THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH Postgraduate Prospectus 2011 Entry www.ed.ac.uk PGP COVER 2011 19/7/10 16:43 Page 3 PGP INTRO 2011 19/7/10 16:31 Page 1 PGP INTRO 2011 19/7/10 16:31 Page 2 Welcome The University of Edinburgh is globally recognised for its research, development and innovation. We’ve been providing our students with world-class teaching for more than 425 years. Joining the University as a postgraduate student provides you with a truly unique opportunity to work with some of the most influential academics in your chosen field. At Edinburgh you will develop your specialist skills, deepen your understanding and gain new insights and perspectives to equip you for your career ahead. Whether your plans are for employment or further study, in the UK or abroad, you’ll find the highest quality research and learning opportunities here. Welcome to the University of Edinburgh. PGP INTRO 2011 19/7/10 16:31 Page 3 The University of Edinburgh Postgraduate Prospectus 2011 Entry Welcome www.ed.ac.uk 3 Welcome Welcome Contents Contents Humanities & Why choose the University of Edinburgh? 4 Social Science Edinburgh Global 6 pages 26–137 Resources 8 Career enhancement 10 Support services 12 Medicine & Accommodation 13 Veterinary Medicine Learning at the heart of the city 14 Choosing your postgraduate degree 16 pagespages 138 126-141–169 How to apply 17 Tuition fees, scholarships & funding 18 Science & Visiting the University 21 Engineering Our programmes 22 Our research areas 25 pages 170–213 Humanities & Social Science 26 Medicine & Veterinary Medicine 138 Science & Engineering 170 Tuition fees: further information 214 Campus maps 216 Terms & conditions 219 Useful contacts 221 Index 222 PGP INTRO 2011 19/7/10 16:31 Page 4 4 Why choose the University of Edinburgh? The University of Edinburgh is one review by the Quality Assurance Agency universities in the UK to actively develop of the largest universities in the UK, for Higher Education (QAA). The University commercial links with industry, government and one of the most cosmopolitan. also conducts regular internal reviews and and the professions, having been involved constantly considers new approaches and in industrial liaison and technology transfer Our postgraduate community is techniques in teaching. Recently, innovative since 1984. For example, the award-winning made up of more than 7,000 taught teaching methods for postgraduates have Wolfson Microelectronics is one of the and research students, from more included weblogs, Skype and Second Life University’s best known spin-out companies, than 130 countries across the globe. virtual tutorials. and currently has offices in the UK, US, Japan, Our size and international diversity China, Taiwan and Korea. In 2009 the total enrich every student’s experience. Collaboration and value of research awards was £249 million, including awards from government, the EU, international partnerships research councils, charities and industry. Research excellence The University is a member of the Russell All our students benefit from the strong Group of leading UK research-intensive Edinburgh Research and Innovation (ERI), research environment that informs our universities and Universitas 21, an international based at the University, is responsible for academic programmes. We are ranked fifth network of research-intensive universities. In the promotion and commercialisation of the in the UK and placed in the top 20 in the addition, Edinburgh is the only UK institution, University’s research excellence. It can help world by The Times Higher Education – QS aside from Oxford University, to be a member postgraduate researchers build on their World University Rankings 2009. The University of both the League of European Research successes, and support them in taking of Edinburgh has an international reputation for Universities (LERU) and COIMBRA, a network the first steps to market, whether it be innovative research across a wide range of of leading academic institutions. through collaborative research, licensing disciplines. Some of our current research technology or providing consultancy services. activities include stem cells and regenerative As an internationally renowned centre for For more information, please visit therapies, renewable energy and wave and academic excellence, the University is the www.research-innovation.ed.ac.uk. tidal-stream power, and intellectual property site of many world-class research centres. and technology law. Our postgraduate students are crucial to A proud heritage our continued success and development By choosing to pursue further study or In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise and, along with our staff, they forge research research at Edinburgh you will be joining a (RAE) the University of Edinburgh’s position as links through regular travel and overseas community of scholars that have been at the one of the world’s leading research universities exchanges. We take pride in our partnerships forefront of knowledge since 1583. Recent was reaffirmed. Our submission was among the with other institutions such as the California alumni include NASA astronaut Piers