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Our MSc Animal Behaviour is unusual in that it is offered within a Psychology department. This benefits you by providing a strong background in a broad cross-section of research methods used by researchers studying human and animal behaviour, a strong training in statistical methods and a multidisciplinary study environment. You will learn how to formulate and test relevant research questions and critically evaluate the research carried out by others in the field.
The programme will give you insights into the varied means of performing animal behaviour research in a wide array of locations with wild and (semi-)captive animals – in field, laboratory, zoo or other human managed settings. As part of the taught component you will be exposed to lectures and seminar discussions, research talks and discussions with speakers; boost and consolidate your knowledge and skills in statistical data analysis; participate in a one-week residential field course (during the Easter break); and engage in research skill training sessions. During the course you will continuously develop your abilities in critical analysis of the literature and of scientific evidence, project development, communication and scientific writing.
You will be part of the lively, internationally-recognised Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour (CRAB) and will have the opportunity to work alongside our experienced researchers on a research apprenticeship which is a central component of the course. The apprenticeship is a research project that enables you to develop your research skills further and write up the research in the form of a journal article for potential publication. Apprenticeships can also be undertaken under the supervision of researchers at various institutions with whom we have developed long-term relationships.
On successful completion of the MSc you will have the skills to pursue a PhD, work as a researcher or pursue a career working in zoos, research centres, nature reserves, wildlife and other animal-related offices, education, scientific media or the expanding field of eco tourism.
A distinctive feature of all our taught Masters programmes is the Research Apprenticeship. About half of the MSc is spent on the apprenticeship, during which you will develop your research skills by working alongside experienced researchers or practitioners and write up your research in the form of a dissertation.
Many students undertake their apprenticeship with researchers in the Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, both in the laboratories and outdoors around the campus, Devon and abroad. Every year the menu of choices varies depending on the interests of the researchers, the students and practicalities. In some cases students have worked with external research partners, in the UK or abroad. For example, previous students have carried out a wide range of research projects involving the following:
Topics: Social behaviour, animal welfare and enrichment, zoo research, animal cognition, navigation, sensory ecology, behavioural and evolutionary ecology, ecotoxicology.
Animals: Fish (guppies, sticklebacks, killifish), mammals (primates, squirrels, whales, donkeys, dogs, meerkats, coyotes), birds (pigeons, chickens, pheasants, magpies, flamingoes, woodland and sea birds), invertebrates (crabs, honeybees, bumblebees, desert ants, wood ants).
Locations: Streatham campus (Exeter), Knysna Elephant Park (South Africa), Bristol Zoo, Budongo Forest (Uganda), Torquay Zoo & Aquarium, National Wildlife Research Center (Utah, USA), Dartmoor (Devon), Phana (Thailand), Trinidad, Newquay & Paignton Zoos, Slimbridge Wetland Centre, Kerala (India), Algarve (Portugal), Veracruz (Mexico), Cayo Santiago (Puerto Rico).
External research partners: African Elephant Research Unit (South Africa), Bristol Zoo, Budongo Conservation Field Station (Uganda), Living Coasts (Torquay, Devon), National Wildlife Research Center (Utah, USA), Natural England, Phana Macaque Sanctuary (Thailand), University of West Indies, Whitley Wildlife Trust, Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust.
Read the full module specification for the Research Apprenticeship.
The programme is made up of compulsory modules. Constituent modules may be updated, deleted or replaced as a consequence of the annual programme review of this programme.
The compulsory modules can include;
This course combines research and academic skills with field surveying skills, ready for practical application within the ecological consultancy industry. It’s designed to meet a rising need for highly skilled conservationists. Through practical experience, taught sessions and interaction with experienced field ecologists, you’ll gain taxonomic expertise. This will enable you to accurately identify a wide range of species and communities; use the appropriate field skills and techniques to carry out biodiversity surveys across different habitat types; and produce reports and assessments to professional standards. You’ll also have an additional and distinctive opportunity to be trained in the use of geographical information systems (GIS) – a vital tool in the surveying and management of the environment.
The skills you learn will be underpinned by a thorough knowledge of why some species and communities are conservation priorities in law or policy. You’ll also study the fundamentals of project planning, data collection and statistical analysis, in order to properly conduct your surveys and assessments. You’ll be given the chance to become a critical thinker, capable of evaluating what you do, and adept at reporting your findings to the key audiences.
This course is delivered with a strong practical approach to learning. You’ll be taught through a mixture of lectures, seminars, field and laboratory work, and online learning.
Independent learning is required, and you’ll undertake high-quality research. You’ll research your chosen topic in depth, then design and implement a relevant research project, before communicating the findings to an informed audience in a comprehensive scientific report.
Teaching is supported by our Brackenhurst Campus – a 200-hectare country estate and working farm. The campus is part of the DEFRA Environmental Stewardship scheme, which supports effective environmental management of farm land and countryside estates. It offers a good range of wetland and terrestrial habitats, which are invaluable for learning and practising surveying techniques, and the sampling of species.
You’ll also benefit from active conservation projects on the estate, including bird ringing and small mammal trapping and monitoring, alongside environmental impact assessments on construction work and renewable energy technologies.
You’ll have the opportunity to take part in field trips to Rutland and Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust. There are also opportunities to complete a research project in the UK or abroad.
Find out more about our Brackenhurst Campus on our website
Want to find out more about studying with us? Find out more at one of our upcoming open days. Reserve your place.
For more information on our courses, please visit our website.
Drawing on the expertise of our biogeography and ecology research group, this MRes programme advances your academic standing and enables you to conduct an original ecological research project.
It prepares you either for a PhD or for industry-based work, as you gain experience with a host of modern research methods and build on your theoretical knowledge of the subject area.
