme.

Ideal for a Career in Animal Welfare – Master of Science (MSc)

If you are looking for advanced specialist training in animal welfare, the MSc in International Animal Welfare provides a comprehensive level of expertise, combining advanced taught modules with an original research dissertation. It is an ideal choice for professionals who want to lead the future of animal welfare.

Why MSc at SRUC?

Designed for busy professionals: our part-time online delivery allows you to balance your studies with full-time work and family. If you are working or volunteering in the field, you can apply the welfare knowledge you gain directly to your current role from day one.

A Global Network: Join a thriving community of international learners and a vast network of contacts. Our platform allows you to collaborate with peers from different countries and backgrounds. Similarly, SRUC has a large network of researchers and contacts in diverse fields from welfare science, veterinary practice, conservation, charities, to policymaking, which brings real-world case studies/research, as well as potential for making professional networking.

The opportunity to develop novel research based on your interests: You get a platform to transform your professional interests into an original contribution to the field. Through our self-directed dissertation, you will lead a significant research study based on your specific interests, under the guidance of world class researchers as supervisors. This gives you the opportunity to showcase your ability and autonomy in executing independent projects, analytical skills, and creative problem-solving. This can be a competitive advantage for employability, career prospects, or if you decide to further your studies into a PhD.

If you would prefer not to take on the full commitment of doing our MSc, you can start taking our short courses, PgCert or PgDip and then transfer your credits to the MSc.

Postgraduate Certificate International Animal Welfare

Postgraduate Diploma International Animal Welfare

Ready to make a difference in animal welfare? If you have any questions or need more information before applying, reach out to the team at: animal.welfare@sruc.ac.uk

Additional Information

: You can apply for this course using the apply now button located at the top and bottom of this page. Detailed information on how to apply can be found on our applications instructions page.

International students can also speak with a local authorised agent in their country who can assist you in applying for this course. Find your local agent by visiting our SRUC in your country page.
: Applications are accepted from those with at least a 2:2 Honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject area.

We also welcome applications from individuals with degrees in a wider range of disciplines, and/or who have relevant experience, along with clear motivation for the programme.

If English is not your first language, documentation of your English language proficiency is required (IELTS results above 6.0 with no subtests under 5.5). Results of other tests or previous degree taught in English can be considered on a case-by-case basis. More details can be found at English language requirements.
: Take a look around the SRUC Virtual Experience for lots of great student videos and examples of what it’s like to study our courses, along with campus and facility tours.
: SRUC holds open days regularly. Visit our listings page for details of our up-coming events.
: Scotland has so much to offer, it’s no wonder that each year thousands of students from across the globe make it their number one choice for their study destination.

Learn more about studying at SRUC in Scotland
: Although not mandatory, our annual study trips are designed to complement SRUC’s practical, hands-on approach to learning, allowing you to engage directly with agricultural, environmental, and rural industries in diverse global contexts.

Learn more about where we're going this year.
: SRUC offers a choice of campus locations and accommodation options. Learn more about each campus, including its facilities and accommodation options, by visiting our campus pages.
: Starting a postgraduate course is a big step. If you have any questions or need more information, our team is happy to help at animal.welfare@sruc.ac.uk

Or, for general enquiries:

Phone:

From inside the UK: 0800 269 453
British Sign Language (BSL) users can contact us through an interpreter via Contact Scotland BSL

From outside the UK: +44 (0) 131 535 4000

Email:

Scottish, Irish, and UK students: study@sruc.ac.uk

International students: internationalstudents@sruc.ac.uk

Online:

All prospective students are welcome to contact us by filling in our online enquiry form
: Postgraduate Certificate International Animal Welfare

Postgraduate Diploma International Animal Welfare

MSc Wildlife and Conservation Management

Postgraduate Diploma Wildlife and Conservation Management

Postgraduate Certificate Wildlife and Conservation Management

What you'll learn

We support our students in developing the skills, knowledge and attitudes needed to make a real difference to the lives of animals worldwide. You will develop a comprehensive suite of scientific and practical skills, including:

Scientific Literacy: You will gain the skills to synthesize information, recognize the reliability of sources, and establish evidence-based conclusions that advance the field of animal welfare.

