Program Overview

Introductory Course in Laboratory Animal Science

The Ethics, Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes - FELASA-accredited course

Course Details

• Online theory start date: Monday 20 October 2025 (18 hours)
• Practical dates: 19, 20 & 21 November 2025, 8am to 5pm each day (15 hours)
• Practical Venue: University of Cape Town (UCT), Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS)
• Exam Date: Friday 21 November 2025
• Entry requirements: Supervisory letter endorsing the candidate's application for attendance and a copy of your ID or Passport.
• Course fee: R 16,456 per person (Enquire about rates for UCT staff & students)

Course Objective

The main course objective is to present the basic principles that underlie the responsible and ethical care and use of animals for scientific purposes. Most of the lectures and principles are applicable across animal species. The practical sessions and some lectures focus on mice and rats.

Course Content

• Animal ethics (moral philosophy; legislation; standards; UCT policies; reduction, refinement & replacement)
• Animal welfare (welfare monitoring; humane endpoints; euthanasia; anaesthesia; analgesia; surgical principles)
• Research quality (study design; model validity; calculating sample size; statistics; limiting confounding factors)
• Biology & husbandry (behaviour; housing; enrichment; nutrition; anatomy; physiology; genetics; health status)
• Ethical review (how to complete an Animal Ethics Committee application to ensure a rapid turn-around time)
• Practical training (normal behaviour; welfare monitoring; rodent handling, restraint, injections & euthanasia)

Accreditation

The course is formally accredited by the following quality-assurance bodies:

• Animal Research Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Health Sciences, UCT. Successful course completion is required for all new FHS animal workers.
• South African Veterinary Council (SAVC): 35 Structured CPD points for SAVC-registered professionals and authorised researchers [AC/2133/19]
• Federation of European Laboratory Animal Science Associations (FELASA) formally accredited course for mice and rats, EU Functions A&C [F069/19]

Certification

A digital certificate from UCT and FELASA certificate will be issued upon successful completion.

Target Audience

This specialised course is aimed at persons who perform procedures on, care for, or euthanase animals for scientific purposes including for research, testing or teaching at UCT and in Africa. The course is broadly attended by scientists who conduct and design animal studies and teaching activities, veterinary and para-veterinary professionals, and animal ethics committee members.