Vibrational spectroscopy offers the opportunity to investigate the composition of unknown substances on a molecular basis. Although this fact was discovered long ago, recent technical advances have generated strong and increasing interest in the application potential of molecular vibrational spectroscopy, particularly in biology and medicine. This half-day introductory course is intended for those who are entering the fields of infrared, Terahertz or Raman spectroscopy and/or its applications to biology and medicine. The course will start with a short illustration of the theoretical origin of molecular vibrations and their spectroscopy. The fundamental technical options for vibrational spectroscopy will be outlined together with selected specialized techniques such as attenuated total reflection (ATR) spectroscopy or surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Following an introduction into the qualitative interpretation of spectra in terms of common chemical groups, quantitative analysis methods as well as classification and pattern recognition techniques will be explained in a simple and practice-oriented way. Finally, selected application examples in the fields of microbiology, laboratory diagnostics, veterinary medicine, and molecular imaging will be presented.