Evidence-Based Problem Solving: Develop the ability to navigate global welfare dilemmas. You will learn to recommend solutions that integrate scientific theories with the cultural, social, and economic realities of different international contexts.

Professional Impact: Beyond the science, we focus on you. You will become proficient in adapting your communication style to influence diverse audiences, from scientific peers to policymakers and the public.

Professional Practice: Apply science- based evidence for advancing animal welfare in veterinary practice, animal research, animal management and care, animal production, welfare inspection, wild animal welfare, within the context of business, Non-Governmental Organisations or policy making.

Research skills (MSc): Design and execute original research studies, using both quantitative and qualitative data to contribute new knowledge to the field or influence policy.

The MSc in International Animal Welfare has 3 core modules:

Principles of Animal Welfare Science.
International Animal Welfare: Policy, Ethics and Practice.
Research Methods.

You also get to take on your choice of four elective modules from our offering, including some modules from other MSc programmes in SRUC (e.g. specific courses within Wildlife and Conservation Management and Business MScs).

Once you have completed all taught credits you will progress to the dissertation element. Here you will plan and execute your own original research project.

Course modules

: This module provides students with the key knowledge and language to practically engage with the evolving concepts of animal welfare science. The module bridges the gap between scientific theory and practical assessment. You will gain a robust command of the underpinning evidence used to measure animal welfare across diverse species and environments. By introducing you to the global challenges facing the field today, this course empowers you to use scientific evidence to evaluate and improve animal welfare in a variety of professional contexts.
: This module engages with the ethical and policy aspects of our relationship with the animals under our care, reflecting on the diversity of approaches on the world stage. It invites you to critically examine the diverse approaches to the consideration of animals, different ethical viewpoints used to evaluate animal use and gain insight to how policy is shaped, evaluated, and enforced. By integrating ethics, policy, and practice, you will learn to identify gaps in current regulations and develop the expertise to make high-impact recommendations for policy change.
: How is scientific evidence generated? In this module you will acquire an understanding of the methodologies for the design and execution of experiments, data analysis and communicating findings. It provides an introduction to research methods used in the animal welfare field, as well as practical skills that you can use to design your own original research project or dissertation thesis.
: Improving animal welfare often involves understanding human behaviour and influencing their actions towards animals. This module will consider human psychology and address the latest science affecting human behaviour, with the aim of developing skills to effectively change attitudes and actions towards animals and improve animal welfare.
: The welfare of wild animals is a new and emerging area that can be challenging to define and evaluate from a practical and ethical perspective. Therefore, the aim of this module, generated through an important collaboration between SRUC and Wild Animal Initiative, is to introduce you to the concepts and theories in this emerging field and provide the knowledge and skills to assess animal welfare in the wild or free-living situation.
: This module aims to provide you with the background necessary to understand the welfare challenges for species kept as companions. It will delve on the management, human animal relationships and welfare assessment in dogs, cats and other species. We will discuss common welfare issues, their ethical implications and legislation. The module will provide opportunities for you to use creative thinking to develop evidence-based solutions and communicate with stakeholders to improve animal welfare.
: Billions of animals are kept globally for food production, and their welfare has been the subject of ethical concern, research, legislation, and debate for decades. SRUC is the home of some of the most influential scientists in the field of production animal behaviour and welfare who will share their expertise.

