Animal Science MPhil, PhD
Our animal science research areas relate to animal health and welfare, environmental impact of livestock systems, and safety and quality of livestock products.
You are currently viewing course information for entry year:
Start date(s):
- September 2024
- January 2025
- April 2025
Overview
Join us for your MPhil or PhD in Animal Science. Our research-active academic staff will support you.
The School of Natural and Environmental Sciences has an internationally recognised centre of excellence in animal sciences. It draws on fundamental research and applies it to areas of societal, industrial and policy importance.
Our research primarily involves:
- farm livestock, domesticated animal and wildlife applied research
- integrated livestock system development and evaluation
- animal behaviour, health and welfare
- survival, health and efficiency of nutrient utilisation
Opportunities are available for postgraduate research in the following areas of animal science:
Animal health and welfare
This ranges from fundamental work on understanding animal needs and behavioural problems, to mechanistic studies of health and disease at the molecular level. It also includes the development of practical on-farm monitoring and assessment methods.
Environmental impact of livestock systems
Our work examines:
- the consequences of modifications in nutrition and husbandry
- alterations in breeding strategies to improve the efficiency of resource use
Safety and quality of livestock products, including milk, meat and eggs
Our 'field to fork' expertise allows us to study the relationships between husbandry systems and nutritional inputs of animals and the composition of their products, with further implications for human diet and health.
Find out more about our current research
Important information
We've highlighted important information about your course. Please take note of any deadlines.
Please rest assured we make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the programmes, services and facilities described. However, it may be necessary to make changes due to significant disruption, for example in response to Covid-19.
View our Academic experience page, which gives information about your Newcastle University study experience for the academic year 2023-24.
See our terms and conditions and student complaints information, which gives details of circumstances that may lead to changes to programmes, modules or University services.
Qualifications explained
Find out about the different qualification options for this course.
MPhil, PhD
An MPhil is available in all subject areas. You receive research training and undertake original research leading to the completion of a 40,000 - 50,000 word thesis.
Find out about different types of postgraduate qualifications.
A PhD is a doctorate or doctoral award. It involves original research that should make a significant contribution to the knowledge of a specific subject. To complete the PhD you will produce a substantial piece of work (80,000 – 100,000 words) in the form of a supervised thesis. A PhD usually takes three years full time.
Find out about different types of postgraduate qualifications
How you'll learn
Delivery
We offer a number of different routes to an MPhil or PhD in Animal Science. This includes full-time and part-time supervised research projects.
We attract postgraduates via non-traditional routes. This includes mature students and part-time postgraduates undertaking study as part of their continuing professional development.
Off-campus (split) research is also offered. This enables you to conduct trials in conditions appropriate to your research programme.
Depending on your modules, you'll be assessed through a combination of:
- Thesis
- Viva
Our mission is to help you:
- stay healthy, positive and feeling well
- overcome any challenges you may face during your degree – academic or personal
- get the most out of your postgraduate research experience
- carry out admin and activities essential to progressing through your degree
- understand postgraduate research processes, standards and rules
We can offer you tailored wellbeing support, courses and activities.
You can also access a broad range of workshops covering:
- research and professional skills
- careers support
- wellbeing
- health and safety
- public engagement
- academic development
Find out more about our postgraduate research student support
Your development
Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering (SAgE) researcher development programme
Each faculty offers a researcher development programme for its postgraduate research students. We have designed your programme to help you:
- perform better as a researcher
- boost your career prospects
- broaden your impact
Through workshops and activities, it will build your transferable skills and increase your confidence.
You’ll cover:
- techniques for effective research
- methods for better collaborative working
- essential professional standards and requirements
Your programme is flexible. You can adapt it to meet your changing needs as you progress through your doctorate.
Find out more about the SAgE researcher development programme
Your future
Our Careers Service
Our award-winning Careers Service is one of the largest and best in the country, and we have strong links with employers. We provide an extensive range of opportunities to all students through our ncl+ initiative.
Quality and ranking
All professional accreditations are reviewed regularly by their professional body
From 1 January 2021 there is an update to the way professional qualifications are recognised by countries outside of the UK
Facilities
Farms
Our multi-purpose farms are viable farming businesses. We use them as demonstration facilities for teaching purposes. They also provide land-based research facilities, especially in the area of organic production.
Cockle Park Farm is a 262ha mixed farm facility. It includes:
- the Palace Leas Plots hay meadow experiment
- an anaerobic digestion plant that will generate heat, electricity and digestate - an organic fertiliser - from pig and cattle manure
Nafferton Farm is a 300ha farm. It has two main farm units covering conventional and organic farming systems. The two systems are primarily focussed upon dairying and arable cropping. Both also operate beef production enterprises as a by-product of their dairy enterprises. The organic system is unique in maintaining a small-scale potato and vegetable production enterprise.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees for 2024 entry (per year)
We are unable to give an exact fee, this is why the fee is shown as a range. This fee range takes into account your research topic and resource requirements.
Your research topic is unique so it will have unique resource requirements. Resources could include specialist equipment, such as laboratory/workshop access, or technical staff.
If your research involves accessing specialist resources then you're likely to pay a higher fee. You'll discuss the exact nature of your research project with your supervisor(s). You'll find out the fee in your offer letter.
If your studies last longer than one year, your tuition fee may increase in line with inflation.
Depending on your residency history, if you’re a student from the EU, other EEA or a Swiss national, with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you’ll normally pay the ‘Home’ tuition fee rate and may be eligible for Student Finance England support.
EU students without settled or pre-settled status will normally be charged fees at the ‘International’ rate and will not be eligible for Student Finance England support.
If you are unsure of your fee status, check out the latest guidance here.
Scholarships
We support our EU and international students by providing a generous range of Vice-Chancellor's automatic and merit-based scholarships. See our searchable postgraduate funding page for more information.
What you're paying for
Tuition fees include the costs of:
- matriculation
- registration
- tuition (or supervision)
- library access
- examination
- re-examination
- graduation
Find out more about:
If you are an international student or a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland and you need a visa to study in the UK, you may have to pay a deposit.
You can check this in the How to apply section.
If you're applying for funding, always check the funding application deadline. This deadline may be earlier than the application deadline for your course.
For some funding schemes, you need to have received an offer of a place on a course before you can apply for the funding.
Search for funding
Find funding available for your course
Entry requirements
The entrance requirements below apply to 2024 entry.
Qualifications from outside the UK
English Language requirements
Admissions policy
This policy applies to all undergraduate and postgraduate admissions at Newcastle University. It is intended to provide information about our admissions policies and procedures to applicants and potential applicants, to their advisors and family members, and to staff of the University.
Download our admissions policy (PDF: 201KB)
Other policies related to admissions
Credit transfer and Recognition of Prior Learning
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) can allow you to convert existing relevant university-level knowledge, skills and experience into credits towards a qualification. Find out more about the RPL policy which may apply to this course
How to apply
Using the application portal
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You can choose to start your application, save your details and come back to complete it later.
If you’re ready, you can select Apply Online and you’ll be taken directly to the application portal.
Alternatively you can find out more about applying on our applications and offers pages.
Apply Online
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Get in touch
Questions about this course?
If you have specific questions about this course you can contact:
Postgraduate Research Administrator
School of Natural and Environmental Sciences
Telephone: +44 (0) 191 208 6900
Email: snes.pgr.support@ncl.ac.uk
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