Characteristics and Objectives
The inter-university Bachelor’s degree in "Biology of Human and Environmental Health", organized by the Universities of Padua and Bologna, offers students an interdisciplinary education on the biological foundations of diseases and the human-environment interaction. Graduates in "Biology of Human and Environmental Health" will be able to combine this knowledge with advanced research methodologies in areas related to human health and the environmental impact on it. These contexts are closely linked to one another in a bidirectional way, both due to the effects of human activities on the environment and the effects of global changes on human health. The knowledge acquired during the course will provide graduates with a solid foundation in the processes underlying human body functions and how their alteration leads to the development of diseases.
The course aims to create a new professional figure, which is not currently offered by any other degree program at the proposing universities and is scarcely represented in Italian universities. This figure will act as an interface between medical research and basic research in biological or environmental fields. The uniqueness of the Bachelor’s degree lies in its interdisciplinary approach, with a significant technical-scientific component.

The first two years will take place at the University of Padua, where students will acquire basic and characteristic knowledge typical of a degree in the L-13 class, including mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, biochemistry, molecular biology and genetics, bioinformatics, computational methods, and physiology, applied to both humans and the environment and their mutual impact.
In the third year, students can choose between two curriculum:

1. Human Health, taught at Padua, focusing on clinical and molecular biology, epidemiology, pathology, bioethics, public health, immunology, and pharmacology.
2. Environmental Health, taught at Bologna, focusing on environmental physiology, human-environment interactions, and their implications for human health and nutrition, with specific knowledge of microbiology and genome editing.

The third-year courses will be offered in a dual mode, allowing students, whether enrolled in the Human Health or Environmental Health curriculum, to complement the mandatory courses with electives from both tracks, promoting a personalized study path.
In the first two years, classroom teaching will be accompanied by laboratory work in basic subjects (chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, computer science) in specially equipped classrooms. In the third year, laboratory experiences will be guaranteed through internships in active biomedical or environmental research laboratories, both in academic settings and external institutions. The availability of public and private institutions locally to host students has been identified and documented through consultations with relevant stakeholders.
The international character of the course is supported by the use of English as the language of instruction for all academic activities (lectures, laboratories, exams, internships, thesis preparation, and defense).

Employment Opportunities
Graduates in "Biology of Human and Environmental Health" will be able to work as experts in human and environmental health in laboratories and research centers, both public and private, at national and international levels; industries in biomedicine, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals; bioinformatics service centers for preclinical, clinical, and diagnostic research; public administration (e.g., Ministry of the Environment); local health and environmental authorities; consulting and/or communication companies and firms; consulting for businesses in areas such as workplace safety, industrial hygiene, research laboratories, local authorities, and industries focused on health protection and its relationship with the environment.

From Bachelor's to Master's
The natural progression for graduates of the "Biology of Human and Environmental Health" Bachelor’s degree is to continue their studies in a Master’s degree program. The proposed Bachelor’s degree will provide access to Master's degree programs already offered at the University of Padua (e.g., Molecular Biology, Health Biology, Medical Biotechnologies, Pharmaceutical Biotechnologies) and the University of Bologna (e.g., Health Biology; Molecular and Cell Biology; Bioinformatics; Pharmaceutical Biotechnology; Science and Management of Nature, Global Change Ecology and Sustainable Development Goals track), or other available programs at national and international levels. It will also provide the cultural foundation for potential access to related national and international Master’s programs.