Conservation Medicine (Online Learning) MVetSci, PgDip (ICL), PgCert (ICL), PgProfDev

As an online programme, the flexible and part-time format allows participants to achieve a world-class award while maintaining busy professional and personal commitments.

Our online learning technology is supported by our investment in our Digital Education Unit who have extensive experience of pedagogy in today’s age of digital connection. They work closely with the teaching staff to deliver a fully interactive, award-winning experience that enables you to communicate with our highly qualified teaching staff from the comfort of your own home or workplace.

Our online students not only have access to the University of Edinburgh’s excellent resources, but also become part of a supportive online community, bringing together students and tutors from around the world.

The teaching provides a blend of theoretical and practical education to provide the foundation for a career in conservation. A variety of innovative techniques and approaches to teaching are used including:

• online lectures
• case studies
• discussion forums
• personal or group activities

Participants will have a unique opportunity to learn from internationally recognised specialists, both within the University of Edinburgh and from local and international organisations.

Studying online at Edinburgh

Find out more about the benefits and practicalities of studying for an online degree:

• Postgraduate online learning

The degree programme is structured to allow sequential progression from individual courses to Certificate, Diploma and MVetSci phases. Students may also exit the programme on completion of each phase.

The programme is designed to be taken part-time over three years at 20 hours per week, with the option to complete in up to six years if required.

The programme is modular in structure, offering a flexible student-centred approach to the choice of courses studied.

The completion times are as follows:

• PgCert: 1-2 years
• PgDip: 2-4 years
• MVetSci: 3-6 years

You may undertake the programme by Intermittent Study (flexible progression route), accruing credits within a maximum time limit of six years for the MVetSci.

Elective courses

There are compulsory courses at each level of study within this programme. In addition, you may tailor your selection of elective courses according to your needs, interests and career ambitions.

These courses can be chosen from across a number of programmes offered across the University of Edinburgh, providing you with a breadth of options.

• Programme structure and content

Postgraduate Professional Development

Postgraduate Professional Development (PPD) is aimed at working professionals who want to advance their knowledge through postgraduate-level learning, without the time, or financial commitment, of a full award.

You may take a maximum of 50 credits worth of courses from within this degree over two years and gain a University of Edinburgh postgraduate award of academic credit.

It may also be possible to continue your studies after one year and put credits towards a postgraduate Certificate, Diploma or full Master's degree. Any time spent taking courses through the PPD scheme will be deducted from the amount of time you have left to complete the higher award.

Although PPD courses have various start dates throughout a year you may only start a Masters, Postgraduate Diploma or Postgraduate Certificate programme in the month of September.

• Further information on Postgraduate Professional Development

Find out more about compulsory and optional courses

We link to the latest information available. Please note that this may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

Graduates can expect to enhance their career prospects in:

• academia
• research
• governmental and non-governmental organisations
• consultancies
• government veterinary positions
• captive or free-ranging wildlife conservation projects

You will be better able to drive the development of novel career pathways as this field continues to evolve in response to the complexity of the conservation challenges we face.

These entry requirements are for the 2025/26 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2026/27 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2025.

A degree in veterinary medicine (BVM&S, Veterinary Medicine or equivalent).

Students from China

This degree is Band D.

• Postgraduate entry requirements for students from China

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country

English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency which will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 6.5 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 92 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 176 with at least 169 in each component.
• Trinity ISE: ISE II with distinctions in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 65 with at least 59 in each component. We do not accept PTE Academic Online.
• Oxford ELLT: 7 overall with at least 6 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old at the beginning of your programme of study.

Find out more about our language requirements:

• English language requirements

Application fee

None.

Deposit

None.

Additional programme costs

None.

Living costs

You will be responsible for covering living costs for the duration of your studies.

Tuition fees

Funding for postgraduate study is different to undergraduate study, and many students need to combine funding sources to pay for their studies.

Most students use a combination of the following funding to pay their tuition fees and living costs:

• borrowing money

  • taking out a loan

  • family support

• personal savings

• income from work

• employer sponsorship

• scholarships

Explore sources of funding for postgraduate study

As this is a part-time intermittent programme, also known as invoiced-at-course-level (ICL), it is not eligible for UK government loan funding.

The University of Edinburgh offers a small number of scholarships to outstanding candidates. These are very competitive. We publish data on the success rate for scholarship applications to help you understand the level of demand.

• Scholarship applications - success rates

Other funding opportunities

• Online Learning Scholarships

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

• Search for funding