MSc / MA Human Animal Interaction
Learn from our noted experts in human-animal interaction across a wide range of contexts, from pet owning to animal-assisted interventions, zoos, farms and conservation.
Key facts
- Award Masters / MSc, Postgraduate Diploma, Postgraduate Certificate, MA
- Start date September 2021
- Duration MSc full-time: 12 months, MSc part-time: 27 months
- Mode of study Part-time, Full-time, Campus based, Stand-alone modules
Changes at Stirling
Find out about important changes including how you'll be taught, start dates and how we're making campus safer.
Overview
This Masters in Human Animal Interaction will introduce you to interdisciplinary approaches and a diverse range of methods used to research our relationships with other species. It 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 quantitative or qualitative methodologies. Selected components of this Masters course count as continuing professional development for those already working in this area.
Work placements
You’ll carry out a placement and research project to gain direct experience tailored to your individual career goals. You may be able to undertake a placement or conduct data collection for your research project at suitable organisations outside the UK.
We have experience in delivering placement modules and we have excellent links with partners in industry and the third sector. Established partnerships with relevant organisations also offer research projects to students, within the Making the Most of Masters framework.
Flexible learning
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.
Faculty facilities
The Psychology department has outstanding laboratory space fitted with high-quality equipment. It has excellent computing infrastructure, and both research and teaching activities are supported by in-house technical staff with computing, programming, electronic and audio-video expertise.
Psychology masters students have access to a dedicated suite of study and teaching rooms.
Research overview
Psychology at the University of Stirling has a vibrant research culture and is one of the leading psychology departments in the UK. It ranked in the top 20 in the recent research assessment (REF 2014). It was one of only seven non-Russell group universities to do so, the others being Birkbeck, Royal Holloway, Sussex, Essex, St Andrews and Bangor (source: Times Higher Education magazine).
Our quality of research publications ranked third in Scotland after Aberdeen and Glasgow. The relevance of our psychology research activity to society received the highest possible rating, which only four other psychology departments in the UK achieved (REF 2014 results).
As a postgraduate taught student you’ll be part of our lively research community, meeting up for weekly research seminars and informal specialist discussion groups.
Entry requirements
Course details
Fees and funding
After you graduate
What our students said

Scotland
MSc Human Animal Interaction
Read Kirsty-Marie's storyThis course not only provided me with a place of belonging with friends of like-mindedness but it also provided me with amazing opportunities.

USA
MSc Human Animal Interaction
Read Michelle's storyThe core class, taught by very knowledgeable and accessible professors, allows for much group discussion and self-directed study in topics that interest the individual, as well.
MSc Human Animal Interaction
Read Gillian's storyThe MSc Human Animal Interaction course is a brilliant and unique opportunity, the first of its kind in the UK.