Course summary

Work alongside students and staff who are at the forefront of research into organism evolution and behaviour. Course description The connection between how organisms have evolved and how they behave is a fundamental principle of biology. It can show us why organisms are the way they are, and answer deep questions about the diversity of life on earth. Our world-class research in this area spans topics including animal behaviour, molecular ecology, sexual selection and sexual conflict, speciation, the evolutionary genomics of adaptation, evolutionary developmental, ecological immunity, and bioinformatics and life history evolution, giving you the opportunity to carry out cutting-edge research in an area of evolution and behaviour that interests you most. Research experience This research-focused course allows you to spend an academic year embedded in one of our research groups, working alongside students and staff who are at the forefront of their research field. Throughout your course, you’ll develop your research skills, giving you the opportunity to contribute new knowledge in your chosen area. Whether you complete your research in the field, the lab or in industry, in the UK or abroad, you’ll be provided with a research budget for your project. Previous students have conducted fieldwork in locations including Brazil, South Africa and Sweden as well as closer to home in the wonderful Peak District National Park on our doorstep. Example research projects include:

• The diet restriction response in Drosophila melanogaster: precise mechanisms and a novel genetic screen using fecundity

• The effect of breeding interactions on the post-breeding social system of a cooperative bird

• Reconstructing ROMA population history

• Explain how your interests and experience relate to the evolution and behaviour research we do in the School of Biosciences.

• Explain why you want to do a research-intensive masters degree and how this fits with your career plans.

• Include which particular supervisors or research groups you would be most interested in working with and why. If you have already been in contact with a prospective supervisor, please let us know.