Program Overview

Introduction to MSci Bioveterinary Sciences

The MSci Bioveterinary Sciences is an undergraduate integrated master's degree that aims to prepare students for a PhD or a career in an academic or industrial research environment. This program focuses on developing students' knowledge, analytical skills, and practical skills, with a broad base of knowledge in the first three years and the opportunity to specialize through optional module selections and research projects.

Key Information

• Qualification: MSci
• UCAS Code: D302 MSci Bioveterinary Sciences / D304 MSci Bioveterinary Sciences
• Institution Code: RVET R84
• Study Mode: Four years full-time / Five years full-time with placement year
• UK Tuition Fees: ｣9,790 (2026 fees)
• EU and International Tuition Fees: ｣27,510
• Course Location: Camden
• Application Deadline: 29 Jan 2025

Course Outline

The MSci in Bioveterinary Sciences is designed to deliver the underpinning knowledge of animal health and disease, with a focus on current fundamental research questions in biology and applied biomedical and bioveterinary sciences. The course includes modules on:

• Biology of the Cell
• Inheritance, Genetics and Evolution
• Developmental Biology
• The Moving Animal
• Integrated Physiology I and II
• Problem Definition and Investigation
• Library Project

Year 1 Modules

• Biology of the Cell (15 credits)
• Inheritance, Genetics and Evolution (15 credits)
• Developmental Biology (15 credits)
• The Moving Animal (15 credits)
• Integrated Physiology I (15 credits)
• Integrated Physiology II (15 credits)
• Problem Definition and Investigation (15 credits)
• Library Project (15 credits)

Year 2 Modules

• Basis of Disease (15 credits)
• Ageing and Degeneration (15 credits)
• Principles of Infectious Diseases (15 credits)
• Control of Infectious Diseases (15 credits)
• Principles of Pharmacology (15 credits)
• Research Project (30 credits)
• Optional modules:
  • Applied Pharmacology (15 credits)
  • Disease Modelling and Investigation (15 credits)
  • Introduction to Animal Behaviour, Welfare and Ethics (15 credits)
  • Introduction to One Health (15 credits)

Year 3 Modules

• Research Project
• Optional modules:
  • Advanced Concepts in Bio-business (15 credits)
  • Advanced Concepts in Reproduction (15 credits)
  • Advanced Skeletal Pathobiology (15 credits)
  • Animal Behaviour and Cognition (15 credits)
  • Applied Animal Welfare (15 credits)
  • Applied Molecular Microbiology (15 credits)
  • Applied Wildlife Health Science (15 credits)
  • Comparative Animal Locomotion (30 credits)
  • Comparative Models of Disease (15 credits)
  • Comparative Anatomy (15 credits)
  • Critical Literature Review (30 credits)
  • Development and Disease (15 credits)
  • Ecology: Individuals, Populations and Communities (15 credits)
  • Endocrine and Metabolic Syndromes (15 credits)
  • Epidemiology: the Bigger Picture (15 credits)
  • Infection and Immunity (30 credits)
  • Parasitology of Human and Veterinary Tropical Diseases (15 credits)
  • Practical Investigative Biology (15 credits)
  • Science of Animal Welfare (15 credits)

Year 4 Modules

• Research Skills (15 credits)
• Extended Research Project (105 credits)

Teaching and Learning

The course includes a wide range of learning experiences, such as lectures, seminars, workshops, and directed and self-directed learning activities. Problem-solving exercises, case studies, reflection, and role modeling are used to improve reasoning skills, while practical skills are developed through demonstration, observation, prosecution, feedback, and experimentation.

Assessment and Feedback

Students are continuously assessed throughout the course, followed by final examinations. The estimated breakdown of assessment for the final grade is:

• Written (coursework): 20%
• Examination (practical, written): 33%
• Projects (individual and group work, research): 47%

Academic Qualifications

The standard academic requirements for entry to the MSci Bioveterinary Sciences program are:

• A Levels: ABB in three A Level subjects, including Biology or Chemistry at grade A
• Welsh Baccalaureate: Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales qualification with grade B, including two A Levels at grade A
• Scottish Highers/Advanced Highers: Advanced Highers in Chemistry or Biology at grade A, and another subject at grade B
• International Baccalaureate: Pass the IB diploma with 655 at Higher Level, including Biology or Chemistry at grade 6
• Diplomas and Further Certificates: Considered on a case-by-case basis

English Language Requirements

• IELTS (Academic) score of 7.0 or above with minimum 6.5 in each component

Tuition Fees

• Home Tuition Fees: ｣9,790 (2026 fees)
• International Fees: ｣27,510

Employment Options

Graduates can pursue careers in various fields, including:

• Pharmaceutical industry
• Agricultural industry
• Government
• Medical research sector
• Publishing
• Entrepreneurship
• Education

Postgraduate Research Options

Many graduates have gone on to study PhDs at the RVC, with research projects in areas such as:

• Renal proteases, ENaC, P2X receptors and blood pressure control
• Fat and foul, foal fiends: the role of fatty acid and cholesterol catabolism in the pathogenesis of Rhodococcus equi
• Tissue-specific roles for cyclooxygenase isoforms in endothelial cell function and angiogenesis
• The regulation in bone cells of Sost/sclerostin by mechanical strain
• Spatial vision and social discrimination in the hen: from perception to cognition
• Structural and functional specialisation of locomotion in the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)
• Effects of camelid antibodies on disease progression in prion-infected mice
• Comparative sensory biomechanics of locomotion in horses, dogs, and insects
• Identification of host factors which restrict African swine fever virus replication
• Role of the sulphatases Sulf1A and Sulf1B in canine cancer
• Predisposition to pasture-associated laminitis: role of insulin resistance and chronic inflammation
• Deciphering the chemokine repertoire in chickens and their role in disease resistance

Placement Year

The Placement Year is an optional component of the course, providing students with a year of practical work experience and a research project devised and supervised by the placement provider. The placement year is salaried, with students earning between ｣8,000 and ｣17,000 during the year.