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.

Course schedules will be published in 2024.

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.

• 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)