Education
SCAHT’s education and training programme is designed to meet the diverse needs of graduate and continuing education for academia, regulatory agencies and industry. This includes the coordination of training for Swiss authorities and international actors. It also leads outreach initiatives to foster dialogue among scientists, regulators and the public.
Study Programmes
Toxicology is the study of adverse effects of chemical substances on living organisms and their environment. Toxicologists are scientists trained to investigate, interpret and communicate the nature of those effects, thus providing the necessary basis for protection measures. Toxicologists are frequently employed in industry, academia and regulatory bodies having a mix of applicable knowledge, experience and professional qualifications.
Toxicology is a dynamic multidisciplinary science
Toxicology requires interactions between biology, chemistry, medicine, veterinary medicine, pharmacy and environmental science and it interconnects research, hazard and risk assessment and risk management to protect public health.
Toxicologists make tangible social contributions
Toxicologists increase public safety by identifying toxic chemicals and helping the development of safer ones. They provide expertise to guide policy decision making and setting of guidelines and help inform the public by explaining complex scientific subjects in simple language.
This Master study programme provides theoretical and practical training in the discovery, development, efficacy and safety of substances with a main focus on drugs and medicines. It is focused on a future career in industrial or academic research, product development or regulatory affairs. The appropriate choice of elective subjects provides the theoretical basis for the Swiss and European Register of Toxicologists (ERT).
The programme includes two semesters of theoretical and practical courses on fundamentals/general skills, drug discovery and development, pharmacology, and toxicology. The 3rd and 4th semesters are dedicated to the master thesis project. All courses are held in English. To be admitted directly, you must have completed a Bachelor in Pharmaceutical Sciences or equivalent discipline.
The MSc in Drug Sciences programme starts every Autumn.
The Master of Advanced Studies in Toxicology provides a comprehensive educational programme recognized by national and international professional bodies as a postgraduate academic qualification in toxicology. It is designed to fulfil the needs of recently graduated students who are already in employment and potential employers in industry, academia and regulatory bodies.
The assessment of the potential risk of chemicals and pharmaceuticals to which humans and the environment are exposed provides the necessary basis for protection measures. This increasingly complex process has created a demand for qualified scientists in industry, academia and regulatory bodies with the appropriate knowledge, experience and professional qualification.
The MAS in Toxicology was initiated in 2010 by the Swiss Centre for Applied Human Toxicology (SCAHT) as part of its mandate to promote education and continued professional development in this important discipline. The curriculum has been developed by the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of the Universities of Geneva and Lausanne (Ecole de Pharmacie Genève-Lausanne). The master is part of an educational platform of collaboration with the Universities of Zürich and Basel, the Swiss Society of Toxicology, the Swiss Register of Toxicologists, the Centre of Competence in Analytic Chemistry and Toxicology (CCCTA), the Centre for Ecotoxicology (eawag/EPFL), regulatory authorities, and the pharmaceutical and chemical industry.
The curriculum is designed to comply with the regulations for toxicological training set by the Swiss Register of Toxicologists and EUROTOX. Successful completion of the course may be used towards fulfilment of the requirements for professional registration as a toxicologist.