Both teaching and research activities undertaken by the Degree Course staff is in accordance with the italian law concerning the use of live animals in experimentation.

Nonetheless, students have the faculty of expressing Obiezione di Coscienzaconscientious objection, at the start of a lesson for which the tutor deems it necessary to resort to experimentation involving live animals.

Article 1 of Italian law N. 413 (issued on the 12th of October 1993) states that "citizens which, in the excercise of their right to the freedom of thought, conscience and religion, as recognized by the universal Declaration of human rights, by the Convention for the protection of human rights and fundamental freedom, and by the international Pact regarding civil and political rights, are against all kinds of violence referred to all living beings, are entitled to the expression of conscientious objection towards any kind of animal experimentation."

It should however be noted that animal experimentation is not normally employed in curricular practical laboratories, and that it is not used at all in frontal lessons.

As a matter of fact, even when envisaged as part of research or teaching activity, animal experimentation requires authorization on the part of the competent ministerial bodies, as well as on the part of the University of Padova Animal Experimentation Committee (O.P.B.A.).