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Animal Welfare (ANSC90007)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5Not available in 2020
For information about the University’s phased return to campus and in-person activity in Winter and Semester 2, please refer to the on-campus subjects page.
Please refer to the LMS for up-to-date subject information, including assessment and participation requirements, for subjects being offered in 2020.
Overview
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On completion of the subject, students should have sound and broad understanding of the systems regulating body function and the behavioural and physiological responses utilised by animals in responding to environmental change. From this theoretical base, students should develop an appreciation of the scientific approaches available to assess animal welfare. Furthermore, students should understand the concepts of animal welfare and be aware of the main welfare issues confronting animals in modern livestock production systems and other captive animal settings.
Specific topics covered include:
- The current debate about animal usage and animal welfare
- Systems regulating the body (homeostasis, motivation and control systems, and development of regulatory systems)
- Limits to adaptation (stimulation, tolerance and coping, variation in adaptation)
- Stress and welfare (Selye's concept of stress and refinements to the concept, coping and fitness, definition of welfare and its assessment)
- Assessing welfare using short- and long-term biological responses
- Assessing welfare using preference testing
- Assessing welfare by studying cognitive skills
- Ethical problems concerning welfare
- Welfare issues in agriculture and the general community
- Codes of practice for the welfare of livestock and welfare solutions
This subject only runs every alternate year.
Intended learning outcomes
The subject aims to provide students with a knowledge and understanding of animal welfare and ethics that can be applied to provide sound, science-based advice on animal welfare practices to industry, interest groups and the public, to be proactive in dealing with public sentiment, and be able to assess the welfare of animals in captivity.
Generic skills
N/A
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
Eligibility for honours or postgraduate degree.
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Assessment
Due to the impact of COVID-19, assessment may differ from that published in the Handbook. Students are reminded to check the subject assessment requirements published in the subject outline on the LMS
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Assignment due within two weeks after the delivery period
| 2 Weeks after the end of teaching | 35% |
6 group presentations during the delivery period up to an equivalent of 15 minutes per student
| During the teaching period | 35% |
Individual presentation and a written abstract (500 words) due in the final week of the delivery period
| End of the teaching period | 30% |
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Dates & times
Not available in 2020
Time commitment details
Including non-contact time: 170 hours
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
N/A
Recommended texts and other resources
- Broom, D.M. and Fraser, A.F. (2015) Domestic Animal Behaviour and Welfare. 5th Edition CABI
- Broom, D.M. and Johnson, K.G. (1993) Stress & Animal Welfare, Chapman & Hill
- Appleby, M.C., Mench, J.A., Olsson, I.A.S. and Hughes, B.O. (2011) Animal Welfare, 2nd Edition CABI
- Subject notes
This subject involves the use of animals. Students should be aware that this is an essential part of the subject and exemption from this component is not possible.
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Course Graduate Certificate in Agricultural Sciences Course Graduate Diploma in Agricultural Sciences Specialisation (formal) Animal Science Informal specialisation Master of Agricultural Sciences - Elective Subjects - Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
This subject is available to students studying at the University from eligible overseas institutions on exchange and study abroad. Students are required to satisfy any listed requirements, such as pre- and co-requisites, for enrolment in the subject.
Last updated: 3 November 2022