MSc Programme in Animal Science

The programme is organized in accordance with Danish Ministerial Order no. 814 of 29 June 2010 on bachelor and master’s programmes (candidatus) at universities. The programme is offered under the Veterinary Science Study Board.

Graduation from the programme confers the degree Master of Science in Animal Science (Cand. Scient i husdyrvidenskab).

Chapter 1. The programme’s objective and competence profile

1.1 The programme’s objective

The overall objective of the Master of Science in Animal Science is to educate candidates who:

• are capable of designing strategies for the use of animals in favor of human welfare in its widest perspective (economy, animal derived food, human physical and mental health) whilst considering animal welfare and environmental sustainability
• hold solid theoretical knowledge and methodological skills in applied quantitative biology, including body structure-function-performance-welfare relationships in healthy animals
• are capable of analyzing problems from a holistic view and of designing solution models of relevance to the sector, public administration, research and education, in a national as well as international context
• possess the academic qualifications required to perform research, development, and disseminate knowledge at various levels based on a broad knowledge of the animal sector and its importance to the national and international society.

1.2 The programme’s general profile

MSc in Animal Science is a natural science programme, which is based on a completed bachelor degree. It offers a coherent education within animal science and qualifies graduates to find solutions and design strategies for the use of animals in favor of human welfare in its widest perspective (economy, animal derived foods, human physical and mental health), whilst considering animal welfare and environmental sustainability in a national and international context.

1.3 The programme’s employment prospects

The programme is intended for students who wish to work with the complex problem situations related to animals. The programme aims to qualify graduates to find solutions, which secures animal welfare and performance. The programme provides students with a range of competences within disciplinary and applied fields, which forms a good foundation for a broad range of career opportunities:

• Advising and consultancy in production, health and performance of animals, nationally and internationally, e.g. in development projects or as independent consultant
• Research, innovation and product development within animal production and system development, feed production and quality and companion animal performance and health, in public institutions, private business or in own enterprise
• Policy development and administration related to animal production and welfare, in both the public sector (ministries and municipalities) and in private organizations, including international NGOs
• Teaching and communication in universities or agricultural schools, technical colleges or to the broader public

1.4 The programme’s competence profile

During the MSc programme in Animal Science students will acquire the following knowledge, skills and competences. These competences are acquired through participation in core modules. In addition, the student will acquire a number of individual qualifications through elective courses and by writing an MSc thesis. After completion of the programme, a person holding an MSc in Animal Science should be able to:

1.4.1 Knowledge

• Demonstrate insight into the biological and management determinants of and constraints to animal production and performance (quantitatively and qualitatively) in animal husbandry systems
• Account for knowledge into the factors influencing animal performance, welfare and longevity as well as maintenance of animal health
• Demonstrate knowledge on the impact of animal husbandry systems on environmental sustainability in a national and international context
• Demonstrate knowledge on the socioeconomic importance and impact of the animal sector and principles for regulation of the sector
• Critically reflect on animal production theory, including performance factors, performance goals, performance functions, criteria of optimality, utility theory and the impact of external environmental and legislative constraints and limitations
• Account for understanding of the interaction of animal husbandry systems with the surrounding environment and of factors influencing sustainability (economical, environmental and social) of the animal sector in a national and international context
• Critically reflect on scientific methods used within the subject areas of the programme
• Account for knowledge about the interaction between production of animal derived foods, legislation and society both nationally and internationally
• Critically reflect on optimal management strategies in animal units for sustenance of animal health, welfare and performance

1.4.2 Skills

• Handle complex issues in domestic animal science, interpreting information in a systematic and competent way to make informed judgments and design programmes and solutions to problems that may arise, bearing in mind the limitations of existing theories
• Apply animal performance/production theory, e.g. for monitoring, analysis and planning of actual animal units across different animal species under a utility function with attributes like monetary income, working conditions, animal welfare, performance criteria, product quality and interaction with environment and society
• Apply biological models to quantify complex life processes underlying animal performance, from cellular to whole body level, considering the impact of genetic, physiological and nutritional factors and interaction with the surrounding close environment
• Summarise and explain the management basis for optimizing animal husbandry/production units from an animal welfare, economical and environmental perspective
• Evaluate and discuss sustainability of and technology use in animal based food production and other systems from different perspectives and make informed judgments and design programmes and solutions to problems that may arise
• Use relevant scientific principles to develop new solutions for optimization and improvement of performance, health and welfare status of animals, and the quality of their physical/technical environment
• Participate in informed judgement based policy making to regulate the use of animals and their interaction with environment and society in a national and international context
• Communicate domestic animal science clearly and effectively to specialist and non-specialist audiences, at a variety of levels, using modern and appropriate information and communication tools in the work process

1.4.3 Competences

• Capacity for independent thought, creativity and rigour in the application of knowledge and skills in work situations or in research
• Participate in public discussions of the impact of animals and animal production on society (including human physical and mental health) and environment, both from an international and a national perspective
• Manage complex and unpredictable work and development scenarios within the professional scope of the programme
• Work independently and effectively on an individual basis, as well as in project teams and interdisciplinary environments, cooperate with relevant partners, discuss solutions and reach consensus
• Reformulate existing theories, principles and research findings to independently generate new hypotheses and theories
• Use lifelong learning as a principle to independently evaluate and structure learning processes and assume responsibility for continuous professional development

Chapter 2. Degree programme content

2.1 Content

The programme is set at a total of 120 credits, equivalent to two full years of study.

