One Health: ecosystems, humans and animals

Entry requirements

Academic qualifications

To apply for the MSc One Health: ecosystems, humans and animals, you must have (or expect to receive) a first or second class Honours degree.

Please contact our Admissions Office if you are unsure whether your degree is equivalent to a UK first or second class Honours degree. We invite applications from candidates from a range of backgrounds, including with degrees in medicine, veterinary medicine, biological sciences, animal sciences, social sciences, statistics and economics.

If you are interested in this field, but do not have the relevant background, please contact us in advance of applying so we can consider such cases on an individual basis.

English language requirements

A good working knowledge of scientific English is essential in order to follow the course. All applicants must have an acceptable English Language qualification:

• IELTS (Academic) score of 7.0 or above with minimum 6.5 in each component

For those without IELTS, please see our English Language Requirements page for a full list of qualifications we will accept as alternatives.

Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme applicants

If you intend to apply for the course under the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme, please note you will need to apply to both the CSC and RVC directly by the deadlines below. Please ensure that you are eligible before submitting an application. You will need to make clear in the Funding section of your RVC application that you are a Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme applicant.

Applications for 2024 Commonwealth Shared Scholarships closed on 14th December 2023. They will re-open for 2025 entry in November 2024.

Applications to the RVC from Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme applicants need to be received by 31st January.

Priority applicants NB: Applicants who have met the English language requirements for the course (and uploaded/sent us their results) by 3rd March 2025, as well as those from the countries listed below, will be prioritised for consideration. We have listed the equivalent qualification to a UK Bachelor Honours degree for each country, which will be needed to meet our entry requirements. Where a qualification is not listed there is not an equivalent qualification from this country which would meet our current requirements, but qualifications studied elsewhere which are equivalent to a UK Bachelor Honours degree would be accepted. Note: only those who have submitted applications to both the RVC and the CSC by the deadlines above will be shortlisted.

• Eswatini – Master’s degree
• Kiribati
• Lesotho – Master’s degree
• Malawi – Master’s degree
• Mozambique – Grau de Mestre (Master’s)
• Papua New Guinea – Bachelor(hons) degree
• Rwanda – Diplome de Docteur en Medecine/Bachelor(hons) degree
• Solomon Islands – Bachelor degree from University of the South Pacific
• Tanzania – Bachelor degree/Doctor of Medicine/Veterinary Medicine
• Gambia – Master’s degree
• Tuvalu
• Vanuatu – Bachelor degree from University of the South Pacific

Months of entry

September

Course content

Changing environmental, social and agricultural conditions are a threat to animal and human health and welfare.

Many infectious diseases can pass between animals and humans, while food production, human diet and community stability are harmed by diseases that infect livestock and wildlife. Emerging veterinary infectious diseases and human diseases, such as highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses, emphasise the threat posed by these issues.

The One Health approach recognises the relationship between health and disease at the human, animal and environment interfaces and has become an important focus in both medical and veterinary science. It promotes a “whole of society” treatment of health hazards and a systemic change of perspective in the management of risk.

The course will provide you with:

• A comprehensive foundation on the principles of diseases in the context of socio-ecological systems, global health and food safety.
• Knowledge and skills in relation to One Health methodologies, transdisciplinary interactions and in using a systems approach.