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 18 January 2023.
Key information
- Level of degree: Master's degree
- Programme duration: 2 years / 120 ECTS credits
- Language of instruction: English
- Application period: 4.1.2023 - 18.1.2023
- Programme start: September 2023
- Tuition fee: EU/EEA nationals no tuition fee; non-EU/EEA nationals 10,000 €/academic year
- Tuition waivers available for everyone
- Study campus: Kuopio
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 applied science based on basic sciences like chemistry, biology, physiology and physics. The backbone for human toxicological risk assessment and exposure assessment is the understanding of the mechanisms of toxic effects in human body and good quality toxicity testing of new chemicals.
In programme students, after common basic studies in toxicology can specialize in general toxicology including toxicological risk assessment. The duration of the programme is two academic years and all teaching is given in English. Possibility to carry out part of the studies in other European countries is ensured by collaboration with other toxicology programmes.
Programme offers a strong background in classical toxicology as well as in innovative approaches and development of new test systems. The students will have comprehensive understanding of all different aspects of toxicology including mechanistic basis of toxic reactions and diseases to be able to carry out chemical risk assessment.
Further information about studies can be found in WebOodi
Courses
1. Common basic studies (Compulsory), 10 ECTS
- 8031003, University Study Skills, 1 ECTS
- 8031006, University Computing Skills, 2 ECTS
- 4218513, Introduction to Pharmacology and Toxicology Laboratory, 4 ECTS
- 4219105, Introduction to GTG and Personal Study Plan, 1 ECTS
- 4455053, Epidemiology I, 2 ECTS
2. Programme specific studies
2.1. 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
- 4510031, The use of animals in research: Course for persons carrying out procedures, 2 ECTS
- 4219509, Regulatory Toxicology, 3 ECTS
- 4219521, Common Seminars in GTG Programme, 3 ECTS
- 4219512, Toxicological and Environmental Risk Assessment and Risk Communication, 3 ECTS
- 4219561, Advanced Toxicological Risk Assessment, 10 ECTS
2.2. Studies in Finnish, Cultural encounters and Internationalisation, 4 ECTS
2.3. Alternative Studies, 17 ECTS
Courses to choose from:
- 4215508, Clinical Pharmacokinetics, 4 ECTS
- 4486404, Molecular Immunology, 3 ECTS
- 4218519, Neuropharmacology and neural drug targets, 5 ECTS
- 4215510, Pharmacogenomics, 3 ECTS
- 4215505, Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, 4 ECTS
- 4510032, The use of animals in research: Course for persons designing procedures and projects, 4 ECTS
- 4218511, Pharmacology of drugs of abuse, 2 ECTS
- 4217229, Lääkkeiden myyntiluvat, 3 ECTS
- 4217214, Radiofarmasia ja -kemia, 3 ECTS
- 4217207, Biologiset lääkevalmisteet, 3 ECTS
- 4450331, Biostatistiikkaa terveystieteilijöille, 3 ECTS
- 4217228, Laatu laboratorio- ja apteekkityössä, 3 ECTS
- 4217548, Lääkkeiden säilyvyys, 3.5 ECTS
- 4488002, Cancer biology, 4 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
- 8014301, Suomi 1 (Finnish 1)
- 4455047, Infectious Disease Epidemiology, 3 ECTS
- 1130007, Career planning - international students seeking a job or traineeship in Finland, 2 ECTS
3. Master's Thesis, 30 ECTS
- 4219516, Maturity test, 0 ECTS
- 4213054, Master's Thesis, 30 ECTS
TOTAL: 120 ECTS
How to apply?
There is no entrance exam. Students will be accepted to the program based on their previous studies and motivation letter.
Applicants should have bachelor's or higher degree from a recognized university in an applicable field. Suitable background studies are for example medicine, biology, biosciences, veterinary medicine, dentistry, environmental sciences, animal physiology, pharmacy, biochemistry, chemistry corresponding to at least 3 years' of full time academic studies (equivalent of 180 ECTS credit units in the Finnish university system) obtained at an internationally recognised and accredited university or higher education institution (excluding Bachelor's degree from either the University of Applied Science or Polytechnic).
Basic studies in human anatomy and physiology as well as in pharmacology and toxicology are prerequisites for acceptance.
Detailed information about prerequisites is available on Studyinfo web page.