The research interests of our department include:
The Ecology MRes is typically completed as a full-time, one-year degree. It largely consists of core modules, but also allows you to choose from a host of optional modules as part of the 180-credit MSc requirement. If you choose to opt out of the course early, you can qualify for a PGCert with 60 credits and a PGDip with 120 credits.
The research project is central to the course and allows you to work at the forefront of the discipline as you advance your knowledge of research methods and ecological principles. You design your own project under the supervision of one or more members of the Biogeography and Ecology Research Group.
Modules
Options:
Examples of past projects include:
Graduates from this course are thoroughly equipped to enter a PhD programme in ecological science, as well as careers in industry and the public sector. The MRes provides well-rounded and practical training, plus the necessary transferable skills to prepare you for employment.
This course combines research and academic skills with field surveying skills, ready for practical application within the ecological consultancy industry. It’s designed to meet a rising need for highly skilled conservationists. Through practical experience, taught sessions and interaction with experienced field ecologists, you’ll gain taxonomic expertise. This will enable you to accurately identify a wide range of species and communities; use the appropriate field skills and techniques to carry out biodiversity surveys across different habitat types; and produce reports and assessments to professional standards. You’ll also have an additional and distinctive opportunity to be trained in the use of geographical information systems (GIS) – a vital tool in the surveying and management of the environment.
The skills you learn will be underpinned by a thorough knowledge of why some species and communities are conservation priorities in law or policy. You’ll also study the fundamentals of project planning, data collection and statistical analysis, in order to properly conduct your surveys and assessments. You’ll be given the chance to become a critical thinker, capable of evaluating what you do, and adept at reporting your findings to the key audiences.
This course is delivered with a strong practical approach to learning. You’ll be taught through a mixture of lectures, seminars, field and laboratory work, and online learning.
Independent learning is required, and you’ll undertake high-quality research. You’ll research your chosen topic in depth, then design and implement a relevant research project, before communicating the findings to an informed audience in a comprehensive scientific report.
Teaching is supported by our Brackenhurst Campus – a 200-hectare country estate and working farm. The campus is part of the DEFRA Environmental Stewardship scheme, which supports effective environmental management of farm land and countryside estates. It offers a good range of wetland and terrestrial habitats, which are invaluable for learning and practising surveying techniques, and the sampling of species.
You’ll also benefit from active conservation projects on the estate, including bird ringing and small mammal trapping and monitoring, alongside environmental impact assessments on construction work and renewable energy technologies.
You’ll have the opportunity to take part in field trips to Rutland and Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust. There are also opportunities to complete a research project in the UK or abroad.
Find out more about our Brackenhurst Campus on our website
Want to find out more about studying with us? Find out more at one of our upcoming open days. Reserve your place.
For more information on our courses, please visit our website.
The Natural Resources Institute (NRI) is a specialised multidisciplinary organisation within the University of Greenwich. The NRI provides research and consultancy in support of sustainable development, economic growth and poverty reduction, principally, but not solely, in the natural resources sector. It has a rapidly growing programme of research at MPhil and PhD level on social-scientific and interdisciplinary topics relating to development in the South and in Europe.
The institute provides a vibrant research environment for MPhil and PhD students in development studies with students from a number of countries and a variety of backgrounds in research, government and non-governmental organisations. Students are also actively encouraged to network with peers from other universities in the UK.
The Livelihoods and Institutions Department works on a number of themes related to natural resources, environment and development. Particular interests include:
The Food and Markets Department works on many economics-based development issues. Important themes include the performance of agricultural markets, value chains, international standards and agricultural trade, micro-finance, enterprise development and poverty reduction, ethical trade and corporate social responsibility.
We welcome applications from potential students from either a social or natural science background. We can offer full-time or part-time registration, with students based on our campus in Medway or in their home countries, or some combination of the two.
Recent research project topics include:
The aims of the programme are to:
Students are assessed through their thesis and oral examination.
Postgraduate research students from the NRI have a good record of finding employment within their specific technical discipline or in the field of international development.
An international programme for future water managers, combining ecology, hydrology and socio-economics.
What is the best way to handle invasive species in a river ecosystem? Or how do you protect a city like New Orleans from floods? In this double degree programme, you’ll learn to tackle these kinds of problems on the basis of ecological, hydrological and social-economic aspects. We focus on ecological solutions, which are often more effective than technical adjustments. Think of estuaries with sea grass fields breaking the waves instead of reinforcing dikes, or self-purification of drainage-basins, making dredging unnecessary.
If you follow the TWM double degree programme, you don’t have to choose between ecology and hydrology. On the one hand, you’ll learn to classify different ecosystems, analyse ecological data and assess the impact of various stressors. On the other hand, you’ll get the technical background to calculate water flow properties and work with flood management models. So upon graduation, you’ll have all the required knowledge for a career in water management.
Apart from the natural sciences, the programme offers multiple courses in water governance, and the social, economical and philosophical aspects of water management. This widens your perspective and provides you with the tools to bridge the gap between science and society.
The Master’s specialisation in Transnational Ecosystem-based Water Management (TWM) is partly taught at Radboud University and partly at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany. This means that you’ll profit from the expertise at two universities and become familiar with different cultures and research approaches. And after successful completion of the programme, you'll receive a German and a Dutch diploma. With that broad background, our graduates often find a job as manager or project leader, with an all-encompassing view in national or international water-related projects.
Although the universities are only about 100 kilometres apart, you’ll certainly notice a cultural difference. Hence, following this programme not only means you’ll profit from both of their expertises, you’ll also experience a rapid personal growth. We notice that our students are very independent in finding their way around and performing research, are not afraid of new challenges and are well-trained in (international) communication skills.
Visit http://www.ru.nl/masters/twm for more information about the programme and to start your application today.
