Overview
Food from aquatic systems is essential for much of the world’s population. However, with wild catches of seafood declining in many places, aquaculture is playing an increasing role as an alternative source of high-quality, nutritious food - and as an employer. Controlling disease is important to the ongoing success of this industry.
Our Aquatic Pathobiology postgraduate degree gives you a unique opportunity to study the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of aquatic animal diseases in cultured organisms. You’ll study at the Institute of Aquaculture, one of the top institutions in this field. The Institute is internationally recognised for both research and teaching and has more than 70 staff and 80 postgraduate students. This Masters in Aquatic Pathobiology has been taught at the Institute for almost 40 years and is the only postgraduate degree of its kind in the world.
The course combines high-quality, practical work and field visits with class-based training in aquatic disease diagnosis and health management challenges drawn from real industry situations. You’ll also develop an understanding of the biology, husbandry and environment of farmed aquatic species.
The course can also be seen as preparation for anyone who plans to do a PhD in aquatic animal health or disease.
The Institute of Aquaculture has received the UK’s most prestigious academic honour – the Queen’s Anniversary Prize 2019. The honour recognises outstanding work that shows quality and innovation, and delivers real benefit to the wider world through education and training. It recognises our pioneering work in the world’s fastest-growing food production sector and our bid to tackle global hunger.
Queen’s Anniversary Prize 2019
The Institute of Aquaculture has received the UK’s most prestigious academic honour – the Queen’s Anniversary Prize 2019. The honour recognises outstanding work that shows quality and innovation, and delivers real benefit to the wider world through education and training. It recognises our pioneering work in the world’s fastest-growing food production sector and our bid to tackle global hunger.
There are no formal study abroad options, but the research project may offer an opportunity to work with aquaculture businesses or other research organisations outside the UK.
If you’re interested in studying a module from this course, the Postgraduate Certificate or the Postgraduate Diploma then please email Graduate Admissions to discuss your course of study.
The Institute of Aquaculture aims to provide the highest standard of facilities in an ever-changing commercial, academic and regulatory environment. We have freshwater sites in Central Scotland, tropical and temperate freshwater recirculation systems in Stirling and marine facilities in the West of Scotland.
The Institute provides analytical laboratories in all the key priority research areas, including:
- genomic, molecular and bioinformatics
- microbiology and immunology
- imaging facilities
- nutritional analytical services
- water quality services
In REF 2021, we were ranked 1st in the UK for impact and 9th overall for research in Agriculture, Veterinary and Food Sciences, with 100% of the University's Institute of Aquaculture research having outstanding impact, the highest possible rating. 100% of our research environment is world leading or internationally excellent.
Entry requirements
A minimum of a second class honours degree or equivalent in a relevant subject. Applicants without these formal qualifications but with significant appropriate/relevant work/life experience are encouraged to apply.
Other routes of entry
If you don't currently meet our academic requirements, INTO University of Stirling offers a variety of preparation programmes that can earn you the qualifications and skills you need to progress onto some of our courses. Explore INTO University of Stirling to see the pathway and pre-masters routes available.
International entry requirements
If English is not your first language you must have one of the following qualifications as evidence of your English language skills:
- IELTS Academic or UKVI 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each sub-skill.
- Pearson Test of English (Academic) 60 overall with a minimum of 59 in each sub-skill.
- IBT TOEFL 78 overall with a minimum of 17 in listening, 18 in reading, 20 in speaking and 17 in writing.
See our information on English language requirements for more details on the language tests we accept and options to waive these requirements.
If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this course, our partner INTO University of Stirling offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for entry to this degree.
Find out more about our pre-sessional English language courses.
Course details
The full Masters course is divided into six taught modules, and a single research project module. The overall course is divided into three parts:
Foundation modules (September to November)
There are two compulsory modules, taken consecutively, which give a broad introduction to aquaculture science and practice. The first focuses on aquaculture species, systems and environments and
Advanced modules (November to April)
There are four advanced modules which cover essential diagnostic skills for viral, bacterial and parasitic diseases, treatments and toxicology, epidemiology and overall health control strategies.
Research Project module (May to September)
The Research Project module involves independent research in many areas of aquatic animal health. These projects are mostly laboratory based and often result in peer-reviewed publications. Successful completion of the module, following the foundation and advanced modules, will qualify you for an MSc Aquatic Pathobiology.
Modules
The module information below provides an example of the types of course module you may study. The details listed are for the academic year that starts in September 2024. Modules and start dates are regularly reviewed and may be subject to change in future years.
Course Details
Research-led teaching is at the core of your learning as our staff conduct world-leading research in Aquatic Pathobiology. Our teaching makes use of both our campus-based teaching facilities and online learning environment. In addition to lectures, online materials, workshops, seminars, case studies, field and laboratory exercises, and a number of minor projects are assigned throughout the course. These are an integral part of the teaching and will involve the students working alone or in groups. These projects may require a written outcome or a presentation to peers and other staff and students.
There will be a number of field exercises throughout the course, which include visits to Scottish aquaculture production sites, as well as the external marine and freshwater facilities of the Institute of Aquaculture.
