If you are interested in building a career in toxicology, you are in the right place. Toxicology is an applied science which has inputs from many scientific disciplines e.g. molecular biology, chemistry, anatomy, physiology and epidemiology.
The Master's Degree Programme in Toxicology provides its students with the basic scientific knowledge and professional skills to carry out human chemical risk assessment.
There is a great demand for toxicologists because so many chemicals and products of the biotechnology industry are awaiting risk assessments. The programme also provides a solid background for any student wishing to pursue PhD studies in toxicology and related sciences.
The programme fulfils the course requirements for the European Register of Toxicologist (ERT).
For instructions on how to apply and a direct link to the application form on Studyinfo, please scroll down. The application period is open until 22 January 2025.
Key information
- Level of degree: Master's degree
- Programme duration: 2 years / 120 ECTS credits
- Language of instruction: English
- Application period: Annually in January
- Programme start: Beginning of September
- Tuition fee: EU/EEA nationals no tuition fee; non-EU/EEA nationals 10,000 €/academic year
- Tuition waivers available
- Study campus: Kuopio
- Mode of study: on campus learning
Why study with us?
- This programme of 120 ECTS credits gives you a solid foundation in human chemical risk assessment.
- There is a great demand for experts in toxicology in our increasingly chemical world.
Studies
There is a clear shortage of toxicologists capable of making chemical risk assessments in humans, and our program aims to partly answer this need. The program has been planned to allow its graduates to become competent human chemical risk assessors. The program clarifies the EU directives which are the basis for toxicological risk assessment as well as acknowledging the recent attempts at global harmonization of the categorization of all chemicals (new chemicals, medicines, cosmetics).
Teaching in our program is based on the very latest scientific knowledge in human toxicology and the scientific consensus about what kind of knowledge is needed for human risk assessment in the drug and chemical fields. In addition, Finnish national and EU-level legislation and regulations in risk assessment are taken into account in the curriculum.
Toxicology is an applied science combining the elements of many scientific disciplines including chemistry, biology, and medicine. The backbone for human toxicological risk assessment and exposure assessment is the understanding of the mechanisms of toxic effects in human body and high quality safety studies of new chemicals. The curriculum includes common basic studies and courses focusing on toxicology of chemicals including toxicological risk assessment. The duration of the programme is two academic years and all teaching is given in English.
Programme offers a strong background in classical toxicology as well as in development of new test systems. The students will have comprehensive understanding of different aspects of toxicology including mechanistic basis of toxic reactions and diseases caused by toxic agents to be able to carry out chemical risk assessment.
Further information about studies can be found in Peppi.
Courses
Common basic studies, 9-10 ECTS
- 8031003, University Study Skills, 1 ECTS
- 8031006, University Computing Skills, 2 ECTS
- 4218513, Introduction to Pharmacology and Toxicology Laboratory, 4 ECTS
- TF00DF20 Introduction to TOX and Personal Study Plan, 1 ECTS
- 4455053, Epidemiology I, 2 ECTS
This is compulsory for students not having a Finnish BSc/MSc/PhD
- 8031003, University Study Skills, 1 ECTS
Programme specific studies, 89 ECTS
Compulsory Studies, 59 ECTS
- 4219103, Academic Study Skills in Toxicology, 5 ECTS
- 4219222, Toxicity Testing, 5 ECTS
- 4219209, Organ Toxicology and Toxicopathology, 10 ECTS
- 4219216, Toxicology of Compounds, 5 ECTS
- 3710435, Exposure Assessment, 3 ECTS
- 4219501, Clinical Toxicology and Drug Safety, 5 ECTS
- 4219204, Genetic and Reproductive Toxicology, 5 ECTS
- TA00CX23 Theory course: The use of animals in research, 2 ECTS
- TF00DF21 Common Seminars in TOX Programme, 3 ECTS
- 4219509, Regulatory Toxicology, 3 ECTS
- 4219512, Toxicological and Environmental Risk Assessment and Risk Communication, 3 ECTS
- 4219561, Advanced Toxicological Risk Assessment, 10 ECTS
- 4219516, Maturity test, 0 ECTS
- 4213054, Master's Thesis in Toxicology, 30 ECTS
Studies in Finnish, Cultural encounters and Internationalisation, 4 ECTS
Alternative Studies, 17-18 ECTS
Courses to choose from:
- 4219999 Practical training in toxicology 1.5-6 ECTS
- TF00DF83 Occupational toxicology 3 ECTS
- TF00DP87 From Toxicity to Safety, 4-6 ECTS
- 4215508, Clinical Pharmacokinetics, 2 ECTS
- 4218519, Neuropharmacology and neural drug targets, 5 ECTS
- 4215505, Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, 4 ECTS
- 4218511, Pharmacology of drugs of abuse, 2 ECTS
- 4215503 Advanced Literature in Biopharmacy, 2-8 ECTS
