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Medical Sciences

Please note, this program is no longer accepting applications

Toxicology - Postgraduate Studies

"Toxicology" Postgraduate Toxicology courses / programs offered online include:

Graduate Diploma
Masters by Coursework

Are you interested in chemical, drug, environmental or food safety? The online Graduate Diploma and Master of Applied Science in Toxicology programs build upon the long-standing success of postgraduate toxicology education at RMIT. The programs aim to equip students with essential skills to enter several vocational areas, including chemical and drug evaluation (both in private industry and government); risk assessment of chemicals in the workplace; environmental issues of toxic contamination, and toxicity of food contamination.

Graduate Diploma in Toxicology (1 year full-time or 2 years part-time)

Master of Applied Science in Toxicology (an additional 6 months full-time or 12 months part-time)

These programs are designed for fully-online flexible distance learning, with no on-campus attendance, and are suitable for graduates living and working anywhere in the world. Staff and students have ongoing interactions via web conferences and e-mails.

Why study Toxicology with RMIT?

The RMIT Key Centre for Toxicology was the first to offer a comprehensive Masters of Toxicology in Australasia. We have 20 years of experience in delivering highly successful toxicology courses, including 5 years of providing the world’s first fully-online postgraduate toxicology courses (offered on a full-fee “subject by subject” basis). These courses are also used by the International Union of Toxicology (IUTOX) for its educational programs in developing countries.

How do you apply?

For admission to the Graduate Diploma / Master in Toxicology, applicants must be graduates from biological or chemical science, eg have a Bachelor degree or equivalent qualification in one of the following: Applied Science, Science, Medicine, Pharmacy, Veterinary Science or Engineering. Graduates in other relevant fields should contact the Program Coordinator for advice. Where academic qualifications are deemed not to be equivalent to an Australian degree in specified disciplines, consideration will be given to postgraduate professional qualifications, e.g. Fellowship diploma obtained by examination and postgraduate activities, including publications.

Australian Citizens, and holders of an Australian permanent humanitarian visa, are eligible to apply for the Higher Education Loan Program (FEE-HELP), which is a government loans facility for eligible students enrolled in fee-paying courses.

Career Prospects

Knowledge of toxicology is required in areas of environmental, occupational and public health as well as in chemical, food and pharmaceutical industries.

It is expected that graduates of the Graduate Diploma program will be able to work in areas where knowledge of toxicology is essential, demonstrate a level of professional achievement that would enable them to work without a substantial degree of supervision, understand fundamental and advanced principles of toxicology, source and interpret toxicological data, interpret chemical risk assessment reports and act upon them, perform simple screening level risk assessment, and interpret and communicate toxicological information.

It is expected that graduates of the Masters program will be able to:

  • Operate as independent Toxicologists or as the principal Toxicologist in a multi-disciplinary team.
  • Participate in current toxicological research.
  • Critically evaluate current research.
  • Undertake complex toxicology data analysis.
  • Perform complicated chemical risk assessments.
  • Demonstrate a sophisticated level of interpretation and communication.
  • Display excellence and innovation in problem-solving skills.

Program Structure

Semester One

  • Essential Toxicology: history and scope in toxicology; principles governing toxic responses; disposition of toxicants (12 credit points)
  • Occupational and Food Toxicology: effects of exposure to occupationally-related chemicals; occupational biomonitoring; nature, sources and effects of food additives and contaminants (12 credit points)
  • Introduction to Biostatistics and Risk Assessment: regulatory environment for chemicals in Australia; role of biostatistics and quality assurance in evaluation and use of toxicological data; principles of risk assessment (12 credit points)
  • Chemistry of Toxic Xenobiotics: principles of chemical structure and reactivity; toxicity of a range of organic and inorganic chemicals; natural products and toxins; analytical techniques in toxicology (12 credit points)

Semester Two

  • Environmental Toxicology: effects of pollutants on humans and the environment; environmental biomonitoring; environmental risk assessment (12 credit points)
  • Advanced Toxicology: principles of basic organ-specific toxicity and multiple organ/system toxicity; metabolic pathways and toxicokinetics; general toxicology, including current theories in the process of carcinogenesis (12 credit points)
  • Toxicity Testing: toxicity testing methods and their limitations; in vitro and in vivo testing; toxicopathology; Good Laboratory Practice and OECD guidelines (12 credit points)
  • Risk Assessment: risk assessment process and its limitations; risk perception, communication and management; epidemiology (12 credit points)

Students wishing to undertake the Master degree must complete the Graduate Diploma (semester 1 and 2) and undertake the following courses in semester 3:

Semester Three

  • Advanced Risk Assessment and Chemical Evaluation: risk assessment in real world situations; processes involved in chemical or drug evaluation; processes for reporting to government regulatory authorities (12 credit points)
  • Research Methods and Project: experimental design in toxicology studies; ethical considerations and project management; 120 hour laboratory or literature based project in an approved specialised area of toxicology (36 credit points)

More Information

For further information about this program please contact the Program Coordinator Associate Professor Paul Wright or contact the School of Medical Sciences by phone +61 3 9925 7075 or e-mail medicalsciences@rmit.edu.au

The School of Medical Sciences offers students the opportunity to study a variety of postgraduate, degree, tertiary and higher education programs and courses at the Bundoora campus, Melbourne, Australia. A variety of online programs are also available.