MSc Environmental Contamination and Toxicology & One Health

MSc Environmental Contamination and Toxicology & One Health

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MSECT+OH, Tue Dec 02 22:42:36 MET 2025 | M2

Thousands of chemicals that are used within our environment have been developed for our benefit but unfortunately their use leads to the release of chemical pollutants to the biosphere where they may exert harmful effects on living systems. Environmental Contamination and Toxicology is focused on the study of how these harmful effects may occur and how they can be avoided or minimised. Research careers and professional prospects in this field require highly qualified scientists and managers with a solid background in both biology and chemistry, and familiar with specific areas such as physiology, cell and molecular biology, immunology, pathology, epidemiology and ecology.

What will you learn?

What will you learn?

Having completed successfully the ECT+ EMJMD programme, the student will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of a wide range of topics:

  • Fundamentals of pollution and its biological consequences with the viewpoint of core disciplines (e.g. Biogeochemistry, Environ. Analytical Chemistry, Toxicology, Ecotoxicology, Ecology, Risk Assessment).
  • Main processes of chemical pollution and its biological consequences at different temporal and spatial scales.
  • The terminology, nomenclature and classification systems used in environmental sciences.
  • Theory, practice, acquisition, analysis and interpretation of data, across a range of environmental applications.
  • The value and need for multi-disciplinary approaches in advancing knowledge.
  • Application of chemical and biological knowledge to contribute to sustainable environmental management
  • Wide selection of cutting-edge research topics, together with specialised techniques used to investigate them.

Read more about what you will learn

What can you become?

What can you become?

Career prospects and recommendations for career development in this and related research fields are given in the ECT Consortium web page (www.ectplus.eu) as well as in the accompanying “Careers in ECT” document .

The coordinator of the program is

For further information and admission requirements, please visit the webpage for this program.

Read more about career opportunities

Study environment

Study environment

This program provides you with the opportunity to study at several universities in Europe. 

UPV/EHU

The Vice-Rectorate for Postgraduate Studies and International Relations aims to promote the internationalisation of their institution by managing all exchange programmes in force with their university and supporting the students, teaching staff and researchers that visit them for educational, tuition or research purposes. They aspire to create a non-discriminatory, multicultural institution that provides excellent education and research opportunities for their community. Their website intends to help visiting students plan their stay and provide them with all the information and resources they might need. Help Centre offices are available in the three campuses. Their Buddy programme pairs local volunteer students with international visitors to provide them with a personal support by a peer. Beyond the practical assistance granted to visitors, this programme´s major benefit is the number of long-lasting friendships that arise from different encounters. Every year, mid-September, they hold welcome ceremonies for our international visitors in our three campuses. The Help Centre staff will inform students of the exact date and venue of our ceremonies, orientation sessions and other activities organized by students´ associations. Full information about housing and accommodation services offered by the UPV/EHU is provided by the International Relations Office at http://www.ehu.eus/en/web/nazioarteko-harremanak/en-international-relations. Immediately upon arrival, students visit the Help Centre office or the Research Centre for Experimental Marine Biology and Biotechnology secretariat to receive assistance to get accommodation; this can be done in advance by email; in addition, there is a buddy service that will give advice and support to visiting students. In case of mental or psychology problems,the UPV/EHU also offers professional support and assistance to all students through the Applied Psychology Service.

UBx

UBx welcomes over 52000 students and nearly 6000 staff members. Approximately 13% of students at UBx are international. The university has developed a wide range of international study programs and offer students the possibility of completing joint or double degrees. Over 40 international study programs exist at Bachelor, Master and Doctorate levels including 11 EU-labeled programs. UBx is a leading university in France for participation in the Erasmus Mundus Program. UBx remains true to its open and humanistic philosophy. This openness is illustrated via the numerous partnerships with international universities (over 250 cooperation agreements have been signed with partner universities worldwide).

