Hartpury University has unveiled five brand new postgraduate courses. The MRes Animal Science, MSc Applied Animal Behaviour and Welfare, MSc Equitation Science, MSc Applied Agricultural Sciences and MRes Sport and Exercise Science degrees will welcome their first cohort of students in September 2022.
The two new research degrees; MRes Animal Science and MRes Sport and Exercise Science, will provide students with opportunities to undertake a piece of research in a specific area to enhance their professional practice or prepare for PhD study. Students on the MRes Sport and Exercise Science course will have access to the Sport Business Hub and several local professional rugby, football and athletics organisations for applied research opportunities. The addition of these programmes reflects Hartpury University’s growing research capabilities and mission to drive industries forward through newly acquired knowledge.
With welfare of horse and rider front and centre of the equine industry, the MSc Equitation Science arrives at a particularly important time. The programme will consider the various needs of both human and equine, using science as a basis for successful and ethical equitation.
The programme aims to help students influence the development of new ethical policies and practices that ultimately challenge the status quo.
Welfare is also fundamental to the new MSc Applied Animal Behaviour and Welfare degree, which looks to apply theory to practice across several areas of animal welfare and ethics. This is part of the institution’s wider goal of helping students make a positive difference on the lives of animals through increasing human understanding to enact change at an organisational level. In September, Hartpury – a member of the UK Centre for Animal Law (A-Law) - welcomed the first students to its MSc Animal Welfare, Policy and Legislation degree, further underlining its commitment to meet and contribute to addressing emerging animal welfare challenges.
The MSc Applied Agricultural Sciences degree is Hartpury University’s first official postgraduate agricultural degree. Focusing on using science to improve protocols and sustainable solutions across the agricultural industry. It follows a year of exciting announcements from the department, including the opening of a new Agri-Tech Centre committed to driving data-driven science and innovation in an ever-changing farming sector.£2m has also been invested in the Digital Innovation Farm Tech Box Park due to launch at the end of this year; part of a 10-year strategy to provide world-class agricultural facilities, education and research.
Professor Steve Draper, Academic Dean at Hartpury University, said: “I’m delighted that Hartpury University has added five exciting postgraduate courses to its offering for 2022. The MSc courses have been designed to address emerging industry topics and issues, equipping students with the necessary knowledge and empowering them to drive change in these areas.
“The new courses in animal and equine reflect our strong commitment to welfare, while our first official postgraduate agricultural degree looks to practically apply science as a solution for many issues facing agriculture today.
“We’re passionate about research and the impact this can have, so the addition of two MRes degrees in animal and sport is also particularly exciting. I’m looking forward to the outcomes of many research projects to come and more importantly the impact these findings can have in the real world.”
The new programmes combine a mixture of online and campus-based learning, providing a convenient way for students to earn their qualification alongside other commitments.
All research activity at Hartpury University, which also offers PhDs and undergraduate degrees, either directly or indirectly informs not only current industry practice but also the curriculum. Research is fully integrated within teaching and staff are research-active in the areas they teach. Many dissertations are embedded in larger scale research projects or linked with businesses and fellow educational institutions.
Hartpury University was ranked number one in the UK for student satisfaction by full-time postgraduate students in the Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey 2021.
While Hartpury’s postgraduate sports courses were ranked number one in the UK in the same survey, achieving 100% student satisfaction, against a sector average of 81%. Degrees in this group include MSc Sports Coaching, MSc Strength and Conditioning, MSc Professional Development in Sports Coachingand MSc Applied Performance Analysis in Sport.