Taught module assessment is continuous and consists of assignments in a range of formats, including short tests, poster and platform presentations, essays, practical and project reports, and field assignments. The Research Project module is examined through a reflective diary maintained throughout the research project module, a written dissertation, a press release and a seminar presentation, which is delivered to peers, supervisors and the external examiner.
The Aquatic Pathobiology course involves intensive teaching and study. A standard day involves lectures, practicals, tutorials or group work between 9.00 and 6.00pm, with assignments taking additional time in evenings or weekends. There are sometimes field trips which may start earlier or return later or involve several nights away from Stirling.
Teaching on the Sustainable Aquaculture postgraduate course draws on the wide range of expertise available within the Institute of Aquaculture. Module and topic leaders include:
- Dr Armin Sturm (Foundations of Aquatic Production)
- Dr Amaya Albalat (Aquaculture in Practice)
- Professor Mags Crumlish (Aquaculture Diagnostic Skills 2)
- Professor James Bron (Parasites and Treatments)
- Professor Jimmy Turnbull (Aquaculture Health Control)]
Fees and funding
University of Stirling alumni will automatically be awarded a fee waiver for the first year of Masters studies through our Stirling Alumni Scholarship.
Applicants from the UK or Republic of Ireland who hold a first-class honours degree or equivalent will automatically be awarded a £2,000 scholarship through our Postgraduate Merit Scholarship.
If you need to extend your period of study, you may be liable for additional fees.
If you are studying part time, the total course fee will be split over the years that you study. The total fee will remain the same and will be held at the rate set in your year of entry.
For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.
Eligible students could receive a scholarship worth between £4,000-£7,000. See our range of generous scholarships for international postgraduate students.
If you need to extend your period of study, you may be liable for additional fees.
If you are studying part time, the total course fee will be split over the years that you study. The total fee will remain the same and will be held at the rate set in your year of entry.
For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.
Postgraduate tuition fee loans
This course is eligible for a postgraduate tuition fee loan from one of the UK’s governments. See the Scholarships and funding section, below, for more details.
Additional costs
There are some instances where additional fees may apply. Depending on your chosen course, you may need to pay additional costs, for example for field trips. Learn more about additional fees.
Funding
If you have the talent, ability and drive to study with us, we want to make sure you make the most of the opportunity – regardless of your financial circumstances.
Learn more about available funding opportunities or use our scholarship finder to explore our range of scholarships.
Postgraduate tuition fee loans
Scottish students may be eligible to apply to the Students Award Agency for Scotland (SAAS) for loans of up to £11,500 to cover tuition fees and associated living costs.
English students can apply for a loan of up to £12,167 each year as part of the Postgraduate Masters Loan Scheme.
Welsh students can apply for financial support of up to £18,770 as a combination of grant and loan from Student Finance Wales.
Northern Irish students can apply for a postgraduate tuition fee loan of up to £6,500 from Student Finance NI.
International students may be able to gain additional funding from loan providers.
If you’re domiciled in the UK, you can typically apply to your relevant funding body for help with living costs. This usually takes the form of student loans, grants or bursaries, and the amount awarded depends upon your personal circumstances and household income.
International (including EU) students won’t normally be able to claim living support through SAAS or other UK public funding bodies. You should contact the relevant authority in your country to find out if you’re eligible to receive support.
We aim to be as flexible as possible, and offer a wide range of payment methods - including the option to pay fees by instalments. Learn more about how to pay
After you graduate
This course has run for almost 40 years and we’ve trained over 200 students (in combination with Aquatic Veterinary Studies) from all over the world. As a graduate, your expertise will be relevant to a wide range of potential careers in aquatic animal health. Your selected career path will depend on your personal interests, as well as your previous experiences. Graduates have gone on to work as aquatic health consultants, with government fisheries departments and as managers of seafood farms and aquaria.
The course provides training for those who wish to pursue a PhD, especially in aquaculture, aquatic health, fisheries and aquatic resources management.
In combination with the Aquatic Veterinary Studies degree these are the destinations of our graduates over the last five years:
- About 30 percent have gone on to a PhD or further research
- Around 20 percent work in government fisheries departments
- About 15 percent are university lecturers
- The remainder are managers of farms or aquaria or have other similar types of employment
We have designed our postgraduate taught courses so that, in addition to learning about your specialist discipline, you’ll be exposed to, and trained in, a number of skills which are not specific to aquaculture but which employers increasingly expect. During your course you’ll develop capabilities in the following areas:
Academic
- Researching information
- Information retrieval
- Evaluative and analytical skills
- Problem solving
- Experimental design and statistics
- Computing modelling
Communication skills
- Oral presentation skills
- Scientific and business report writing
- Presentation of reports and research findings
- Writing for a range of readers
- Dealing with people, interviews
- Teamwork, group-work, leadership
Personal management skills
- Time management
- Organisation, planning and prioritisation
- Working under pressure
- Working to deadlines
We work closely with the aquaculture industry in more than 20 countries, including every major company in Scotland, giving many of our students an opportunity to carry out industry-based research projects. During the course there are visits to various companies. Lectures and workshops in a number of modules are given by aquaculture professionals from Scotland.
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