Master in Animal Nutrition at Glasgow University: Second-Year Review
Since 2022, I have been pursuing a Master of Science in Animal Nutrition at Glasgow University to continue learning more about animal nutrition with a rigorous scientific education. Last year, I reviewed my experience in the first year of the master's in an article. I have now successfully completed my second year in this program and earned a Postgraduate Diploma in Animal Nutrition. It’s time for another article to share my experience this year.
Read about my first year in the master's program
A quick reminder about this program
This master’s degree is a 3-year program, at the conclusion of which you can obtain a master’s degree in Animal Nutrition. The program is offered by Glasgow University and Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) and is entirely online and part-time.
In the first year, I took three courses of 20 credits each, which I described in the previous article: Digestive Anatomy and Physiology, Nutrition Biochemistry and Metabolism, and Feed Composition and Evaluation.
The second year consists of two mandatory 10-credit courses in Summer: Current Topics in Animal Nutrition, and Research Methods for Animal Science.
In addition, you need to select two 10-credit courses for Semester 1 and Semester 2.
The options for Semester 1 are Feed Processing, either for Monogastrics or for Ruminants, and Applied Nutrition and Rationing again for either Monogastrics or Ruminants.
The options for Semester 2 are Equine Nutrition or Small Animals & Exotics Nutrition, and either Nutrition & Health or Feed Industry.
The final year is dedicated to a 60-credit project course titled Dissertation in Animal Nutrition.
The price of the program increased compared to last year, the tuition fee for the year 2024/2025 is now £4,749, and for the whole master the pricing is £14,300.
The second year
I chose the following classes for my second year: Applied Nutrition and Rationing (Monogastrics), Feed Processing (Monogastrics), Small Animals & Exotics Nutrition, and Nutrition & Health.
The courses this year were all 5 weeks long. The structure of the courses was similar to last year: a new lesson was available each week, generally consisting of interactive slides with audio from the professors (each audio content comes with a transcription for accessibility and to help non-native speakers understand). All the lessons are pre-recorded, so you can study on your own time.
Like last year each lesson comes with additional reading (mandatory and optional) in case you want to explore a topic further.
There were regular live sessions with the teacher to ask questions on the lessons or assignments. The recordings of the live sessions are always available afterwards for those who can’t attend them.
A Moodle forum is also available to ask questions to the professors or exchange with other students.
In the following paragraphs I will give you a quick description of each of the classes I took this year.
Feed Processing (Monogastrics)
This class is all about feed processing, starting with the reasons for using processing and the pros and cons of different types of processing. The class covered hot processing (expansion and extrusion) and cold processing (grinding and pelleting), as well as enzyme treatments and fermentation.
The focus was mainly on feeds for pigs and poultry, however the part on extrusion is also relevant for kibbles in pet food.
The assignment consisted of a 1500-word critical review of a scientific paper on feed processing.
Applied Nutrition and Rationing (Monogastrics)
This class is centered on diet formulations, including hands-on exercises. It included considerations in the choice of ingredients and nutrient requirements of animals as well as constraints around those.
The rationing of various animals was covered, particularly pigs, poultry, dogs, cats, and horses.
The assessment was a diet analysis and formulation for chicks in a 1500-word essay.
Small Animals & Exotics Nutrition
This course had a large part on the unique nutritional aspects of dogs and cats, as well as traditional pet food. Clinical nutrition was also covered, with an emphasis on diets for specific nutritional purposes and obesity management.
Alternative types of diets for dogs and cats were explored in a dedicated lesson, including raw meat-based diets, vegetarian and vegan diets and insect-based diets.
Finally, exotics animals were covered in two lessons, one on mammals such as rabbit, guinea pigs, mice, hamsters, rats, hedgehogs and ferrets, and one on birds and reptiles. The specificities and nutritional disease of these animals were discussed.
The assessment consisted of a 12-minute video recording with a presentation, including peer-reviewed scientific papers, on a current controversy or challenge in small animal or exotic nutrition.
Nutrition & Health
In this course we looked further into some diseases or clinical nutrition topics such as sub-acute rumen acidosis in cattle, nutritional diseases in exotics pets, protein nutrition and gut health in weaner pigs, the diet of hospitalized cats and dogs including enteral and parenteral nutrition, and finally, clinical nutrition in foals.
The assignment required creating an A4 booklet on a nutritional disease or a condition where diet plays an important role in its management.
Current Topics in Animal Nutrition
This course was all about current and new research areas. The first lesson focused on the gut-brain axis and, in particular, how diet could have an impact on behavior. The second lesson covered new sensor technologies used in farm animal nutrition. The third lesson delved into intestinal microbiota and the associated technologies. In the fourth lesson, alternatives to soya in order to reduce the environmental footprint in the feed industry were explored. Finally, in the last lesson we explored current trends in feeding small omnivorous pet rodents.
The assessment consisted of making a scientific conference poster to present a research article, as well as a 5-minute pre-recorded oral presentation of the poster, and finally a short ethical review on the research article.
Research Methods for Animal Science
This course was entirely focused on the scientific method and research process applied to animal nutrition. One lesson was dedicated to research ethics. Two lessons were dedicated to quantitative research including study design and statistical approaches, and the last lesson was on qualitative research.
The assignment consisted of developing an hypothetical 1500-word research proposal for an animal nutrition topic of our choice.
My impressions
Despite being shorter and worth half the credits of the courses in the first year, most assignments in the second year required as much work as the ones of the first year. Because of that, I felt a bit like I spent the whole year constantly working on an assignment, and overall, I dedicated much more time to the assignment compared to last year. It was definitely a heavy workload.
This year was much more balanced regarding the animals covered in the courses, particularly, there was much less ruminant content.
Some classes were a bit disappointing. For example, instead of doing a deep dive on a few nutritional issues in the Nutrition & Health course, I would have preferred a broader overview of more diseases.
I would have liked the Feed Processing course to have focused more on processing for pet food, such as canned food.
As in the first year, I have learned a lot this year. In particular, I now have a better understanding of the scientific method, and clinical nutrition. I especially liked all the lessons regarding ethics, it’s nice to see that ethical and environmental concerns are taken into consideration.
Finally, while the course on diet formulation didn’t introduce new concepts to me, it was reassuring, as it confirmed that I truly have the expertise needed as a feline nutritionist.
The final year
I’m excited about the dissertation for the final year. As with the previous two years, I will try my best to keep you updated on Instagram, and of course, I will write a review when I finally graduate with a Master of Science in Animal Nutrition. I hope you found this article interesting, whether you are contemplating this program or are curious about my credentials.