Courses are held in English.
15 June for the following winter semester; 15 January for the following summer semester
Students from a European Union (EU) member state or from the European Economic Area (EEA) are not required to pay tuition fees for their first degree in Germany.
Students from countries outside of the EU or EEA are required to pay 1,500 EUR in tuition fees per semester.
You find all information about tuition fees and scholarships on our website.
Our teaching philosophy for Master's students in biology is to offer a wide variety of advanced courses each student can select from based on his/her own interests, requirements, and scientific background. This allows students to individually tailor their curriculum and to select the best-suited package for their future ambitions (general track: BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES), or to select from a pre-tailored curriculum (priority tracks: CELLULAR & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY; DISEASE BIOLOGY; ECOLOGY, EVOLUTIONARY & BEHAVIOURAL BIOLOGY) of what we think is a sound combination of advanced courses.
Priority track: CELLULAR & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
Master's students in CELLULAR and MOLECULAR BIOLOGY become familiar with current concepts, possibilities, and limitations of research approaches in the fields of biochemistry, genetics, and biophysics as applied to macromolecules.
This priority track is tailored specifically as training for the following graduate school at the University of Konstanz: Konstanz Research School Chemical Biology (KoRS-CB).
Priority track: DISEASE BIOLOGY
The teaching within our priority track DISEASE BIOLOGY provides a background on diverse hot topics in biomedical research. The courses mostly cover the fields of immunology/infections, cell death mechanisms, toxicology, and stem cell research. Further areas covered theoretically and practically include medical microbiology, cancer research, neurodegenerative diseases, and biogerontology as well as advanced molecular and systems biology approaches to cell signalling and proteostasis.
Priority track: ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION & BEHAVIOUR
Our priority track ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION & BEHAVIOUR aims to educate students in how to develop research questions that focus on organisms within their communities, their changing environment, and their interactions among each other. As a result of this approach, Master's students become familiar with different concepts, possibilities and limitations of research approaches in the fields of animal behaviour, ecology, evolution, physiology, and neurobiology.
The Department of Biology has a joined graduate school for PhD students together with the MPI for Ornithology (IMPRS Organismal Biology). The shared interests at both research facilities allows us to provide education and research topics in a large variety of different fields, and some of our Master's students even continue their research career at this high profile international graduate school.
By admission to one of the priority tracks, attendance of corresponding advances courses is granted. In addition, we offer a fast track for nominated students to quickly qualify as PhD students. Teaching in our advanced courses takes place in small groups of no more than 15 students in order to provide high quality education. Each advanced course focuses on research topics in different fields as well as on methodological approaches on how to address scientific questions. Complementary to the state of the art training at the University of Konstanz, an internship of at least two months at an external research facility or private sector company is part of the curriculum. All courses are taught in English, focusing on highly motivated students and providing them with the tools necessary to become independent, self-confident, and highly qualified researchers.
The regular Master of Biological Sciences programme lasts four semesters. This includes a total of 120 ECTS with a Master's thesis.
Curriculum
Advanced courses
Preference module courses (4 ECTS each)
Optional module courses
and more...
Students can study abroad for at least one semester/term (replacing the integrated internship).
An internship of at least eight weeks is to be completed during the Master's programme. Alternatively, students can study abroad for at least one semester/term.
Students from a European Union (EU) member state or from the European Economic Area (EEA) are not required to pay tuition fees for their first degree in Germany.
Students from countries outside of the EU or EEA are required to pay 1,500 EUR in tuition fees per semester.
You find all information about tuition fees and scholarships on our website.
Total amount per semester: 179 EUR (70 EUR administrative fee + 95 EUR student services fee + 14 EUR student body fee)
There are additional fees for some graduated study programmes, for non-EU/EEA students and for second degree studies. International visiting students who are enrolled in an exchange programme (e.g. Erasmus) have to pay 90 EUR. For more detailed information, please visit the university's website: http://www.uni-konstanz.de/en/study/study-essentials/finances/
The good news is that studying at German public universities is not expensive. For your stay, you will require a budget for daily life and certain study expenses. The cost of living for students in Konstanz is approx. 790 EUR per month.
Example of the average monthly living cost in Konstanz:
Rent (including utilities): 352 EUR
Food: 168 EUR
Clothing, laundry, personal hygiene: 42 EUR
Learning materials (books, copies): 20 EUR
Health insurance, medical care, medicine: 115 EUR
Phone, Internet, broadcasting fees: 31 EUR
Leisure time, culture, sports: 61 EUR
Students with great academic credentials and community service experience can apply for scholarships in Germany. In cases of unexpected financial hardship, the university will try to help with emergency financial support. For an overview of financial support options, check out our websites:
https://www.uni-konstanz.de/en/international-office/study-in-konstanz/degree-studies/fees-and-scholarships
http://www.uni-konstanz.de/en/study/study-essentials/finances/financing-your-studies
For example, you may apply for the Deutschlandstipendium. The scholarship amounts to 300 EUR per month and is awarded without regard to income for a minimum of two semesters.
Entry requirements for the Master's programme Biological Sciences are as follows:
Documentation of a three-year (or more) study programme at a state or officially recognised institution of higher education or "Berufsakademie" in the subject of biology (minimum degree: Bachelor of Sciences or equivalent), or a related subject
Applicants with a higher education degree obtained in a country that is not a member of the Bologna Process have to take the GRE test and reach at least a score of 155 (Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning Score).
