INTERNATIONAL MASTER IN Animal Breeding and Reproduction Biotechnology
Current edition: 1st part: October 2024 – June 2025 / 2nd part: October 2025 – June 2026
Genetic improvement is a main factor contributing to profitability, sustainability and welfare in animal production. It is a complex discipline bringing together relatively disparate subjects. On one hand, population and quantitative genetics, that to date have been responsible for the main advances in the breeds and populations of the animals used in production. On the other hand molecular genetics, of more recent development, that is making an increasing contribution to breeding. Finally, reproduction biotechnology, that offers tools to enhance and facilitate the application of both quantitative and molecular breeding methods.
The general objective is to train young professionals and scientists so that, both from the public and private sectors they will have the operative capacity to establish, develop and evaluate animal breeding programmes.
The general objective is to train young professionals and scientists so that, both from the public and private sectors they will have the operative capacity to establish, develop and evaluate animal breeding programmes.
The Master enables participants to:
- Update the scientific grounds of the disciplines that constitute animal breeding
- Acquire experience in the application of the most advanced methods and techniques and in the formulation of breeding strategies related to the main species of zootechnical interest
- Gain the necessary expertise to join programmes of molecular genetics, genetic improvement, reproduction biotechnology and conservation of genetic resources, providing alternatives that improve the effectiveness of such programmes
- Be competent in responding to the specific demands of administrations or firms
- Be initiated into research, critically applying acquired knowledge, capacities and abilities to the treatment of problems related to animal breeding and reproduction biotechnology
- Exchange enriching experiences and points of view through a programme developed in contact with the sector in an interprofessional and international environment
The programme provides sound training in these basic subjects that are essential to animal breeding and lead to the acquisition of experience through the critical revision of breeding and biotechnology programmes currently conducted in different species, discussions with professionals of the sector and technical visits to public and private institutions involved in breeding programmes.
The Master is offered since the academic year 2007-2008 and it is structured in two parts held in two academic years. The Master is jointly organized by the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) and the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) as an Interuniversity Official Master of the Spanish university system within the framework of the European Space for Higher Education, and by CIHEAM Zaragoza, with the participation of the Valencian Institute for Agricultural Research (IVIA). The first term of the first part of the Master takes place in Barcelona, at the Department of Animal Science and Food of the UAB, and the second and third terms take place in Valencia at the Department of Animal Science of the UPV.
Duration:
- First part (first academic year): October-June, 60 ECTS
- Second part (second academic year): 10 months, 60 ECTS