This module aims to provide you with an understanding of key animal welfare issues in production systems and why humans use animals in major global animal production systems. You will explore the role of domestication and selective breeding in production animal behaviour and welfare, the cultural and socio-economic impacts on production animal welfare, the approaches to welfare assessment and how animal welfare science can provide solutions to welfare problems.
: Horses play many different roles in society globally; ranging from working animals to providing traction power and load carrying, in competitive sport, and as leisure animals for recreational use. In this module, you will focus on these diverse roles, how they impact on the horse’s welfare and strategies being used to assess and improve horse welfare worldwide.
: Your dissertation is a self-directed project supported by expert supervision, allowing you to make an innovative contribution to the field of animal welfare. You will execute a significant independent research study.

Fees and funding

Visit our fees and funding section for more information about postgraduate study.

Meet the lecturer

Alastair Lawrence

Professor

I carried out my PhD on sheep social behaviour under the supervision of Professor David Wood-Gush (an early founder of animal welfare science) before building a team of researchers focusing on the application of animal behaviour to interpret and improve animal welfare in a range of farm species. My past research interests have included the aetiology of stereotypic behaviour, the measurement of stress and negative emotional states, the role of early experience in neonatal development and welfare, the genetics of behavioural traits and young peoples’ perceptions of animal welfare. Since stepping down as Head of the Animal & Veterinary Science Group (SRUC) in 2014, I have been working on positive animal welfare including conceptual work and experimental research on play behaviour and environmental enrichment. More recently, I have begun work on the concept of brain health and the relevance of this to animal health and welfare.

Françoise Wemelsfelder

Professor

As a biologist and professor, my main research interest is the understanding of animal consciousness, and following from that, the study of animals as whole sentient beings, bringing insights from philosophy of mind and social anthropology into the scientific assessment of animal emotion and well-being. This interest led me to develop, in collaboration with SRUC colleagues and research teams around the world, a methodology called ‘Qualitative Behaviour Assessment’ (QBA), which enables observers to describe and quantify emotionally expressive qualities that emerge from the way animals engage with their environment (e.g. relaxed, curious, fearful, distressed). I work with colleagues in different fields and industries to apply QBA in research and as a practical tool for welfare management in farm, zoo, and companion animals. My experience of cross-disciplinary thought was much enriched by a sabbatical year (2011) in the department of social anthropology at the University of Aberdeen. In recent years I have focused on the development and field-trialling of a QBA mobile application for data collection and analysis with various industry partners.

Get in touch

Dr Laura Dixon

Senior Lecturer

I have been working in the field of animal behaviour and welfare for over 20 years with research mainly focusing on poultry, dogs and rabbits. I have worked with various NGO and industry partners and have been an invited speaker at different events worldwide. I have also been involved in leading and lecturing on programmes ranging from HNC to MSc, am involved in developing and delivering lectures to vet and vet nurse students, and provides supervision for BSc, MSc and PhD students. My main research interests include welfare assessment measures, assessing motivation in animals and behaviour assessment of animals when exposed to different environments or stimuli. I also have a soft spot for rescue dogs, and I instruct in dog training classes in my spare time.

Dr Miguel Somarriba Soley

Lecturer

I am a Lecturer at SRUC and a veterinarian specialised in animal behaviour and welfare.

My academic background includes an MSc and PhD completed at SRUC and the University of Edinburgh. I bring over a decade of experience in higher education, having taught at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. I previously served as Deputy Director for the MSc in International Animal Welfare, Ethics and Law, as well as the MSc in Applied Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare.

Prior to my academic career in the UK, I worked in private veterinary practice and on projects providing free veterinary care in rural and indigenous communities in Latin America, and also worked for World Animal Protection in their Animals in Disasters program. I have experience in animal training, clinical animal behaviour, and behaviour modification in captive animals.

My current research interests focus on animal welfare, applied animal behaviour (particularly on cognition and behaviour modification), as well as on the physiology of stress in domestic animals and the links between the microbiome and behaviour.

I am also actively involved in the wider welfare community through my collaboration with the International Centre for Animal Welfare Science (ICAWS) and as a member of the Wild Animal Welfare Committee.