Specialisations - MSc Animal Sciences

How to prevent an outbreak of a disease in an animal population? How can you maintain and improve animal welfare? Are you interested in studying the individual animal, or do you prefer to study husbandry systems as a whole? Are you fascinated by the effects of different kinds of nutrition on animal growth and health, or do you want to know more about the interaction between genes and the environment? To which question would you like to find the answer? That is the specialisation you should pursue.

General outline of the specialisations

The questions above illustrate the possibilities you have within the six specialisations of the MSc Animal Sciences. The question that arises your interest will tell you more about which specialisation is the right choice for you.

In general, a specialisation requires you to take at least two specialisation courses. These courses will prepare you for a major thesis. Theses and courses are provided by chair groups within the Animal Sciences Department. You could also opt for an international thesis or internship.

The specialisations within Animal Sciences:

A. Genetics and Biodiversity

This specialisation focuses on the genetic improvement of various animal species in relation to their environment, by integrating quantitative, biological and molecular approaches.

B. Nutrition and Metabolism

This specialisation aims to understand the relation between nutritional demands, diet formulation, digestion and metabolism in animals, and their responses in terms of growth, production and waste.

C. Global and Sustainable Production

This specialisation combines knowledge from different disciplines (such as animal sciences, economics and social sciences) to study the development of sustainable animal systems across the world.

D. Adaptation, Health and Behaviour

This specialisation studies the effects of the direct environment on physiological responses of individual animals and groups of animals, and what these responses mean for animal health and welfare.

E. Molecule, Cell and Organ Functioning

This is a fundamental specialisation looking into mechanisms and processes at all levels of physiology: from molecules to organs to whole animals.

F. Animal Ecology

This specialisation focuses on the interaction between animal populations and their wider environment; the ecosystem (natural or affected by human intervention).