MSc / MA Human-Animal Interaction

Humans share this planet with other animals and our interactions are at the core of our everyday lives. We farm and eat animals, we keep them as companions and for work, as models for humans in laboratory research, in animal-assisted interventions for positive behaviour change, and in education, entertainment and ecotourism. Depending upon our perceptions and attitudes towards animals, and in relation to the impact they have on us and the environment, we may actively attempt to conserve them, domesticate them or eradicate them.

In this Masters in Human-Animal Interaction you will learn interdisciplinary approaches and a diverse range of methods used to research our relationships with other non-human animal species. The Masters covers a broad range of topics and looks at human–animal interactions across a wide range of contexts – from pet owning to animal-assisted interventions, zoos, farms and conservation.

You'll learn about the importance of both human and animal behaviour in shaping human-animal interaction, and the associated ethical issues, as well as learning to critically evaluate methods for measuring attitudes, interactions and their outcomes.

You'll carry out a practical placement and research project to get direct experience tailored to your individual career goals. You will also learn from our recognised experts in human–animal interaction, whose specialisms include:

• the study of animal behaviour and animal welfare;
• animal-assisted activities and interventions;
• human and animal coexistence.

This Masters course can be studied as an MA or MSc. It depends on whether your focus is on qualitative (MA) methodologies or both quantitative and qualitative (MSc) methodologies. Selected components of this Masters course count as continuing professional development for those already working in this area.

Psychology has powerful methods to help inform our interactions with animals. The course provides training in the fundamentals of research methods and how these apply to the study of human animal interactions.

Both MA and MSc students take a module on Qualitative Data Analysis. MSc students also take the Quantitative Analysis Methods in Psychological Research module, but MA students take another module from a range of options (such as Child Development, Autism, Climate and Environmental Psychology).

There is an external placement module and an individual research project. The individual module components contribute towards two-thirds of the MA/MSc grade, with the research project dissertation contributing the remaining third.

MA students must also complete an additional selected module (instead of HPSP131 above). The options are: Child Development (PRMP133), Climate and Environmental Psychology (PRMP1CE), and Autism Research (PRMP141).

Students are encouraged to join the Stirling Human-Animal Interaction Research and the Behaviour and Evolution Research Group which have weekly meetings throughout the semester.