- 4217229, Lääkkeiden myyntiluvat, 3 ECTS
- 4217207, Biologiset lääkevalmisteet, 3 ECTS
- 4217214, Radiofarmasia ja -kemia, 3 ECTS
- 4217228, Laatu laboratorio- ja apteekkityössä, 3 ECTS
- 4217548 Stability of Pharmaceuticals, 3.5 ECTS
- 3622111 Basic statistics in English, 5 ECTS
- 4486404, Molecular Immunology, 3 ECTS
- 4488002, Cancer biology, 4 ECTS
- 4455700, Occupational Health, 5 ECTS
- 4455047, Infectious Disease Epidemiology, 3 ECTS
- 1130007, Career planning - international students seeking a job or traineeship in Finland, 2 ECTS
- 4450331, Biostatistiikkaa terveystieteilijöille, 3 ECTS
- 3710462, Ecological Risk Assessment, 5 ECTS
- 3710446 Radioecology and -toxicology, 5 ECTS
- 3710455, Stable Isotopes in Environmental Research, 5 ECTS
- 3710477, Exposure Measurements and Modelling, 6 ECTS
- 3710243 Ionisoiva ja ionisoimaton säteily, 3 ECTS
- TA00CX24 Competence course for persons designing procedures and projects, function B, 3 ECTS
TOTAL: 120 ECTS
Join our webinar 25 November
We warmly welcome you to our webinar, where you get to learn more about our programme, the admission requirements and meet our staff and students.
How to apply
Eligibility criteria
A previous Bachelor's degree corresponding to at least 3 years of full time academic studies (equivalent of 180 ECTS credit units in the Finnish university system) from an institution for higher education is required from all Master's degree programme applicants. The degree must be awarded by an internationally accredited university or higher education institution (excluding Bachelor's or Master’s degree from either the University of Applied Science or Polytechnic).
- Suitable background studies are for example biochemistry, biology, biosciences, chemistry, dentistry, environmental sciences, medicine, pharmacy, physiology, veterinary medicine
- In addition, you must show documents that your background studies include university level courses of anatomy, physiology and pharmacology which are prerequisites for acceptance. If the content of the studies in previously mentioned subjects is not obvious from the name of the course, you must include separate document of the course content.
Language requirements
Applicants must either (1) meet the language proficiency criteria (see below), or (2) reach the minimum required language test results to be considered eligible to the University of Eastern Finland. No exceptions will be made and no waivers to the language proficiency requirements are given.
- Applicants who hold one of the following do not have to take an English language test
- Passed English exam in Matriculation Examination in Finland
- A language test is not required if the applicant has completed a Bachelor’s, Master’s or higher degree in English language in EU/EEA -countries*, or in one of the following countries:
Australia, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Cameroon, Canada, Dominica, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Hong Kong, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Namibia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Philippines, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and Grenadines, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South-Africa, Switzerland, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, the United Kingdom, the United States, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
* EU countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. EEA countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
The degree/programme must be taught and assessed entirely in English. If you verify your language skills with your education degree, the language of instruction must be clearly indicated on the educational document or on a separate official statement provided by the degree awarding university.
Online studies or studies completed on offshore campuses outside the accepted countries/area cannot be used to indicate language skills, even if the degree-awarding institution is in one of the accepted countries. Applicant can only indicate the language skills with an incomplete degree if he/she is applying for the studies with the same degree.
- All other applicants have to take one of the following language tests
- TOEFL iBT, overall score 92, min. 22 in writing (UEF’s TOEFL code is 9779)
- IELTS (academic) overall score 6.5, min. 6.0 in writing
- PTE (academic), overall score 62, min 54 in writing
- C1 Advanced overall score C or 180, with min. 162 in writing
- C2 Proficiency overall score level C1 or 180, with min. 162 in writing
- National Certificate of Language Proficiency YKI-test: level 5 in all different subtests (reading comprehension, writing and speaking). It is possible to combine different examinations.
No other degrees or statements of language proficiency will be accepted.
TOEFL, IELTS and PTE certificates are valid for two years from the day they are issued, i.e. the language test need to be in effect during the application period, from 8 January 2023 onwards. The language test results must be verifiable from the online verification service of the organiser.