The programme must include the following elements:

• A thesis of 30 or 45 credits
• Compulsory courses of minimum 45 credits
• Core courses of minimum 15 credits
• Elective courses of 15 credits

Thesis (30 or 45 credits), compulsory courses and core courses (at least 45 or 60 credits) must comprise at least 105 credits.

Thesis: The thesis must be 30 or 45 credits. Theses of 45 credits must have an experimental character. The thesis must be within the subject area of Animal Science.

Compulsory courses are:

260048 Animal Production Science – 15 credits

260049 Animals and Sustainability – 7.5 credits *

and 22.5 credits chosen from the following list:

260050 Advanced Animal Production Science – 15 credits

260051 Equine Nutrition and Management of Horses – 15 credits

260033 Nutrition and Management of Companion and Exotic Animals – 15 credits

240052 Aquaculture**– 7.5 credits

240061 Fish Diseases** – Theory and Practise* – 7.5 credits

260045 Quantitative Genetics, Genomics and Breeding – 15 credits

260052 Advanced Quantitative Method in Herd Management – 7.5 credits

290077 Animals in Society – 7.5 credits

* Students admitted before 1 September 2011 to the MSc programme in Agriculture, with specialization in Domestic Animal Science are transferred to the MSc programme in Animal Science. Transferred student does not have to follow the compulsory course in Animals and Sustainability.

**Aquaculture – 7.5 credits and Fish Diseases – Theory and Practise – 7.5 credits are together identical to Aquaculture and Fish Diseases – 15 credits

Core courses amounting to a minimum of 15 credits must in addition be elected from the following list of core courses (or from the above list of compulsory courses).

240019 Genome and Cell Biology – 7.5 credits

240050 Immunology – Theoretical – 7.5 credits

240051 Immunology – 15 credits

290015 EU-ret – miljø, fødevarer og jordbrug – 7.5 credits

290045 Investering og Finansiering – 7.5 credits

290024 Natural Resource Economics – 7.5 credits

400036 Project Management – 7.5 credits

260043 Ethology – 7.5 credits

280006 Klima i og omkring stalde – 7.5 credits

240034 Parasitic zoonoses – 7.5 credits

250080 Climate Change – Effects on Food and Feed – 7.5 credits

260046 Experimental Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Part 1 (EANP1) – 7.5 credits

260047 Experimental Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Part 2 (EANP2) – 15 credits

290041 Økonomistyring i praksis – 7.5 credits

290061 Studies in Development Economics – 7.5 credits

210006 Statistisk dataanalyse 2 – 7.5 credits

230027 Biokemi 2 – 7.5 credits

240025 Mikrobiologi – 7.5 credits

270021 Meat Production – 15 credits

270072 Råvarekvalitet – 7.5 credits

290021 International Economics – 7.5 credits

310069 Climate Change Impacts, Adaption and Mitigation – 15 credits

240053 Mammalian Genomics – 7.5 credits

240081 Animal Parasitology – 15 credits

240067 Molekylær Genetik – 15 credits

210012 Matematik og modeller – 7.5 credits

290058 Produktionsøkonomi – 7.5 credits

290068 Applied Epidemiology – 7.5 credits

400017 Rådgivning – 7.5 credits

240007 Bioinformatik -7,5 credits 

400040 Erhvervsprojekt / Project in Practice and courses taken at other national and foreign universities may generally be included as elective credits.

Chapter 3. Admission requirements and admission

3.1 Admission requirements

The BSc Programme in Animal Science (Husdyrvidenskab), the BSc programme in Natural Resources (Naturressourcer) with the core modul Domestic Animal Science (Husdyrvidenskab) and the BSc programme in Agriculture, Food and Environment with the specialization in Domestic Animal Biology and –production (Husdyrbiologi og –produktion) from Aarhus University qualifies graduates directly for admission to the MSc Programme in Animal Science.

Students holding on of the following BSc degrees are admitted provided that their examination includes specified courses:

• BSc in Natural Resources (Naturressourcer) with the core module Plant Science (Plantevidenskab)
• BSc in Natural Resources (Naturressourcer) with the core module Environmental Economics (Miljøøkonomi)
• BSc in Natural Resources (Naturressourcer) with the core module Environmental Science (Miljøvidenskab)
• BSc in Natural Resources (Naturressourcer) with the core module Nature Management (Naturforvaltning)
• BSc in Biology-biotechnology (Biologi-bioteknologi)
• BSc in Veterinary Medicine (Veterinærmedicin)
• BSc in Biology (Biologi) (from the Faculty of Science)

At least 7.5 credits within basic Economics

At least 7.5 credits within domestic animal nutrition and physiology

At least 7.5 credits within statistical data analyses

Applicants with a BSc in one of the above disciplines or similar from the University of Aarhus, Aalborg University, Roskilde University or University of Southern Denmark are qualified for admission on the basis of the same criteria.

Bachelors from other faculties under University of Copenhagen or from other national and international universities must have equivalent qualifications and their admission will be assessed on an individual basis.

3.2 Admission

Students from University of Copenhagen are admitted to the MSc in Animal Science twice a year (1 September and 1 February). Other students are admitted once a year (in September).