The Master in Animal Welfare Assessment has been established to provide further education for professionals who, directly or indirectly, work with animal welfare in their daily activities. The programme originates from the EU Animal Welfare Strategy (2012-2015), which assesses animal welfare based on animal-based indicators rather than regulatory control of animal housing systems.

This shift introduces new competency requirements for professionals in the field. Consequently, there is an increasing demand for individuals with expertise in animal welfare who can evaluate, advise, and provide guidance on welfare issues in primary production according to future requirements in the field.

You can find the EU Strategy for Protection and Welfare of Animal here.

The Master’s programme meets this need through a competency profile that integrates biological, production-related, managerial, political, and communicative aspects of the field.

Participants will gain a broader understanding of animal welfare management and access to a valuable international network, thereby raising the overall competency level across the participant group.

This programme is unique both in Denmark and within the EU.

The primary target group for this programme consists of animal welfare inspectors employed by regulatory authorities. However, it is also relevant for veterinarians in private practice, educators at agricultural schools, and consultants in the agricultural sector.
The programme is offered in English and is aimed at participants from Denmark, the EU and overseas.

Upon completion of the programme, students will have acquired competencies in the following key areas:

Knowledge

• Describe, summarize, and communicate the biological foundation of international and national legislation on animal welfare and farmed animal management, as well as describe key behavioral needs.
• Define relevant animal welfare concepts and assess how welfare indicators (e.g. pain, suffering, fear, and hunger) can be measured.
• Select, apply, and discuss animal welfare definitions and assessment methods at the group level concerning production conditions, different stakeholders, and various objectives (decision-making support, certification, or classification).
• Evaluate the applicability and appropriateness of theoretical, experimental, and practical methods for analyzing and solving professional issues.
• Reflect on animal welfare in a global context and understand the relationship between legislation and control within a sustainability framework.

Skills

• Communicate animal welfare assessments in a broad perspective and utilize different communication strategies in interactions between inspectors and farmers.
• Explain and motivate the importance of animal welfare to farmers and discuss the relationship between inspectors/advisors and farmers in solving welfare issues.
• Apply sampling methods and other relevant statistical techniques in inspections.
• Prevent and manage significant animal welfare issues in both national and international contexts.

Competencies

• Structure one’s professional development.
• Independently plan and execute projects.
• Convey and communicate professional issues and challenges in both scientific and general forums.

The Master’s programme consists of four mandatory modules, with the final module being the master’s project (Module 4):

Communication between stakeholders about animal welfare is a cross-cutting theme in Modules 1, 2, and 3.

60 ECTS credits correspond to one full-time year of study, equivalent to a full-time student’s workload over one year.
The programme is structured as a part-time study over two years.

Prerequisites
The Master's programme is structured to ensure progression throughout the course of study. Participants are not required to complete the entire programme but can choose to complete the number of modules they wish—starting from Module 1.
Admission to Module 2 requires successful completion of Module 1. Similarly, admission to Module 3 requires successful completion of Module 1 and Module 2.
Finally, Modules 1-3 must be completed before Module 4 can commence.

Maximum study time
The programme must be completed no later than five years after it has started.

The teaching will take place as a combination of seminars with physical attendance and online classes.
Seminars with physical attendance are full, continuous on-campus days that are not recorded and cannot be attended online.
Online seminars (webinars) also take place as full, continuous days, are not recorded, and must therefore be attended in real time.

There will be a significant amount of self-study in preparation for and between these activities, as well as project work carried out both individually and in groups.

The seminars are held in Denmark.

Each module will conclude with an exam, which will be conducted either with physical attendance or online.

Dates and times for the teaching may be subject to change.

The participant fee is 8000 euros for the entire programme and 2000 euros per module.
The participant fee is charged in installments prior to the start of each semester. The payment covers costs for teaching, 3 exam attempts per module, and administration.

Travel expenses, meals, and accommodation for seminars during the programme are to be covered by the individual participant.

The right to take exams requires registered payment from the participant.

Participant fees for the university's continuing education programmes are not subject to VAT and do not include costs for teaching materials.

The state subsidy for part-time education is determined in the annual budget law. Therefore, Aarhus University reserves the right to adjust the participant fee if necessary.

