Courses are held in English. The Master's thesis must be written in the English language.
This Master's programme cannot be studied online.
Courses start yearly in mid-October. For international students, it is highly recommended to arrive in Oldenburg by 1 October and take part in the international orientation week (first week in October) and the programme-specific orientation week for first semester biology students (second week in October).
The Biology Master’s degree programme is a research-oriented course of studies that aims to provide in-depth training in the techniques and methods used in modern biology and related fields. The course of studies enables students to create a clear specialisation profile in the areas of biodiversity, ecology and evolution as well as neurobiology, molecular and cellular biology and genetics. The course of studies lays the groundwork for PhD work and thus forms the basis of education for the next generation of academics in the institute of biology and environmental sciences.
The programme takes an interdisciplinary approach necessary for adequately conveying the complexity of biological sciences. It thus prepares students to work independently in industry, business, research or at other private or public institutions. Students acquire in-depth, interdisciplinary knowledge of mathematics and biological systems spanning the molecular and organism levels. The programme uses a methodological and practical approach to enable students to conduct independent research in accordance with scientific and ethical standards and to interpret and present research results appropriately. The international nature of the scientific community demands not only sound knowledge of subject matter but also well-developed communication skills, especially in English. Structured, hypothesis-driven thinking, communication skills and social competences form the basis of successful professional practice.
The Master's degree programme in Biology has the following learning outcomes:
Reasons for studying biology in Oldenburg:
The programme takes two years to achieve 120 credit points (CP). A Master's thesis (30 CP) is mandatory. Courses can be selected according to your individual preferences of topics and types of modules:
1) Background Modules (min. 24 CP)
Background Modules convey general knowledge on biological topics. Modules take place in three to seven week blocks (between 6 and 15 CP) and usually consist of a lecture, seminar and internship with 8 to 20 participating students.
2) Research Modules (min. 15 CP)
Research Modules consist of individual research projects which, depending on students’ choice of supervisor, take place in either a working group at the University of Oldenburg or in an external research organisation. During the research project, students work with a specific research question for six to seven weeks (15 CP). The individual nature of this module allows students to practice independent academic work, including experimental techniques, working with academic literature and presenting results. This module prepares students to begin the Master's Thesis Module (30 CP) at the conclusion of their studies which includes a substantial research project and a colloquium.
3) Skills Modules
Skills Modules (6 or 3 CP) serve to support the development of practical skills and take place in courses with up to 24 students. Topics include various biological working techniques, academic English and bioethics.
4) Elective studies (max. 30 CP)
30 CP can be chosen from other relevant programmes (e.g. Landscape Ecology, Marine Environmental Sciences, Neuroscience, Informatics, Hearing Technology and Audiology) or from courses offered by other universities in Germany or abroad. Modules stemming from outside the MSc Biology programme should be relevant to the rest of the course of studies and must be approved by the examination board.
For further details or examples of different individual curricula, please visit our website: https://uol.de/en/biology/studies/master-of-science-biology.
PDF DownloadApprox. 400 EUR per semester
You should expect to spend about 950 EUR per month to cover personal expenses (accommodation, health insurance, food).
1. A Bachelor's degree in biology or a related field (e.g. behavioural biology, biodiversity, ecology, evolutionary biology, molecular genomics, neurobiology, sensory biology, among others)
OR
2. A Bachelor's degree in which at least 50% of the credit points or equivalent were in biology or a related field
In both cases, the Bachelor's must be completed or missing a maximum of 30 credit points (or the equivalent in a non-ECTS system).
English (level B2)
Refer to admissions regulations for details.
German applicants:
https://uol.de/studium/bewerben
International applicants (EU and non-EU):
https://www.uni-assist.de/en/how-to-apply/
Universität Oldenburg
c/o uni-assist e.V.
11507 Berlin
Germany
Students are permitted to work alongside their studies. If you are a student from a non-EU country, you are allowed to work 120 full days or 240 half days per year.
Information and support is provided by the International Office of University of Oldenburg: https://uol.de/en/io.
General career advisory service by the university
Individual advice from the programme coordinator
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