Introduction

Ideal Students

Career Opportunities

In an opinion paper in the journal Integrated Environmental Assessment & Management, Harris et al. identified the following requirements for the training of future Ecotoxicologists:

interdisciplinary training at the own university or at another institute or laboratory (see e.g. general learning target and AMEO module in the list of modules)
participation of business and government experts in academic research and guest lectures (see e.g. modules ETX4 Effects of chemical stressors I and ETX9 Risk Assessment and Management in the list of modules)
training in the basic principles of test guidelines and QA and GLP regulations that are used in industry (see module ETX1 Methods in Ecotoxicology in the list of modules)
training that allows considering the potential regulatory impact of academic research throughout the research process (see e.g. modules ETX2 Principles of Ecotoxicology and ETX9 Risk Assessment and Management in the list of modules)

Landau's Master in Environmental Pollution Management (Ecotoxicology) program provides all of these skills and opportunities allowing students to become well-educated Ecotoxicologists suited to the current and future job market.

Landau offers great connections to future employers in various fields, such as industrial producers, consultancies, academic institutions or administrative bodies. You will be able to establish these connections during your studies already, for instance during your Applied Module at External Organizations (AMEO).

During your studies you will be able to meet guest lecturers from various fields, for instance BASF SE, RLP AgroScience, Snygenta, Knoell GmbH, Levis UK, the German Federal Environment Agency, Bayer AG, RWTH Aachen and more.

Employment Outlook

The Program enables the graduates to conduct independent scientific work and prepares in particular for independent and leading positions in the numerous emerging fields of Environmental Pollution Management (Ecotoxicology). The graduates are able to take responsibility in a professional manner in Scientific facilities and research institutes, authorities, public offices and ministries with a regulatory role, Non-governmental organizations, industry, and consulting enterprises. The international orientation of the program qualifies graduates for a global job market. In addition, the Master's program prepares me for a Ph.D. study.

Gallery

Curriculum

All students take the 9 required modules, as well as a 10-week Research Project Course and an Applied Module at External Organisations of 8 weeks to obtain a deep knowledge in the field of Environmental Pollution Management (Ecotoxicology). Afterwards, students personalize the Program by choosing 2 Modules of the 5 Specialty Areas. Students finish the 4-semester Program with their master thesis.

Specialty Areas

Applied Environmental Chemistry & Environmental Physics,
Chemistry,
Data Analysis, Statistics & Advanced Modelling,
Applied Ecology,
Geoecology and
Socioeconomics & Environmental Management

Course breakdown

ETX1: Methods in Ecotoxicology

You are introduced to methods according to Good Laboratory Practice (OECD) and get to know different ecotoxicological test systems that are used in a regulatory context. Students acquire the understanding of how to work under quality assurance systems, following OECD and GLP guidelines, which are then applied practically in an experiment and summarized in a report.

ETX2: Principles of Ecotoxicology

Students acquire the knowledge of terrestrial and aquatic ecotoxicology, i.e. the effects of chemicals on individual organisms. The curriculum further expands on ecotoxicological effects from to population up to the ecosystem level, how to identify and evaluate proper testing procedures. The module is concluded by learning strategies of how to address such environmental challenges in order to manage ecotoxicological risks and associated adverse outcomes.

ETX3: Tools for Complex Data Analysis

Students learn to design a study and select the corresponding tools for subsequent data analysis. They become able in linking scientific questions to the required methods of data analysis and data processing. With a deepening knowledge, ranging from univariate to multivariate or novel machine-learning approaches, students become more familiar with advantages and disadvantages of respective analysis tools.

ETX4: Effects of Chemical Stressors I

Students are taught the principles of toxicology by leading toxicological experts from the chemical industry. With this course, students acquire the knowledge of routes and reactions in the metabolism, mechanisms of cancerogenity, toxicokinetics, toxicodynamics and become able of deriving toxicological and pharmacological profiles. Knowledge is applied in the laboratory, conducting mutagenicity, developmental, and biotransformation experiments.

ETX5: Effects of Chemical Stressors II

Ecotoxicological knowledge is deepened, learning the interactions of chemical stressors with various organismic and higher-level structures that result in ecosystem alterations impairing their structure, function or ability to provide ecosystem services. Students are then introduced to Landau’s research coordinators and integrated into ongoing research, based on student’s preference, ability and interest. Thus, students gain a first glimpse into project planning and execution, as well as an early opportunity to become a member of Landau’s Institute for Environmental Sciences (iES) research teams.