UPPA

UPPA welcomes over 12500 students and nearly 1300 staff members. Approximately 14% of students at UPPA are international. The International Welcome Desk provides information and services for both international students and researchers. It should in the long run offer a large variety of services: (a) support to deal with residence documents, hosting agreements and visa formalities;  (b) support to find accommodation; (c) support to deal with the administrative formalities: bank account, social security, family allowance, housing allowance, insurance, taxation, etc.; and (d) support to facilitate the integration of the researcher and his/her family: language courses, cultural activities, childcare and schools.

ULiège

One of the ULiège’s main priorities is to open itself to the world. An active partner of a network of more than 600 universities with which it liaises to encourage exchanges of students, researchers and knowledge, the ULiège encourages its students to have an international-scale education. The International Office gives all relevant information and help for the students regarding accommodation (University residence and private accommodation), living costs and language training opportunities. Special information is giving to non EU students regarding entry procedures, permits of stay and VISA regulations. In addition, provide information about formalities (i.e. welfare services, libraries, tutoring, special needs –dissabilities-, accessibility) but also social and cultural activities contributing to the integration of students. Information on international masters: https://www.international.uliege.be/cms/c_9149180/en/erasmus-mundus-joint-master-degrees

NTNU and UNIS

NTNU has about 3500 international students and is the most active institution in Norway when it comes to Erasmus+ activities. This is the case for both, student mobility and number of projects. NTNU was awarded the national Erasmus price twice. Information for international students on can be found at https://www.ntnu.edu/studies, and for Erasmus Mundus programmes at: https://www.ntnu.edu/studies/international/master

As a 2nd semester student at NTNU, you will be a student at the University Center In Svalbard (UNIS). For 30 years UNIS have been educating the next Arctic experts. They offer high quality courses at the undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate level in Arctic BiologyArctic GeologyArctic Geophysics and Arctic Technology. The Arctic Safety Centre is a part of the UNIS structure, providing safety training and courses relating to Arctic safety. UNIS has around 750 students from 43 different countries around the world and thus can boast of a very international study environment. 

UPO

Students will be registered at the Institute of Biomedical Sciences of Abel Salazar of UPO (ICBAS-UP) through the Mobility & Post-graduate Offices, which have experience in providing support to international students.

Associates

The ECT Consortium Associates give opportunities to establish links for collaboration, in relation to staff exchange and scholars and students’ mobility. Regarding Master Thesis projects agreed with ECT Consortium, Associates will ensure that research costs are covered (i.e. by integrating the research program in currently ongoing activities) and will assign a Supervisor who will be fully responsible for the quality of the research carried out as well as for the academic approval of the report for its presentation as MSc Thesis in the ECT+ EMJMD programme

Read more about the study environment

Programme structure

Programme structure

The programme runs full-time over 24 months (120 ECTS) and consists of advanced courses (90 ECTS) and a Master Thesis, with a dissertation (30 ECTS).

  • During Semester 1, students will follow different individually tailored combinations of courses integrated in one of the fundamental modules (1-5) in UBx, ULiège or UPPA.

  • During Semester 2, they will follow another individually tailored combination of courses integrated into the advanced specialised modules (6-10) at the University Centre in Svalbard (as NTNU students), UPO or EHU.

  • During Semester 3 the students must follow the compulsory INCyTA course (6 ECTS) as a part of the Module 10.

  • The MSc Thesis research is undertaken during Semester 4 (30 ECTS) and consists of a 5-6 month research under the supervision of a PhD holder.

Every student will follow a Joint Programme, by combining the different disciplines that can be studied at each of the Partner universities (these are the complementary profiles in which each Partner excels and, as such, recognized internationally):

  • Pollutant Biogeochemistry and Integrative Ecotoxicology in UBx;
  • Water and Wastewater Pollution in UPPA;
  • Marine Ecology and Ecotoxicology in ULiège;
  • Arctic Contamination and Toxicology in NTNU;
  • Applied and Regulatory Ecotoxicology in UPO;
  • Advanced Analytical Chemistry and Translational Ecotoxicology in EHU.

Read more about the programme structure

Admission

Admission

Application Deadline: January 31st

The coordinator of the program is

For further information, application and admission requirements, please visit the webpage for this program.

Read more about admission and requirements

Contact

Contact

The coordinator of the program is

For further information and admission requirements, please visit the webpage for this program.

Contact us