Vet School performs strongly in independent student surveys
Postgraduate student community scores their overall experience highly.
The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies received excellent results from its postgraduate students in national independent surveys of research and teaching.
The 2023 Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) found 80.2 per cent overall experience satisfaction reported.
The School also scored well in the Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES), gaining 84.8 per cent for overall student experience.
Both surveys, independently organised by Advance HE (formally the Higher Education Academy - HEA), invite students to feed back on a number of key elements that contribute to their experience.
Continued improvement
Results from the research survey recorded further improvements made by the School in the majority of areas assessed, compared with the previous survey.
The 2023 results highlighted improvements in supervision, resources, research culture, progress and assessment, responsibilities, support, research skills and professional development compared with 2021.
The teaching survey showed the Dick Vet scored highly in the teaching and learning, resources and services, organisation and management and student support categories.
The surveys provide robust benchmark data collected from students attending over 100 universities and colleges from the UK and worldwide.
Independently organised by AdvanceHE (formally the Higher Education Academy - HEA), the survey runs every two years from March to May. It is an opportunity for postgraduate researchers to feed back on their experience. The findings are then used to improve programmes and the learning experience for future students.
Research excellence
The School prides itself on its world class teaching, research and clinical care and currently has over 150 postgraduate research students studying at its purpose-built Easter Bush Campus, and nearly 800 postgraduate taught students on campus or online.
In partnership with the Roslin Institute and the Global Academy for Agriculture and Food Systems, the School conducts world-class research into animal, environmental and human health.
In a joint submission to the latest UK Research Excellence Framework exercise, research at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) was ranked as the most powerful in the UK.
I am delighted that the School has delivered strong sets of results in the latest Postgraduate Experience Surveys from our teaching and research students. Thank you to all our postgraduate research students and supervisors for fostering such a supportive and collegiate environment in which our research thrives and many congratulations to everyone involved in postgraduate teaching and student support across the School.
Related links
PRES survey on Advance HE website
PTES survey on Advance HE website
About the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies
The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies is a one-of-a-kind centre of excellence in clinical activity, teaching and research. Our purpose-built campus, set against the backdrop of the beautiful Pentland Hills Regional Park, is home to more than 800 staff and almost 1400 students, all of whom contribute to our exceptional community ethos.
The School comprises:
The Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Systems
The Hospital for Small Animals
The Jeanne Marchig International Centre for Animal Welfare Education
We represent the largest concentration of animal science-related expertise in Europe, impacting local, regional, national and international communities in terms of economic growth, the provision of clinical services and the advancement of scientific knowledge.