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The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies (R(D)SVS) has been offering innovative postgraduate programmes online to veterinary and related professionals since 2005. We offer a range of online taught master of veterinary science (MVetSci) and master of science (MSc) programmes for candidates with a first degree in veterinary medicine, or in a relevant biological or animal science subject. Many of our programmes are also available as a postgraduate diploma (PgDip) or certificate (PgCert), or as postgraduate professional development (PGProfDev or PPD).

With more than 550 online students in our School, we treat the delivery of teaching online as seriously as we do on campus. Every programme has an experienced team of a programme director, coordinator and administrator, and each student is provided with a personal tutor, so you will be fully supported in all aspects of your student experience. The online, part-time format is particularly suited to students already in full- or part-time employment or with other professional or personal commitments, and allows a flexible learning environment that can be adapted to suit individual needs.

You can choose to study at a time and in a place that suits you, saving relocation costs. Our online learning technology is fully interactive and allows you to communicate with our highly qualified teaching staff from the comfort of your home or workplace. We give you as much access to our staff as if you were here in Edinburgh. You will not only have access to Edinburgh’s excellent resources, but will also become part of a supportive online community, bringing together students and tutors from around the world and enabling you to have the ‘Edinburgh experience’ wherever you are living.

Many of our programmes have collaborative relationships with other academic and charitable organisations, giving you a unique opportunity to interact and share knowledge with the widest range of experts in a particular field. When you consider the benefits of flexible online study, it’s not surprising that even locally-based professionals choose this option. All our online learning programmes in this section have the option to be taken as intermittent study, allowing you to complete a masters programme in up to six years. Each programme offers a selection of option courses from other programmes, allowing you to tailor your education to suit your individual interests and requirements, and enhance your career opportunities in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

Our on-campus programmes are designed to develop knowledge or techniques in specialised subjects that are studied more generally at undergraduate level. They take 12 months to complete and are internationally recognised as providing a world-class research-led teaching and training experience. Our master’s programmes are taught through lectures, tutorials and seminars, as well as practical and laboratory work, and conclude with a dissertation element. Programme tutors are all active international experts in their field, and many guest lecturers travel to the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies (R(D)SVS) every year to teach and interact with our students. You will be part of a thriving postgraduate community on the Easter Bush Campus and can participate in a wide variety of academic and non-academic extra-curricular activities to enhance your student experience. Every programme has an experienced team and each student has a personal tutor, so you will be fully supported in all aspects of your student experience.

Postgraduate professional development (PgProfDev or PPD) is a way of learning aimed at working professionals who want to advance their knowledge through a postgraduate-level programme, without the time or financial commitment of a full MSc or postgraduate diploma or certificate. Individual courses on all our online programmes may be taken as credit-bearing PPD. You may take a maximum of 50 credits' worth of courses through our PPD scheme. These credits will be recognised in their own right at postgraduate level, or may be put towards gaining a higher award, such as a postgraduate certificate or diploma or an MSc. If you choose intermittent or PPD study, your tuition fees will be charged on a course-by-course basis.

We’re the UK’s top-ranked veterinary school for research. Our Easter Bush campus is home to the world-renowned Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and the world-famous Roslin Institute.

The Easter Bush site was redeveloped in 2011 providing both the R(D)SVS and Roslin Institute with new and improved buildings that not only provide cutting-edge environments for teaching and research, but also benefit from close proximity to our veterinary hospitals and practices. Research carried out at the Roslin Institute seeks to tackle some of the most pressing issues in animal health and welfare and their implications for human health. The Institute’s researchers investigate the health and welfare of animals and application of basic animal sciences in human and veterinary medicine, the livestock industry and food security.