Postgraduate courses in Animal Science

Do you have a natural love for animals and want a career in working with them?

Do you want to explore and learn about the foundations of animal life? Well, keep reading. You might have found the postgraduate course you’re looking for.

What is animal science?

Animal science looks at the biology of animals. It is concerned with the science and business of producing domestic livestock species, It is also concerned with animal nutrition, care and welfare.

It involves the application of knowledge and principles of science to the understanding of the production, processing and marketing of animal products and to the management and conservation of natural species.

How does Animal Science differ from Veterinary Science?

Animal Science is an alternative area of studying Veterinary Science. Animal Science looks at care management and production of farm animals and poultry species while Veterinary Science deals with the health and wellbeing of animals and is a degree that deals with medicine and encompasses everything from preventative care to surgeries. 

Courses

There are many courses in Animal Science to choose from across the UK. There are also courses which relate to Animal Science for those who want to work with animals in a few different ways. A postgraduate course in Animal Science usually takes one year to complete if studied at a full time level. However, there is often an option to study part-time with most courses which take two years to complete. 

Animal Science

A postgraduate course in Animal Science offers students the opportunity of biological, scientific and professional training. An Animal Science course involves a lot of study of animals under human control and students may work on collaborative studies with veterinarians and scientist in the field while learning about the processes of growth, breeding, nutrition and lactation of farm animals and pets. 

Animal Behaviour

This is not exactly a course in Animal Science but it is closely related and might also be of interest to those looking to work with animals. A course in Animal Behaviour is more related to psychology. Students will learn how to formulate, test and carry out research as well as critically analyse results. Such courses give an insight into the varied means of performing animal behaviour research in zoos, laboratories and other settings of human management. 

Entry Requirements

Entry requirements may differ from course to course or in different Universities but as it is a postgraduate degree, usually the minimum requirement in a honours degree in a related field. Some course may require a 2.2 degree while others may require the minimum of a 2.1 degree.

In the case of Animal Science, related fields include an undergraduate in Biological Science, Agricultural Science or closely related disciplines. Quite a few courses may also require non native English speakers to take an English proficiency test. 

Career options 

• Agribusiness
• Animal breeding 
• Animal behaviour 
• Animal research 
• Animal development 
• Academia and training
• Commercial enterprise 
• Government agencies 
• Advisory work 

Salary expectation  

In the UK, the average salary for an Animal Scientist is approximately £54,000 annually but can range anywhere from £39,000 to £67,000. 

Skills and requirements 

• Critical thinker 
• Strong verbal and written communication 
• Strong research skills
• Team leader
• Strong reading and writing skills
• Time management
• Be able to understand and analyse information 
• Work well under pressure
• Excellent presentation skills