ETX6: Environmental Analysis

The students gain advanced knowledge about the production, use and effects of various classes of environmental pollutants and their pathways in different ecosystems, including transfer, transformation and transport of pollutants. The course is complemented with practical lab exercises where students will learn sampling and extraction methods for pollutants followed by chemical analysis using GC- and LC-MS.

ETX7: Molecular Ecology I

The students become familiar with major topics in molecular ecology and basic theories of population genetics and phylogenetics. They get an overview of possible methods in molecular ecology and learn examples of their application. The students gain practical experience in phylogenetic analysis software and will be able to interpret the results. Finally, students become capable in applying and interpreting genetic data in the context of ecotoxicology, i.e. the potential effects of chemicals on genetics

ETX8: Models in Ecotoxicology

The students learn the basic principles of models to be used in the exposure or effect assessment in ecotoxicology. They gain insight into the restrictions, sources of errors and are enabled to quantify the uncertainty associated with them. They learn how to use models and to identify situations in which a modelling approach can be of help. They gain the ability to independently analyze a problem situation, to apply a suitable modelling approach and to interpret the results obtained.

ETX9: Risk Assessment and Management

The students acquire the principles of risk assessment and environmental pollution management of chemicals in Germany, the EU and internationally. They will become aware of the legislative and non-legislative background to risk assessment and risk management, the procedure and the role different stakeholders play. They learn to evaluate existing data in order to conduct deterministic and probabilistic risk assessments and to derive appropriate risk mitigation strategies. Students are introduced to software and other IT-solutions that are commonly used in the field of regulatory risk assessment and ecological evaluations for the registration of chemicals.

Applied Module at External Organizations (AMEO)

The module AMEO is an 8-week internship, which can be performed at an external university or a governmental or industrial research institute in Germany or abroad. Students become familiar with working practice, requirements of the job market and career opportunities and can establish business contacts. They apply, confirm and expand knowledge and competences achieved during their study.

Following an introductory discussion with the supervisors, the students perform the (research) work on their own and discuss the obtained results regularly with their supervisors. The content depends on the actual research questions in the selected research organizations. Topics or possible positions will be suggested by the staff of the Institute for Environmental Sciences or maybe suggested by the students. The topics should be directly related to applied problems relevant in these external organizations and should ideally offer the students opportunities to apply their knowledge and skills in areas, which are not the particular research areas at the Institute for Environmental Sciences in Landau. They include, but are not restricted to the following areas:

Engineering aspects (e.g. hydrology, mitigation techniques)
Multimedia modelling
Food web modelling
Fish, bird or mammal ecotoxicology and risk assessment
Agricultural sciences
Socioeconomics
Specific aspects in regulatory ecotoxicology
Risk communication, economic or societal aspects

Research Project Course (RPC)

The students work independently on a research topic of the university for a total time of about 10 weeks. The topics depend on the actual research conducted in the various research groups. However, all topics do have an interdisciplinary character covering at least two different disciplines (e.g. chemistry and ecology, or physics and risk assessment). The students submit proposals for topics selected from a list provided by the teaching staff including a time and resource planning as well as an independently conducted literature search. Following an introductory discussion with the supervisor, the students perform the research work on their own and discuss the obtained results regularly with their supervisor. Following the practical work, the students write a report including the theoretical background, the methods used, the results obtained and a discussion of the results based on the relevant scientific literature. The students present and defend the outcome of their work at an oral presentation. Following successful completion, the students are able to plan a scientific work package, conduct the work, evaluate the results based on the relevant literature and present the outcomes.

The content depends on the actual research questions in the research groups associated with the Institute for Environmental Sciences . They include, but are not restricted to the following areas:

Chemical experiments in the lab
Environmental colloid chemistry
Environmental organic chemistry
Physical transport or transfer processes of environmental chemicals
Ecotoxicological lab tests
Ecotoxicological field studies
In situ or monitoring work in the field
Molecular genetics
GIS data analysis
Data analytics, modelling, and machine learning
Literature reviews
Exposure, effect or landscape modelling
Assessment or management of risks

See modules and class list

Master of Science in Environmental Pollution Management (Ecotoxicology)

Key Information