Non-EU/EEA/Swiss Citizens
If you are a citizen of a country outside the EU/EEA/Switzerland, you are required to pay tuition fees.
The tuition fee for 60 ECTS is 5700 euros.
The tuition fee is adjusted annually and is subject to change.

The requirements for admission to the Master in Animal Welfare Assessment is:

• A scientific bachelor's degree with a focus on animal production
• Minimum of 2 years of relevant professional experience after completing the qualifying education.

If you do not meet the formal admission requirements
Based on an individual assessment, an exemption from the qualifying education requirement can be granted, if it is considered that you have equivalent educational qualifications to successfully complete the programme.
Exemption from the requirement of minimum of 2 years of relevant professional experience after completing the qualifying education is not possible.

If you do not meet the formal admission requirements, you should contact Continuing Education for further guidance.

Selection Criteria
We have the capacity to admit 20 students per intake.
If there are more applicants than study spots, the selection of applicants will be based on the following criteria:

• A minimum of three years of continuous professional experience after the qualifying education, with tasks related to public or private welfare control.
• Grade point average (GPA) from the qualifying education, according to the described qualifying programmes in the curriculum.

The criteria are prioritized. Criterion 2 will only apply if there are still more applicants than available spots after the evaluation of applicants based on criterion 1.

You are welcome to justify your application.

If this is your first time applying for admission to the Master in Animal Welfare Assessment programme, please attach the following documents:

• Proof of qualifying examination, individual courses, etc. (bachelor's, master's, or diploma degree). Please include complete diplomas.
• Documentation of a minimum of 2 years of relevant professional experience, e.g. confirmation from the employer, copies of employment contracts, pay stubs, annual statements (for self-employed individuals). We also need to assess the relevance of your professional experience.
• In addition, please include a CV.

You can apply for admission to the entire programme, in which case you only need to apply once. Alternatively, you can apply for admission to one module at a time, and then you will need to apply each semester.

When you apply for admission to the entire programme, Aarhus University commits to ensuring that you can complete the entire programme within the offered period.

You apply through Aarhus University's digital application system, DANS
You will find instructions in the following links:

Accessing the online application portal

Forgotten how you logged in to the portal? 

How to complete your application

We recommend having your documentation ready in PDF format when you start your application. Please see the "Documentation Requirements" section for details.

If you encounter issues applying through DANS, you can contact support through the help form. If you require phone support, please feel free to provide your phone number in the form.

You can expect a response to your application 4-6 weeks after the application deadline.

The university registers personal data, eligibility basis, and the result of the university's processing of the application.

The programme is offered by the Board of Studies of Agriculture, Food and Veterinary Sciences (BSA).
The teaching is provided by instructors from the Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences.

Contact Person
Senior Researcher Tine Rousing
Email: tine.rousing@anivet.au.dk
Phone: +45 9350 8929

The teaching is provided by:

Module 1:
Senior Researcher Karen Thodberg
Email: karen.thodberg@anivet.au.dk
Phone: +45 9352 2604

Module 2:
Professor Mette Herskin
Email: mettes.herskin@anivet.au.dk
Phone: +45 5050 2969

Module 3:
Senior Researcher Tine Rousing
Email: tine.rousing@anivet.au.dk
Phone: +45 9350 8929

Module 4:
Lecturer Hanne Kongsted
Email: hanne.kongsted@anivet.au.dk
Phone: +45 9350 8454

The Master in Animal Welfare Assessment is governed by the academic regulation for the programme and by executive orders for part-time education:

Ministerial Order No. 19 of 09/01/2020 on Master Degree Programmes at Universities (Master Degree Programme Order) (in Danish only).

Ministerial Order No. 2272 of 01/12/2021 on Part-time Education (The Part-time Executive Order) (in Danish only).

Academic regulation for Master in Animal Welfare Assessment 2025

The Master in Animal Welfare Assessment is offered by the Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences (ANIVET) under the Faculty of Technical Sciences at Aarhus University.

ANIVET is one of the world's leading research environments in animal welfare and has extensive activities in both national and international research, research-based advisory services for authorities, and teaching in animal welfare.

The Board of Studies for Agriculture, Food, and Veterinary Sciences (BSA) is responsible for the academic level, content, teaching, and examinations.