Education at IRAS
Education is an important tool in furthering our understanding of the risks involved when humans and their environment are exposed to chemical, physical and biological agents. IRAS's education is unique in that it combines epidemiology, toxicology and risk assessment sciences. IRAS is involved in education at the Faculties of Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Science and Geosciences. Education is provided at all academic levels within Utrecht University.
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Education
IRAS plays an important role in the curriculum of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Utrecht. IRAS coordinates both in the bachelor as in the master the Veterinary Public Health teaching. In the Veterinary Public Health curriculum, risks for humans through direct or indirect contact with animals, through environmental contaminants of animals or through food of animal origin are studied by students in different blocks in the bachelor and within the master differentiation Companion animals, Horse, Farm animals/Veterinary Public Health. The curriculum includes subjects like zoonoses, food safety and environmental/occupational health.
BSc education
Introductory courses in sciences relevant for the risk assessment process, like epidemiology and toxicology are taught on BSc level for students in Biology, Biomedical Sciences, and Environmental Sciences. By these courses each year about 250 undergraduate students become acquainted with IRAS and its research themes. IRAS plays an important role in the education of Veterinary students in the field of Veterinary Public Health.
MSc education
IRAS is involved in two master programs of the Utrecht Graduate School of Life Sciences. IRAS faculty organizes and coordinates the MSc Toxicology and Environmental Health. Sofar over 100 students started in this master programme. Within the master programme Epidemiology IRAS is responsible for the specialization Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology.
PhD education
IRAS has its own PhD programme. More information about this programme can be found at the Graduate School of Life Sciences.
Postgraduate courses
Each year IRAS staff also organizes courses on a postgraduate level. Some courses are organized in close collaboration with other research institutes like RIVM and TNO. The subjects of these courses vary over the years. An up to date overview of these courses can be found here. Over the last years over 500 persons from more than 20 countries took part in one of these courses.
IRAS staff also contributes to the Postgraduate Education in Toxicology (P.E.T.) programme.
Summerschool
Utrecht Summer school in Toxicology and Environmental Health (USTEH). USTEH is a two week summer school, organized each year in August. These two weeks provides an insight in all types of education and research IRAS has in store. Each year about 20 students from all over the world participate in this highly appreciated course.