Faculty of Medicine

As the Faculty of Medicine is the only one of its type in Northern Norway, it has the responsibility for the development of medical education and research in this part of the country.

The faculty consists of four departments:
- Department of Medical Biology
- Department of Clinical Medicine
- Department of Community Medicine
- Department of Pharmacy

The faculty is responsible for education in medicine, pharmaceutics, biotechnology, biomedical science, Master of Health Studies and public health. In addition, the faculty offers Ph. D studies in medicine, biology and pharmaceutics. In various situations, the faculty’s staff provide health information for the public and specialist health-related advice to central authorities.

The Faculty of Medicine has been a pioneering institution in Norway in the way it structures its degree programmes. This is based on comprehensive integration of fundamental, clinical and community medicine education, the placement of students in the public health service and early patient contact.

The Masters programme in Pharmaceutics consists of a combination of science and health studies. The studies shall provide knowledge of the medications’ origin, manufacture and application.

The Masters programme in biotechnology is a popular study option that provides students with the theoretical knowledge closely connected to practical aims and approaches to problems in the community.

The education in biology is closely connected to a medical approach, with the addition of some scientific approaches. The faculty offers education in biology within many different specialist fields, such as biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, biotechnology, pharmacology, microbiology, and medical and zoological physiology. A Master of Medical Biology can be awarded within molecular biology, pharmacology, toxicology, microbiology, infection ecology and physiology. The faculty also offers an international Masters programme in medical biology.

The Masters programme in health studies is the relevant qualification for education and development positions within health science, and provides the expertise for leading positions within the Public Health Service. It is a two-year stage, which can be completed on a full-time basis or where parts of the study can be completed on a part-time basis.
Medicine’s fundamental stage is a one-year course that provides an introduction into the medical way of thinking.

The Master of Public Health is primarily directed towards health personnel and study is partly Internet-based with some meetings. This is a relevant qualification for leading positions in the public health service, international health work and for education.

Research at the Faculty of Medicine is wide ranging and in many instances has been recognised both nationally and internationally. Research in heart vessel epidemiology, cancer research, environmental epidemiology research in the Barents region and Arctic biological research are good examples.

The fundamental biological and biomedical fields are also important research areas, for example within different forms of cancer, the body’s immune system, pharmacology and the body’s reaction to medicines, microbiology, resistance to antibiotics and biotechnology and gene technology. The faculty also deals with clinical research concerning diagnostics and the treatment of diseases.

The evaluation of patient treatment and the development of new methods is a special responsibility for staff connected to the university hospital in Tromsø.

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