Studying Ecotoxicology - (almost) unique in Germany

An increasing number of chemicals is used by society today, which are also released into the environment. Environmental Pollution Management (Ecotoxicology) is concerned with their potential impacts on the ecosystem. It aims to investigate and discover effects of chemicals on biological systems in order to develop methods for risk management, as well as to predict ecological consequences.

The Master program Ecotoxicology is one of the first opportunities to study this subject at a German university. It was developed following the philosophy that Ecotoxicology is a discipline strongly linked with ecology and as such considers effects on the individual, population, community and ecosystem scale in its respective spatial context. The program benefits from the wide variety of current ecotoxicological research in Landau.

Employment Prospects

The Master program enables graduates to conduct independent scientific work and to fulfill leading positions. A well-balanced combination of theoretical and practical courses at the university and internships at other academic or private research organizations prepare the graduates for many employment opportunities in the numerous emerging fields of ecotoxicology:

• Scientific facilities and research institutes
• Authorities
• public offices and ministries on the subject of crop protection and chemical safety,
• consulting and planning enterprises
• chemical industries
• and others

Due to the international orientation of the program, graduates are qualified for the international job market.

You can find out more about employment prospects on our website via testimonials of former students. Also, we offer a LinkedIn Alumni that lets you connect with current and former students to become aware of new job opportunities or possible cooperations. We also go into more detail about job prospects in this video on our YouTube channel. Finally, all our students are being informed about current job openings via our EcotoxBlog that keeps all students in Landau up-to-date

Concept

The Master program provides a competent education in ecotoxicology along with a basic and application-oriented understanding of the fate, distribution, effects, risk assessment and risk management of chemicals in our environment. Profound knowledge and competences in the fields of principles and methods of ecotoxicology and environmental analysis, regulatory background as well as monitoring, statistics, modelling, assessment and management in ecotoxicology are taught. In addition, an insight into other disciplines such as applied environmental chemistry & physics, applied ecology, geo-ecology and socioeconomics & environmental management promotes an interdisciplinary perception and the development of integrative approaches. On this basis the graduates are able to work independently on ecotoxicological problems and are competent to analyze and interpret these problems. They are also enabled to present the results to an international professional audience.

Special components of the program are an eight-week internship (Applied Module at External Organisations), which can be performed at an external research institute or industry partner in Germany or abroad, and the Research Project Course, during which the students participate in a research project of the university for ten weeks. The degree is to be completed with the Master thesis and an additional colloquium. The program is conducted in English.

Current exchange programs with the following universities are established so that suitable candidates can gather additional insights and experiences internationally.

• Université de Sorbonne (France)
• Universidade de Aveiro (Portugal)
• National University of Costa Rica UNA (Costa Rica)

The Master Program is open to graduates holding a Bachelor in environmental sciences, any natural science discipline, ecology, environmental chemistry, environmental informatics or similar disciplines.

The University

Since January 1, 2023, the TU Kaiserslautern and the University in Landau have been the Rhineland-Palatinate Technical University Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU). As a place of top international research, it offers excellent working conditions and career opportunities. Those who learn, research or work at the RPTU experience a cosmopolitan environment and shape the future.

The RPTU is the only technical university in Rhineland-Palatinate with over 17,000 students, more than 300 professorships and over 3,000 employees as well as around 160 degree programs.

Transfer: At the RPTU, new ideas, insights and sustainable technologies are created. Our knowledge is applied in business and society. We are a partner for business, politics and society and address the people in our region with a wide range of offers.

Research: From engineering to environmental sciences to subjects with social relevance: At RPTU, we combine research expertise from all important fields to jointly find answers to the pressing questions of our time. We shape the future.

Study: At RPTU, we provide future shapers with the knowledge and tools they need to develop and expand their competencies and skills in more than 160 courses of study. We offer the best conditions for this inside and outside the lecture halls and laboratories.

Application

The Master’s in Environmental Pollution Management (Ecotoxicology) always starts in the winter semester.

We require a Bachelor degree in Environmental Science, Natural Science, Earth Science or similar disciplines. Basic academic knowledge may be acquired in the fields of Ecology, Environmental Chemistry, Geographic Informations Systems and Mathematics/Statistics. If necessary, previous knowledge may be complemented in preparatory courses.

No formal proof of English proficiency (e.g., IELTS, TOEFL) is required. The Program is conducted in English; therefore, good active and passive English language skills are essential.

International students apply via uni-assist.de. Applications are open from

• January 1st – June 15th (non-EU citizens)
• January 1st- July 15th (EU-citizens)

A complete video guide on how to apply via uni-assist.de can be found on Youtube. If you have any questions about the application process, then feel free to contact us via e-mail any time.

German citizens can apply directly for the program between April 1st – October 1st via our application portal.

More detailed information can be found on our website.

Master of Science (ID 289145)

1. Semester

• Effects of Chemical Stressors I (5 CP)
• Effects of Chemical Stressors II (6 CP)
• Environmental Analysis (6 CP)
• Principles of Ecotoxicology (6 CP)
• Tools for Complex Data Analysis (6 CP)

2. Semester

• Applied Module at External Organisations (10 CP)
• Methods in Ecotoxicology (9 CP)
• Molecular Ecology 1 (6 CP)
• Optional Module 1 (6 CP)

3. Semester

• Models in Ecotoxicology (6 CP)
• Optional Module 2 (6 CP)
• Research Project Course (12 CP)
• Risk Assessment and Management (6 CP)

4. Semester

• Master Thesis (30 CP)