As part of our portfolio of online Postgraduate Courses, FAI and the University of St Andrews offer an MSc in Sustainable Aquaculture to equip you with the skills and expertise needed to help tackle food security challenges in a changing world.

The world population is predicted to grow from 7.2 to 9.6 billion by 2050, with the fastest growth occurring in the developing world. The demand for animal source foods is rising, and with mounting pressures on land use, aquaculture is seen as an opportunity for meeting our growing needs. About 1 billion people, largely in developing countries, rely on fish as their primary protein source. Demand has exceeded the supply from capture fisheries since the 1990s, and aquaculture has been increasing at an exponential rate to fill the deficit. The rapid expansion of aquaculture cannot continue unless the industry develops sustainably.

UN’s SDGs

Our courses in Sustainable Aquaculture are tailored to the Sustainable Development Goals of reducing poverty, and achieving zero hunger, good health, quality education, economic growth, gender equality and responsible consumption and production.

In developing countries there is an established link between poverty, hunger and poor health. Aquaculture enables these populations to produce a healthy, secure supply of protein, whilst at the same time offering a stable source of income. The income per unit area is higher from aquaculture than from conventional agriculture such as rice. The nutritional qualities of fishery products are exceptional and the sector can easily support small-scale operations and gender equality (Hambrey, 2017).

Our courses

Our MSc/Postgraduate Diploma courses contain 120 credits of taught modules (see text box). The award of MSc requires 180 credits including the 120 credits gained from taught modules and 60 credits for a research dissertation.

Alternatively, students may study our Postgraduate Certificate which requires 60 credits gained from the taught modules, allowing students to focus their studies on either vertebrate or invertebrate sections of the Postgraduate Diploma Course.

Our courses include subjects such as aquaculture technology, biology, nutrition, health, management and marketing, and students are taught how to apply this knowledge in order to provide a sustainable income using simple technology and at minimum cost. Students are encouraged to devote their dissertation to resolving problems specific to their geographic location and societal needs.

The courses are supported by a team of expert tutors who are available to answer questions, run online tutorials and discussions via the course learning platform. Students also benefit from an array of University services tailored to online learning, to ensure they are integrated in to University life.

Click here for further information about this course.

Reference
Hambrey, J. (2017). The 2030 Agenda and the sustainable development goals: the challenge for aquaculture development and management. FAO, Rome.