The University of Edinburgh is offering a free course on Animal Behaviour and  Welfare.

The course covers various aspects of animal welfare, from its history and concept, to practical information on companion animals, production animals and wild animals in captivity.

Instructors and veterinarians from the University of Edinburgh provide the information through video recordings and interactive presentations. The course is divided into weeks, there is a quiz after each week and an online hangout, where you can communicate with your instructors in a live regime.

Those who complete the course get a statement of accomplishment. This course is also eligible for Signature Track, which means you can receive your Verified Certificate that you can list on your CV or use to advance your career.

The first run of this online course happened in summer 2014 and received positive reviews from the students. You can watch the introduction to the first run of the course here:

You can also view the recording of the first run of the course on the course page at https://www.coursera.org/course/animal.

If you have any questions about the course you can ask them on Twitter: @JMICAWE.

No background is required for the course.

Here’s the list of suggested reading for this course:

• Dawkins, M S, Animal Suffering: The Science of Animal Welfare.
• Mason, G., Rushen, J., Stereotypic Animal Behaviour: fundamentals and applications to welfare.
• Gregory, N. G. Physiology and behaviour of animal suffering.
• Grandin, Livestock Handling and Transport.
• Gregory, Animal welfare and meat production.
• Tudge, Last Animals at the Zoo.

Course: Animal Behaviour and Welfare
Provider: coursera.org
Link to course: https://www.coursera.org/course/animal