Toxicology has been defined as the study of the adverse effects of xenobiotics and thus is a borrowing science that has evolved from ancient poisoners. Modern toxicology goes beyond the study of the adverse effects of exogenous agents to the study of molecular biology, using toxicants as tools. Historically, Toxicology formed the basis of theraputics and experimental medicine. Toxicology in this century continues to develop and expand by assimilating knowledge and techniques from most brances of biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics. A recent addition to the field of toxicology (1975 to the present) is the application of the discipline to safety evaluation and risk assessment [Casarette and Doull, 2001]

The Tox/IH Certificate Program was developed to help individuals at the post-baccalaureate level in industrial or governmental settings learn more about the basic principles of toxicology and industrial hygiene. This knowledge can be applied "on-the-job" to enhance the individual's performance in the areas of safety and health. Alternatively, should the individual completing the certificate choose, these courses can be used as a basis for more advanced study at the master's or doctoral level in these areas. The program consists of four courses taught online, two in toxicology, and two in industrial hygiene. These courses can be taken consecutively, one per quarter, over the course of an academic year. Individuals completing all four courses will be awarded a certificate indicating thier completion of this program of study.