The Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences aims to promote healthy living in a healthy environment. Our research and education in the fields of environmental and biological sciences focuses on the interactions between humans and nature, with a multidisciplinary approach that is strongly based on natural sciences.
The department’s combination of interdisciplinary research fields is unique, and offers a good basis for our study programmes. Environmental health and technology and biology of environmental change are key themes for the future. Our biology teacher training introduces the latest research data to schools’ basic education.
Our multidisciplinary research is valued globally, and we are engaged in close cooperation with partners in Finland and abroad. An interdisciplinary research approach is applied to climate change and biodiversity loss – the health of the environment has various impacts on the well-being of humans as well.
The Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences has operations in both the Joensuu Campus and Kuopio Campus.
190
Experts and professionals
500
Undergraduate and graduate students
120
Doctoral students
Studies
The Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences has two major subjects: environmental science at the Kuopio Campus and biology at the Joensuu Campus. Flexible study options and modern learning environments enable inter-campus teaching. In the extensive Bachelor’s degree programme, students start by completing the basic studies, which are the same for everyone. After the first year of studies, students can change their major subject and transfer to the other campus, if they want. Intermediate studies take a more in-depth look at environmental science and biology, while specialisation studies are a path to expert positions in environmental science or biology, depending on which major subject the student chooses.
Kuopio Campus offers Master's degree programmes in Environmental Health and Technology and Biology of Environmental Change. The degree programmes offered at Joensuu Campus are Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, and Ecology. Students apply for Biology Teacher Training separately after the first year of studies. You can choose your minor subject from among the university’s extensive offering that includes, for example, biochemistry, hydrobiology, chemistry, physics, geography, forestry, statistics, and environmental law. Our extensive Bachelor’s degree programme is an excellent stepping stone to a Master’s degree in Environmental Science or Biology.
The department’s graduates work in research and expert positions in universities, research institutes, government agencies, educational institutions and companies in Finland or internationally.
International Master's degree programmes
Research
The focus areas of the research conducted at the Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences are aerosol research, aquatic research, and radiation and chemicals risks to humans and the environment. Another globally valued research area is the biology of environmental change.
At the Kuopio Campus, multidisciplinary research is conducted in environmental health and technology and the biology of environmental change. At the Joensuu Campus, research focuses on analysing the biological processes related to the changing ecological state of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
The department participates in the university’s aquatic research, which brings together the university’s researchers specialising in aquatic research and research groups with an interdisciplinary approach. Aquatic research is aimed at building well-being and business that is based on more sustainable use of natural resources for eastern Finland. The expertise of our university and its partners is combined under a new research programme in the field of aquatic research.
Our research groups
News and events
News
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The essence of an apple
21.9.2023
Contact information
Joensuu Campus
Postal address
University of Eastern Finland
Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences
P.O. Box 111
FI- 80101 JOENSUU
Street address
Yliopistokatu 7
Natura building
Email: firstname.surnaname(at)uef.fi
Kuopio Campus
Postal address
University of Eastern Finland
Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences
P.O. Box 1627
FI- 70211 KUOPIO
Street address
Yliopistonranta 8
Snellmania building
Email: firstname.surnaname(at)uef.fi