Overview

In the context of Life Sciences, the Faculty of Philosophy and Natural Sciences at the University of Basel offers a three-year Bachelor's degree program in Biology, with the following three majors:

- Molecular Biology
- Animal and Plant Sciences
- Integrative Biology

The Bachelor's degree program in Computational Sciences with its four majors in Computational Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics constitutes a separate study program. A Bachelor's degree with a major in Computational Biology allows direct access to the Master's degree program in Molecular Biology, usually with the specialty Computational Biology.

Holders of a Swiss Matura or other matriculation recognized by Switzerland are eligible for the course. More information can be found at www.unibas.ch/zulassung.

Study program Bachelor's degree in Biology

The first year of the program covers basic knowledge in biology, mathematics, physics and general chemistry, and the curriculum is the same for all students.

In the second year of the program, some differentiation is introduced. In addition to the compulsory subjects of biology, organic chemistry, and ethics, students can choose physical and biophysical chemistry or attend courses in animal and plant sciences, ecology, and modules at the Tropical and Public Health Institute.

During the first two years, depending on their interests, students can attend additional courses in biology or other fields.

The third year of the program is devoted to specific fields and is organized in six-week, all-day block courses that include both theory and practical sessions. At this time, students have to choose which of the three majors they wish to take:
- Molecular Biology concerns the cellular and molecular levels of structures and functions that are important for life.
- Animal and Plant Sciences deal with organisms and populations, and aspects of cell and developmental biology.
- Integrative Biology is a combination of the two.

Study program Bachelor's degree in Computational Sciences

The first year of the program covers methods of mathematics, physics, chemistry, and informatics. The curriculum is the same for all students. In the second year of the program, the differentiation in one of the four majors is introduced. The major in Computational Biology will involve courses in molecular biology and two six-week, all-day block courses with both theoretical studies and practical activities.

The combination of numerical methods (mathematics, informatics) with the basics of life sciences prepares students for quantitative research areas in biology, such as systems biology, biophysics, genome biology, structural biology, and bioinformatics.

Information on the Bachelor's degree program in Computational Sciences with a major in Computational Biology can be found at:
http://www.computational.unibas.ch

Credit points

Following the Bologna reform, credit points (CP) are awarded for successfully completed studies, in accordance with the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS). The number of CP per learning unit corresponds to the working time the student needs to put in to achieve its objectives. The nominal value of a credit point corresponds to 30 hours' working time. The Bachelor's program requires proof of 180 CP for the degree of "Bachelor of Science in Biology" with "Major in Molecular Biology", "Major in Animal and Plant Sciences" or "Major in Integrative Biology" to be awarded.

Worth knowing

The Bachelor's degree program only starts in the fall; the registration date for the fall semester is April 30. Registration forms can be obtained from www.unibas.ch/studium and completed forms have to be returned to the University of Basel administration office.

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