Postgraduate study
Edinburgh: Extraordinary futures await.

Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia (Online Learning) MSc, PgDip (ICL), PgCert (ICL), PgProfDev

Awards: MSc, PgDip (ICL), PgCert (ICL), PgProfDev

Study modes: Part-time Intermittent Study

Online learning

In veterinary management of animals, anaesthesia (rendering animals unconscious to permit procedures) and analgesia (reducing the pain an animal is suffering) have vital importance in improving animal welfare, as well as permitting the ongoing developments in medical and surgical advances.

Knowledge and advances in anaesthesia over the last 20 years have been considerable.

We can use techniques to block sensation locally or over a region of the body not just total unconsciousness.

We have an array of drugs and methods of drug administration available to us in our fight against pain.

Anaesthesia has always carried risks, and we have an increasing availability of monitoring equipment to help us monitor the physiological function of the body during anaesthesia with the aim of reducing morbidity and mortality in our animals.

Why Edinburgh?

We are offering this unique opportunity for an entirely online MSc to study these advances, during which students can gain knowledge and understanding in the equipment, drugs and techniques associated with anaesthesia and analgesia.

Our team can provide a wide range of clinical and research experience across many species.

Our award-winning online 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.

Online students not only have access to Edinburgh’s excellent resources, but also become part of a supportive online community.

Expert tutors will support you through every stage of the programme and you can engage with fellow students in supportive and constructive online networks.

Your progress will be assessed through the following:

  • online presentations
  • essays
  • critical reviews of literature
  • student self-reflection activities
  • short-answer questions
  • scientific posters
  • group wiki events
  • peer review activities

Studying online at Edinburgh

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

The programme is taught part time over 3 years, but its flexible nature will allow you a maximum of 6 years to complete it.

There are also options for studying for a certificate (1-2 years) or a diploma (2-4 years).

Each year will consist of three 11-week terms, structured into two blocks of five weeks of study, with a week in between for independent study and reflection.

The Postgraduate Certificate year (Year 1) starts with a series of compulsory courses to give a foundation in veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia, then progresses to examine how this may be applied in a variety of species.

In the Postgraduate Diploma year (Year 2), you have the choice of selected courses to tailor the programme to your requirements. A dissertation completes the final year.

If you intend to undertake the dissertation, it is compulsory you take either Evidence-Based Veterinary Medicine or Research Methods during the second year.

Year 1

Compulsory Courses:

  • Basic Sciences in Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia
  • Clinical anaesthesia: equipment & the patient

You can choose a further two 10 credit courses, at least one of which should be a species-related course:

  • Dogs & Cats
  • Equidae
  • Ruminants, camelids and pigs
  • Small Mammals
  • Chronic pain & advanced analgesia
  • Ethics for veterinary clinicians & researchers

Year 2

You will choose courses to total 60 credits from the following:

  • Veterinary Techniques and Interventions for Conservation Medicine (10 credits)
  • Ethics for veterinary clinicians & researchers (10 credits)
  • Professional and Clinical Skills for Advanced Veterinary Practice (10 credits)
  • Problem Solving and Non-Technical Skills in Anaesthesia (10 credits)
  • Evidence Based Research Methods in Clinical Practice (10 credits) or Research Methods and Data Analysis (10 credits)
  • R for Veterinary Epidemiologists (10 credits)
  • Chronic Pain and Advanced Analgesia Principles (10 credits)
  • Ventilators and Ventilation in Veterinary Anaesthesia (10 credits)
  • Advanced Cardiovascular Procedures and Monitoring (10 credits)
  • Avian Anaesthesia (10 credits)

In addition, you could choose to select additional species-related courses from Year 1.

Year 3

During the written reflective element of the programme you will have the opportunity to further develop your scientific skills and utilise scientific theory.

The form of the dissertation may vary to suit individual candidates, subject to approval of a submitted proposal.

The dissertation will be a piece of written work 10-15,000 words long, which may take the form of a research study, analysis of techniques used in previous clinical work or an extended literature review.

