Study Programme

The following programme is still provisional, and thus subject to change.

Each semester contains one module of 30 ECTS :

Module 1 - Human Body

Lectures, demonstrations and hands-on courses provide an introduction to human anatomy and the diversity of states in which human bodies can be found. The acquired knowledge and skills will be applied in the context of three short projects.

Module 2 - Human Body Environment

Lectures, demonstrations and hands-on courses explore the organic and inorganic material surrounding the dead human body, also called Cadaver Decomposition Island (CDI), and its temporal evolution. Teaching also includes environmental topics (i.e., microbiology, entomology and botany) and social topics related to human remains (i.e., localisation sciences, laws and ethics).

The acquired knowledge and skills will be applied in the context of two short projects.

This module also includes a hands-on course on real exhumations, providing the unique opportunity to work in true conditions.

Module 3 - Forensic Human Body

Lectures, demonstrations and hands-on courses provide knowledge in forensic medicine, imaging, archaeology, anthropology, odontology, biology, genetics and toxicology, following concepts used in forensic routine at the Lausanne University Centre of Legal Medicine (CURML).

Communication skills will be acquired through workshops and seminars. The acquired knowledge will be used to design a website dedicated to a specific forensic discipline.

Module 4 - Research project

This module consists in carrying out an individual Master research project.

Warning

The pandemic has shown us that circumstances beyond our control may require us to make adjustments/adaptations to schedules. Therefore, the various schedules of the School of Biology courses may be subject to change. They are regularly updated. The date of the last version of the schedule is indicated in the name of the document.

Warning

The pandemic has shown us that circumstances beyond our control may require us to make the following adjustments /adaptations to study plans during the semester:

• possibility to switch from one mode of teaching to another (face-to-face <-> distance, synchronous <-> asynchronous, switch to co-modal teaching where it was not initially planned).
• change / modification of evaluation modalities, without inducing derogations from the Study Regulations (oral <-> written, exam <-> validation, individual work <-> group work, practical work <-> theoretical work, face-to-face evaluation <-> online evaluation, etc.)
• alternative or time-shifted modalities for teachings, internships, practical work, fieldworks and camps that could not take place or teachings that could no longer take place in the form initially planned.  

Students are invited to consult this document regularly (Study Plan & Evaluation Procedure).

Course descriptions

The course descriptions are available on the internet of the University of Lausanne at the page: Programmes offered at the UNIL under the heading Structure of the Stage .

Archives

For the study plans of previous academic years, please visit our Archives page.

Warning

The pandemic has shown us that circumstances beyond our control may require us to change / modify the evaluation modalities, without inducing derogations from the Study Regulations (oral <-> written, exam <-> validation, individual work <-> group work, practical work <-> theoretical work, face-to-face evaluation <-> online evaluation, etc.)

Students are invited to consult this document regularly (Study Plan & Evaluation Procedure).

Dates of exam sessions and session schedules

The dates of the exam sessions are in the file: 

 Exam schedule 2024-2025 (in french only)

Students must be available throughout the entire period of each session. The examination schedules are listed below before each session. Students are notified of the publication of the exam schedules by email.

WARNING : The schedules published on the website are subject to change and no appeal based on the published schedules can be made.

Examination program

At the end of each exam period, an electronic record is prepared for each student, indicating if the student has passed or failed the corresponding step in the Bachelor or Master curriculum.
The requirements for passing these steps are given just below.

Marked copies consultation

On request students have access to marked copies of their examinations after each examination session. The student has to ask the teacher within 7 days following the exam publication.

Consulting an examination copy could serve to understand the note obtained or to set of arguments for building a case for appeal.

• To consult an examination (in French only) : Directive interne pour la consultation des examens

 

Appeals

An appeal can only be lodged within the 33 calendar days following the electronic notification of the exam results (initial date = email announcing the publication of the results on MyUNIL, sent by the secretariat of the School of Biology).

To be accepted, an appeal must:

• Cite precise and admissible motives, such as non-compliance with the regulations, improper procedure, grievance over arbitrariness.

• Be written by the student or be accompanied by a proxy of the student if it is lodged by a third person.

Address the appeal to:

Direction de l’Ecole de biologie
Quartier UNIL-Sorge
Bâtiment Amphipôle
CH-1015 Lausanne

Service juridique provides you with an internet page dedicated to Appeals (only in French) : www.unil.ch/service-juridique/home/menuinst/recours-etudiants.html

• General Study Rules for the Bachelor and Master in Biology (in French only)

• Study regulations for the Master of Science in Human Taphonomy (in French only)