How to choose your education and how to register?

This course is composed of two PARTS: The theoretical part with an exam (labelled EXAM in the listing below) and a practical training (labelled PRACTICAL TRAINING in the listing below).

The EXAM session consists of two parts: an elearning to complete the lectures and an exam to validate the lectures. The date indicated below in the listing for the EXAM is the date of the exam. As soon as your registration is validated by us, we will give you the access to our elearning platform where you can complete the theoretical part as preparation for your exam.

If you need the full education, you have to choose both parts: the lectures (elearning) followed by the exam and the practical training.

If you already have a similar education, you have to ask the authorities for recognition of your previous education. Based on the decision of the authorities, you have to complete some parts of the theoretical part (EXAM in the listing below) and/or some parts of the practical training (PRACTICAL TRAINING in the listing below).

VERY IMPORTANT: if you do not have to complete a full part of this education, please indicate in remarks of the registration form for the corresponding part(s) which topics you have to complete. If nothing is mentioned in remarks (registration form), we are registered for the full part of the chosen session.

If possible try to complete the EXAM before the PRACTICAL TRAINING.
M-1 – English

Introductory Course in Laboratory Animal Science

Upcoming Course Dates
15–17 January 2025
PRACTICAL TRAINING - rodents
first day: 13:00 - 18:30
second day and third day: 08:30 - 18:30
Zürich, UZH Campus Irchel

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20–22 January 2025
PRACTICAL TRAINING - rodents
first and second day: 8:30 - 18:30
third day: 08:30 - 12:30
Zürich, UZH Campus Irchel
Registration until 12.12.2024
Closed
Friday, 24 January 2025
EXAM
Zürich, UZH Campus Irchel

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Thursday, 20 February 2025
EXAM
Zürich, UZH Campus Irchel

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Wednesday, 19 March 2025
EXAM
Zürich, UZH Campus Irchel

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8–10 April 2025
PRACTICAL TRAINING - rodents
first day: 13:00 - 18:30
second day and third day: 08:30 - 18:30
Basel, University Basel

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Tuesday, 22 April 2025
EXAM
Zürich, UZH Campus Irchel

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Thursday, 22 May 2025
EXAM
Zürich, UZH Campus Irchel

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Friday, 13 June 2025
EXAM
Zürich, UZH Campus Irchel

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Thursday, 7 August 2025
EXAM
Zürich, UZH Campus Irchel

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Thursday, 11 September 2025
EXAM
Zürich, UZH Campus Irchel

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Thursday, 16 October 2025
EXAM
Zürich, UZH Campus Irchel

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Thursday, 13 November 2025
EXAM
Zürich, UZH Campus Irchel

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Thursday, 18 December 2025
EXAM
Zürich, UZH Campus Irchel

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M-1 – English

Introductory Course in Laboratory Animal Science

5 days, FELASA category B accredited
Session practical training in a calendar year

If all rooms are available for our courses we plan to have practical part of this education in

- Janaury (February) in Zürich

- April in Basel 

- June in Zürich

- August in Zürich

- October  in Zürich

In January, June and August there is also the possibility to take this course in German language. See M1 Deutsch

NEW REGISTRATION SYSTEM FOR M1 and M20

We have adapted the registration system for modules 1 (rodent course) and 20 (non rodent species course). You register separately for the theory (with its written examination) and for the practical part. This way you choose and know all the exact dates for your training. 
As soon as your registration for the theory is validated, you will receive access to our e-learning platform to start viewing the readings at your convenience up until the date of the exam.
For more details, please refer to this explanatory document.

Explanatory notes for new registration system

Participants, Learning Objectives, Form, Scope and Content

This education gives expertise and practical skills for a responsible and gentle handling of laboratory animals (according to the Swiss legislation). In this course you will learn the handling and the techniques in laboratory rodent (mouse and rat). This introductory course takes a total of 40 hours and is divided in a theoretical and practical part of about 20 hours each.

Training concept: the limited number of hours gives no extensive knowledge and routine in the execution of the learned techniques. The participants need to be made aware about the animal welfare aspects before, during and after the experiment in order to use these in the everyday laboratory work. Acquired skills and practical competence will be evaluated.

A written exam must be taken at the end of the course to validate the acquisition of knowledge. This examination is required by Swiss law.

Content

Theoretical part:
- Ethics and legislation
- Anaesthesia and pain alleviation
- Nutrition, transport and husbandry - Biostatistics
- Health
- Breeding
- Transgenic techniques
- Pain assessment and Humane Endpoints
- 3R und alternative methods

Practical part:
- Handling with mice and rats
- Restraining methods
- Applications
- Observation of normal behavior
- Behavioral abnormalities
- Anaesthesia (Inhalation / Injection)
- Collection of samples (blood)
- applied 3Rs (Refine)
- Identification
- Euthanasia

Accreditation and Recognition

This course is approved by the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office  as official education in Switzerland for experimenters and is also accredited by the FELASA (Federation of European Laboratory Animal Science Associations) according to the functions of the EU Directive (functions A, C, D and modules 20 and 21).

Criteria for the Participation

Because of the use of live animals in this training, the participant must be involved in the near future in animal experimentation. In order to give the possibility to the authorities to check this, we ask for the name of the study director and the license number in the registration form.

Course Fees

Universities in Switzerland: CHF: 1'400.-
Industry, external person and institutions from abroad: CHF 1'900.-

 

Please note that we will charge you the full fees in case of a late cancellation of the course (within 3 weeks before start of the course) or in case of absence. It is the responsibility of the participant to inform the organizer of the course about the cancellation before the deadline of 3 weeks before the course to avoid the billing of the course. To charge for cancellations is common practice by other providers, too. The new proceedings for education courses became necessary due to an increasing extent of short term cancellations in training modules.

Insurance

Insurance is responsibility of each participant.