TOEFL test: 90 points or more
Cambridge First Certificate in English: Grade C or better
IELTS: band scale 6.0 or better
Applicants with a Bachelor's degree from countries whose native language is English do not have to prove their English language skills, e.g., USA, Canada, UK, etc.
Applicants with a higher education degree obtained in a country that is not a member of the Bologna Process have to take the GRE test and reach at least a score of 155 (Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning Score).
15 June for the following winter semester; 15 January for the following summer semester
Universität Konstanz
Abteilung Studium und Lehre
Fach 69
78457 Konstanz
Germany
If you want to earn some extra cash while you study, you can get a student job. The university administration and many departments offer student assistant jobs. You can find a number of advertisements for jobs both on and off campus on online platforms (in German):
Jobbörse Seezeit: the job portal of our student services called Seezeit
Hilfskraftstellen an der Universität | Datenbank Career Service: our career service’s job portal
Jobs are also posted on the university’s notice boards in the foyer and canteen areas as well as in the departments.
Teaching and research assistant jobs at the Department of Biology are posted also online.
There are a number of possibilities for accommodation for students: in apartments, flat shares, or residence halls run by the university. Check out our website, where we provide an overview of the different options as well as general tips. You can also contact the team of our International Office for advice on housing.
Please note that it is important to begin your search for accommodation as early as possible since our city and surroundings are very popular not only with students but also with families and outdoor enthusiasts. Since both Switzerland and Lake Constance border Konstanz, the available living space is limited and not always inexpensive.
Departmental study advisory service and ERASMUS coordinator; support from the International Office
Would you like to study at one of the best research universities in Germany? Then the University of Konstanz is the right place for you. We offer you excellent study conditions in a beautiful location between Lake Constance and the Alps. For us, excellence in studies and teaching also means cultivating close cooperation. We encourage our students to take part in discussions and get involved in research from the start.
Our university is currently home to some 11,000 students enrolled in around 120 different degree programmes in the fields of mathematics and natural sciences, humanities, politics, law, and economics. With students from more than 90 countries around the world, we are proud to call our university an international community.
The University of Konstanz is a campus-based university: you will get to know other students quickly, come into contact with other departments and feel at home right away. Our university has an open-door policy: professors are very accessible and happy to help you with any questions or issues you might have.
We will give you a very warm welcome and support you in every stage of your stay. We have an excellent supervision ratio and top advisory services. You will learn in small groups and work across disciplines. We promote innovative teaching methods and strategies such as transfer formats or virtual classrooms and support lecturers in further developing their teaching. Our Advanced Data and Information Literacy Track (ADILT) complements all study programmes with fundamentals of computer science, data processing methods and their legal foundations as well as reflection on their relevance for society.
In Konstanz, you will find optimal conditions for research, studying, and teaching.
The University of Konstanz has set the following five research priorities:
We want to give you the best possible opportunities to develop personally and professionally. You will get lots of chances to put your own ideas into action – whether you conduct research or start a spin-off. The idea behind our "creative.together" concept as a University of Excellence is that close communication and a strong sense of community enhance the creative potential of our university members at all levels. We bring together our different backgrounds and disciplines to create something truly extraordinary. All the while, you can enjoy an attractive environment with a lake, mountains and great sports facilities.
Find out more about our university and student life in Konstanz on our website.
Konstanz is situated in south-west Germany in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg, and it shares its border with the Swiss town of Kreuzlingen. It is beautifully located on the shores of the Rhine River and Lake Constance, central Europe's second-largest lake, where the borders of Austria, Germany and Switzerland converge. The lively university city, with about 86,000 inhabitants, among them more than 15,000 students, is the economic and cultural centre of the Lake Constance region. Take a stroll through the shopping mall and the historical centre, with its department stores and small specialist shops. Take a break in one of the many cafés, restaurants, ice cream parlours, pubs and wine bars. Konstanz is not only a popular tourist destination but also an attractive business location (light industry, commerce, high technology). It is a very safe place to live, and it offers a high quality of life, with its excellent infrastructure and its diverse range of cultural and recreational facilities. Konstanz has a long and rich historical tradition. The first settlements were erected in Konstanz Bay in 2000 BC, and the city was given its name "Constantia" by the Romans in the fourth century AD. Konstanz has a well-preserved medieval town and numerous historical buildings from the Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque periods.
Konstanz has the perfect location for all kinds of outdoor leisure activities. The region has an excellent network of routes for walking, cycling and in-line skating tours. The beaches are a major attraction for relaxing in the sun and swimming in the lake or the Rhine. The lake offers various water sports, such as sailing, canoeing and diving, and the nearby Alps provide year-round enjoyment for skiers, snowboarders, hikers and climbers. Konstanz is the home of the oldest running theatre in Germany and of the famous Southwest German Philharmonic Orchestra. There are several museums, art galleries and art centres offering a broad spectrum of events: art and documentary exhibitions and concerts in all genres of music. Konstanz is also an ideal starting point for excursions to many attractions in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Liechtenstein. On the city's doorstep are the famous gardens of Mainau Island and the Island of Reichenau, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can take boat trips to beautiful towns around the lake, such as Meersburg, Überlingen and Lindau. The lakeside town of Friedrichshafen is the home of the Zeppelin, and the Austrian city of Bregenz is renowned for its summer festivals, with spectacular opera and musical performances on a floating stage in the lake. A boat trip along one of the most beautiful parts of the Rhine takes you to the magnificent Rhine Falls at the Swiss town of Schaffhausen. From Konstanz, you can easily reach major cities, such as Zurich, Basel, Strasbourg, Stuttgart, Munich and Milan.
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