Sellers; largest and most comprehensive in the UK. Institute of Technology and Stanford University in the USA; the British University in Dubai, the former UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown; former MI5 Director General Stella A total of 1,684 individual academics – more in the UAE; the University of Melbourne in Rimmington; Canadian Prime Minister Sir than 90 per cent of the institution’s academic Australia; and McGill University in Canada. Charles Tupper; Scotland’s most senior judge, staff – saw their research assessed across In China we have links with Peking University Lord Hamilton; novelists Ian Rankin and 39 subject areas. Of these subject areas, and the Beijing Film Academy. In total the Philippa Gregory; and Olympians Katherine 27 were ranked in the UK top five. The results University is involved with more than 1,180 Grainger and Sir Chris Hoy. Looking further also demonstrate that 63 per cent of the international research collaborations. back, some of our distinguished former University’s research activity is in the highest students include the philosopher David Hume, possible categories – 4,* world leading Linking research geologist James Hutton, physicist James Clerk and 3*, internationally excellent. For a full and commerce Maxwell, inventor Alexander Graham Bell, list of the RAE results, please visit novelists Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir Walter www.planning.ed.ac.uk/research/rae2008. We are proud that our long tradition of Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson. Perhaps excellence serves the needs of industry and our most famous student was Charles Darwin, commerce across the UK and internationally. Teaching quality who studied here at the height of We value, and strongly encourage, the the Enlightenment. and innovation commercial development of research from The high quality of our teaching is consistently our academics. We were one of the first recognised, notably in the most recent PGP INTRO 2011 19/7/10 16:31 Page 5 The University of Edinburgh Postgraduate Prospectus 2011 Entry Why choose the University of Edinburgh? www.ed.ac.uk 5 Why choose the University of Edinburgh? University the choose Why PGP INTRO 2011 19/7/10 16:31 Page 6 6 Edinburgh Global For more than 400 years the University By bringing together academics from areas Global Academies enable the University to has played host to scientists, as diverse as medicine and the biomedical make a greater impact on some of the world’s philosophers and politicians who sciences, public health, social sciences most challenging concerns. With Edinburgh and engineering, to share resources and Global we have set ourselves an ambitious have shaped the modern world. knowledge, the Academy allows the University goal – to become a place of first choice in Graduates of the University of to address complex global health issues such the minds of the world. We aim to reinforce Edinburgh signed the United as pandemic flu, malaria, health inequalities Edinburgh’s position as one of the world’s States’ Declaration of Independence, and childhood pneumonia. The Academy leading universities attracting vibrant, founded Ivy League universities, also aims to translate scientific advances into internationally focussed staff and students brought modern medicine to China, practical, effective and efficient solutions, which who are open to and working with the can be implemented in developing nations. greatest minds in the world. post-colonial government to Africa, and wrote some of the world’s Aside from searching for solutions to these For more information, please visit most widely read books. They have worldwide challenges, the Global Health Academy www.ed.ac.uk/edinburgh-global. has launched a portfolio of online postgraduate been awarded Nobel Prizes, won degrees, enabling healthcare professionals Olympic events and travelled into around the globe to participate in Edinburgh’s space. Today more international postgraduate education whilst continuing to students than ever before come to live and work within their communities. join Edinburgh’s unique learning The successful launch of the Global Health culture, while University staff work Academy will be followed by the launch of here and around the world, helping the Global Development Academy in 2010. tackle problems that transcend This Academy will build on the University’s “Given the development national boundaries. strengths in international development. It problems of Uganda and will support truly interdisciplinary postgraduate Africa at large, I hope this training and research on processes of social, Given the ever-increasing pace of change political and economic development and will masters course will provide me globally, the University needs to be able to act be dedicated to ensuring that the University with critical skills and training in quickly and flexibly. We need to give a sharp makes a profound, intellectual and practical development theory and practice. international focus to our considerable and contribution to the challenges facing global broad-ranging strengths in research, learning I also hope to acquire a deeper development.