Whether you are a vet, nurse, or work with any aspect of animal husbandry and management, the animal’s evolutionary and ecological history is a key component affecting its health, behaviour and welfare. This course shows you how important this perspective is when working with any domestic or wild animal.
The course provides a deeper understanding of evolutionary and ecological processes than is often presented in animal science subjects. In particular, how these principles can be applied by animal scientists to enrich their understanding of animal biology, behaviour, disease, medicine and culture. The course primarily focusses on how evolutionary history and ecology have shaped the biology of animals, particularly with regard to companion animals and livestock, but also uses many examples from wildlife species.
The course is designed so that it can be taken by students already enrolled in full-time programme studies, or people working with animals who can’t afford to take time off for regular university courses. If you can find 3 hours a week to join the lectures (live or recorded to suit your timetable) and want to think about the animals’ world from a new perspective, then you should consider taking this course.
The 2023 course got a rating of 4.8 / 5
“As a newly baked veterinarian with my main interests being wildlife, animal conservation and evolution - this course has been the most interesting course I have ever participated in!”
“Out of all the courses I have attended at university, this has been my favourite! The fact that the lectures were recorded and the discussions were online has helped me organise my schedule better and be able to complete my other studies as well."
We give this as a part-time course in the spring 2025 over zoom. Your teacher is Matt Low, Associate Professor in Ecology (2010) & Distinguished University Teacher (2023). The course is given in English.
More information about Evolution and ecology for animal science students