A casebook or portfolio submission may also be permitted.

Programme structure and content

Postgraduate Professional Development (PPD)

Postgraduate Professional Development (PPD) is aimed at working professionals who want to advance their knowledge through a postgraduate-level course(s), without the time or financial commitment of a full Masters, Postgraduate Diploma or Postgraduate Certificate.

You may take a maximum of 50 credits worth of courses over two years through our PPD scheme. These lead to a University of Edinburgh postgraduate award of academic credit.

Alternatively, after one year of taking courses you can choose to transfer your credits and continue on to studying towards a higher award on a Masters, Postgraduate Diploma or Postgraduate Certificate programme.

Although PPD courses have various start dates throughout a year you may only start a Masters, Postgraduate Diploma or Postgraduate Certificate programme in the month of September.

Any time spent studying PPD will be deducted from the amount of time you will have left to complete a Masters, Postgraduate Diploma or Postgraduate Certificate programme.

Please contact the programme team for more information about available courses and course start dates.

Find out more about compulsory and optional courses

We link to the latest information available. Please note that this may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

AwardTitleDurationStudy mode
MScVeterinary Anaesthesia and AnalgesiaUp to 6 YearsPart-time Intermittent StudyProgramme structure 2023/24
PgDip (ICL)Veterinary Anaesthesia and AnalgesiaUp to 4 YearsPart-time Intermittent StudyProgramme structure 2023/24
PgCert (ICL)Veterinary Anaesthesia and AnalgesiaUp to 2 YearsPart-time Intermittent StudyProgramme structure 2023/24
PgProfDevVeterinary Anaesthesia and AnalgesiaUp to 2 YearsPart-time Intermittent StudyProgramme structure 2023/24

This programme enables a variety of veterinary staff, including vets, VN’s and technicians, to gain post graduate qualifications whilst fulfilling Continued Professional Development (CPD) requirements.

Whilst working through the programme you will also acquire skills which are important for your own professional development, but will also enable you to improve clinical practice where you work.

In addition, those completing the MSc dissertation element will learn valuable research tools which will enable them to continue clinical research in the future.

These entry requirements are for the 2024/25 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2025/26 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2024.

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in veterinary medicine or veterinary nursing.

We will also consider your application if you have a degree in a related science with appropriate practical experience.

We may also consider your application if you do not have a degree but are a registered veterinary nurse/technician with a minimum of 3 years experience in anaesthesia and hold additional nursing or technical qualifications. You may be admitted to certificate level only in the first instance. Please contact the programme team to check before you apply.

Students from China

This degree is Band D.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

  • 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.
  • PTE Academic: total 62 with at least 59 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also 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:

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).

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old* at the beginning of your programme of study. (*Revised 05 March 2024 to extend degree validity to five years.)

Find out more about our language requirements:

Tuition fees

AwardTitleDurationStudy mode
MScVeterinary Anaesthesia and AnalgesiaUp to 6 YearsPart-time Intermittent StudyTuition fees
PgDip (ICL)Veterinary Anaesthesia and AnalgesiaUp to 4 YearsPart-time Intermittent StudyTuition fees
PgCert (ICL)Veterinary Anaesthesia and AnalgesiaUp to 2 YearsPart-time Intermittent StudyTuition fees
PgProfDevVeterinary Anaesthesia and AnalgesiaUp to 2 YearsPart-time Intermittent StudyTuition fees

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

  • Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and The Roslin Institute
  • Easter Bush
  • Edinburgh
  • EH25 9RG
Programme start dates Application deadlines
9 September 2024 23 August 2024
6 January 2025 29 November 2024
1 April 2025 22 March 2025

We encourage you to apply at least one month prior to entry so that we have enough time to process your application. If you are also applying for funding we strongly recommend you apply as early as possible.

You must submit one reference with your application.

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:

Further information

  • Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and The Roslin Institute
  • Easter Bush
  • Edinburgh
  • EH25 9RG