Required documents
You must attach the following documents in your application on Studyinfo:
- The original degree certificates (in the original language) and if needed an English translation provided by an authorized translator of the degree certificates from all degrees you have completed.
- The original transcript of records (in the original language) and if needed an English translation provided by an authorized translator of the degree certificate from all degrees you have completed. The transcripts should include the course units, their completion time, grades and credits awarded, and information on the grading scale used at institution as well as information of the language of instruction if the degree is used as a proof of English language skills.
- Copy of the identification page of your passport or national ID (not required from Finnish applicants).
- If required, certificate of English language proficiency (TOEFL/IELTS/PTE/ C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency /YKI).
- Letter of Motivation (ca 500 words written in English) stating why the applicant is interested in studying toxicology in the Master’s degree programme in Toxicology.
- Curriculum Vitae (CV) stating how your previous education and experience supports the Master's studies. You can use e.g. the Europass template: http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu > Europass CV
All enclosures are compulsory for the selection process.
Detailed information about prerequisites is available on Studyinfo web page.
Official translations
Official translations: If your educational documents are issued in a language other than English, Finnish, or Swedish, you must provide official translations in one of these languages. These translations must be done by the degree-awarding institution or a certified translator. Every page of the official translation should include the translator's stamp and/or signature. The translation must accurately reflect the original documents, and self-translations by applicants are not accepted.
The instructions are described in verification of official educational documents web page.
1. Search & apply online
General instructions for applying can be found in How to apply website.The application form is filled in and submitted online at national Studyinfo portal.The online application is accessible only during the application period, so be sure to check the dates. There is no entrance exam.
2. Gather your documents
Details about the documents required for admission are provided by the program you are applying to (see above section about admission requirements), as well as on the Studyinfo portal. The list of necessary documents is also included in the online application. Check the language requirements – is a language test needed?
3. Submit the application
You must submit the required documents as electronic copies or scanned attachments along with your online application. Instructions are provided on the application form in Studyinfo. Ensure all documents are uploaded by the specified deadline.
4. Verification of educational documents
The University of Eastern Finland will assess the eligibility and authenticity of educational certificates for all applicants. This process includes verifying information with previous educational institutions and language test providers.
Application period
The application period starts on 8 January 2025 and closes on 22 January 2025 at 15.00 (EET). After you have successfully sent your application, it is possible to upload documents after the application deadline until 29 January 2025, 3 pm (EET) (supplementary time). Application documents received after the deadline will not be processed.
Selection process
The admission process in the Master's Degree Programme in Toxicology aims at fair selection of high-quality applicants. Student selection is based on the application documents and evaluation how the applicant’s skills and competences gained by the previous academic studies correspond to the Master's studies applied for. Also, success in earlier studies, work experience as well as curriculum vitae and the motivation letter will be considered in the selection process. Meeting the minimum application requirements does not guarantee acceptance to the programme. Applicants will be ranked according to the selection criteria.
Selection results
The best 20 applicants are accepted to the program and the rest of the applicants are rejected. The programme may accept more applicants by discretion to fulfill the available study places in the programme. Applicants are not placed on the waiting list.
Results for studies starting in September 2025 will be published on 28 May 2025 at the latest. When the selection decision has been made, the results will be posted immediately to applicants by e-mail.
Admitted students shall inform whether they accept their study place by latest on 10 July 2025 at 3 pm (EEST) electronically via Studyinfo portal or by submitting the confirmation form to hakijapalvelut@uef.fi.
According to one-study-place-per-term-provision, a student may accept only one study place leading to a higher education degree in Finland during one academic term. This rule applies to all higher education.
The annual tuition fee for non-EU/EEA students is 10,000 EUR. There are no tuition fees for students who are citizens of EU/EEA countries or Switzerland. Applicants subject to tuition fees can apply for tuition waivers and scholarships during the university application process by completing the relevant section on the application form.
There are three types of scholarships available:
- UEF Scholarship
A 100% tuition waiver, one per programme. Tuition waiver is granted to Master's students for two academic years (= 4 semesters). - Tuition Waiver
50% of the tuition fee, for limited number of applicants. Tuition waiver is granted to Master's students for two academic years (= 4 semesters) - Finnish Language Scholarship
Applied for during studies at UEF.
More information available on Tuition fees, waivers and scholarships website.
Other mandatory fee: Membership of the Student Union. Further information is available on the website of the Student Union.
Application period
Our application period opens on 8 January 2025 and closes on 22 January 2025 at 15.00 (EET). The application is completed and submitted online.
Apply via Studyinfo
Studyinfo.fi is the official national admissions portal with all the up-to-date information about study programmes leading to a degree in Finland.
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