ANIMAL PROTECTION AND WELFARE

Follow-up master's degree study programme Animal Protection and Welfare
Guarantee:prof. MVDr. Vladimír Večerek, CSc., MBA

Study plans

Decription of study

The ANIMAL PROTECTION AND WELFARE study programme responds to the need for university-educated professionals in the field of animal protection against abuse, stress, pain and suffering, animal protection during animal handling and to control these conditions.
The follow-up master's degree study programme ANIMAL PROTECTION AND WELFARE aims to acquire knowledge, experience and skills in the field of pathological animal nutrition, animal husbandry conditions, animal behavior disorders, conditions of veterinary care for animals. It includes supervision over the protection of animals against cruelty according to the applicable legislation. Part of the field is also the analysis of animal health and disease leading to laboratory diagnostics in the field of stress, pain, suffering, disorders of the internal environment and diseases related to animal protection at the parasitic, bacteriological, virological, mycological and other levels.

Possible employment

• veterinary authorities in the supervision of animal protection against cruelty - assistant veterinarian (especially control and supervision of livestock and pets)
• laboratories of state veterinary institutes
• state administration bodies in the protection of wild animals and protected animals (environmental protection inspectorates)
• institutions carrying out animal experiments (in particular ensuring the welfare of experimental animals)
• ZOO
• institutions dealing with the protection of abandoned and handicapped animals (animal shelters)
• organizations dealing with hippotherapy, canis therapy and / or other forms of animotherapy
• study of a doctoral study program
• academic staff member at the university

Requirements and prerequisites – more information

Students who have completed their bachelor's degree study programme ANIMAL PROTECTION AND WELFARE or a similar field apply to study in the follow-up master's degree study programme. The necessary competence for subsequent master's studies is demonstrated in particular by the results of studies in the bachelor's degree study programme and the results of the entrance exam. Applicants become students of the subsequent master's studies on the day of enrollment.

The course of study

The follow-up master's degree programme ANIMAL PROTECTION AND WELFARE is a two years long. The study program contains study courses, some of which the student chooses from pairs of compulsory optional courses according to his interest and focus. The basic forms of teaching are lectures, practical exercises, seminars, consultations, teaching in agricultural and food companies and institutions, individual internships and practice. Furthermore, independent professional work at the institutes and special-purpose facilities of the faculty and university, as well as independent study. Emphasis is placed on theoretical teaching leading to the support of students' creative abilities. Study success is checked continuously during the semester, at the end of the semester by credit and at the end of the study of the subject by an exam. The state final exam consists of five subjects and the defense of a diploma thesis.

The study program includes deepening of knowledge:

• courses:Animal welfare for individual species, categories and groups of animals, Nutritional disorders of animals, Health disorders related to animal hygiene, Behavioral disorders of animals
• courses of laboratory diagnostics of animal care:Laboratory diagnostics of disorders of the internal environment, Laboratory diagnostics of stress, pain and suffering in animals, Parasitological and infectious examination of samples
• Animal protection courses:State administration in animal protection, Marketing management in animal protection, Media communication in animal protection, Protection of endangered species of animals, nature and landscape, Rescue of animals in extreme situations
• courses of animal health care:Diseases of ruminants, pigs and poultry, Diseases of dogs, cats and other pets, State veterinary care
• courses of non-university practice:Practice in the field of supervision of animal protection

Graduate profile

Graduate of the follow-up master's degree study programme ANIMAL PROTECTION AND WELFARE:

• can recognize behavioral and health disorders of animals due to inappropriate nutrition or breeding conditions
• can recognize diseases of dogs, cats and other pets, ruminants, pigs, horses and poultry and animal diseases
• knows the activities of the state veterinary administration and institutions in animal protection
• controls laboratory diagnosis of stress, pain and suffering in animals and can interpret examination results
• can solve even the most complex problems of animal protection in a creative way, at the level of state and public administration, in organizations, institutions and businesses as well as in other human activities