Official translations
All application documents should be submitted in Finnish, Swedish or English. Also the copies of the original documents have to be submitted. Translations of educational documents must be 1) issued by the awarding institution or 2) officially certified copy of a translation issued by the awarding institution or 3) translated by an official translator or 4) officially certified copy of a translation made by an official translator. Each page of an official translation must bear the translator’s stamp and/or signature. Official translations must be exact translations of the original documents. Translations done by the applicant him‐ or herself are not accepted. The country‐specific regulations are described in http://www.uef.fi/en/web/admissions/country-specific-requirements
Language requirements
Applicants must demonstrate excellent skills of English language. English language proficiency can be proven with official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing Service (IELTS) test score report, or with Pearson Test of English (PTE) or Cambridge English Qualification test, or National Certificate of Language Proficiency (YKI) -test. Required results are as follows:
- IELTS (academic): overall 6.5 (min. 6.0 in writing), also IELTS indicator
- TOEFL iBT: 92 (min. 22 in writing) *, also TOEFL iBT Home Edition
- PTE (Pearson Test of English, academic): 62 (54 in writing)
- Cambridge English Qualification:
- C1 Advanced (Certificate of Advanced English) overall score of 180 with min 162 in writing)
- C2 Proficiency (Certificate of Proficiency in English) overall score of 180 with min 162 in writing)
- National Certificate of Language Proficiency (YKI) -test: level 5 in the reading comprehension, writing and speaking subtests; website https://www.oph.fi/en/national-certificates-language-proficiency-yki
Applicants will be exempt from submitting the official language proficiency test if:
- Passed English exam in Matriculation Examination in Finland
- English as A1 language as part of International Baccalaureate examination
- Bachelor's, Master's or Doctoral degree was conducted in English language in EU/EEA country** or Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom or United States
- Bachelor's, Master's or Doctoral degree was conducted in English language in our cooperation universities University of Ghana or KNUST (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology) in Ghana.
- Exchange studies (at least 20 ECTS) completed in English in University of Eastern Finland
* UEF’s TOEFEL code is 9779
** 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, Sweden. EEA countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
The application form is filled in and submitted online at national Studyinfo portal
General instructions for applying can be found in How to apply website.
Required documents:
- A copy of the Passport
- Degree certificates, and if needed, an English translation provided by an authorized translator.
- Course transcript, and if needed, an English translation provided by an authorized translator. The transcript must include number of credits, grading and date of each study unit, and the scale of grading used by the university.
- Letter of Motivation (ca.250 words written in English) stating why the applicant is interested in studying toxicology in the TOX -programme.
- If required, certificate of English language proficiency (TOEFL/IELTS/PTE/CAE/CPE/YKI).
- Curriculum Vitae (CV). Please use the Europass template: http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu > Europass CV
Selection results will be published by 31st March 2023. The applicant must accept the offered study place by 14th July 2023. The results will be sent to the applicants only via email.
Before starting their studies, the admitted applicants must verify their educational documents following the country-specific requirements.
Students who are not citizens of an EU/EEA member state (list of countries below) are liable to pay the tuition fee of 10 000 euros per academic year. For details about exemptions please visit Studyinfo.
University of Eastern Finland offers scholarships for non-EU/EEA students. Non EU/EEA students in General Toxicology programme are all granted a scholarship in the form of a partial tuition fee waiver. The scholarship covers 70 percent of the tuition fee (7000 euros). The University of Eastern Finland will also grant an Early Bird tuition fee deduction of 500 € to students who accept the study place and pay the tuition fees by 21st April 2023.
Scholarships are awarded for two academic years with the stipulation that the student must have completed 55 ECTS credits per academic year. The Academic Rector may award a discretionary scholarship for the second academic year to those students who sought but were not successful in receiving a scholarship for their first year. The prerequisite number of study credits relating to the progress of students in their first academic year is also applied to discretionary scholarships.
There is no separate application for scholarship. All applicants need to complete the Student Application Form. Those applicants who are applying for a scholarship need to additionally complete the Application for Scholarship, which can be found at the end of the Student Application Form. The decision about the scholarship is made in conjunction with student admission, and the student is notified of the outcome in the letter of acceptance. This scholarship does not cover living costs. Students are expected to cover all living expenses (app. 800 euros per month) and other study related costs from their own financial resources.
In the academic year 2023-2024, we grant an extra Finland scholarship (Suomi-stipendi) for the two best applicants who are required to pay the tuition fee and who have been chosen for the studies based on their success in the admission process (applicants with the highest points). The Finland scholarship consists of a full (100 %) tuition waiver and 5 000 € for living expenses. The scholarship only applies to the first year of Master’s studies, and the tuition waiver for the second year is 70 %.
Other mandatory fee: Membership of the Student Union. Further information is available on the website of the Student Union.
- 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.
- Switzerland (non EU/EEA).
Application period 2023
Our application period is open from 4 January 2023 to 18 January 2023. 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.

Finland Scholarship
Finland Scholarship
UEF will grant a Finland Scholarship for the best two applicants in each Master's degree programme. The scholarship includes a 100% tuition waiver and a € 5 000 relocation grant.
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