Overview

The Master's degree program in Molecular Biology generally takes three semesters to complete. It builds on the degree of "Bachelor of Science in Biology, Major in Molecular Biology” or "Bachelor of Science in Computational Sciences, Major in Computational Biology". The core activity is a supervised practical work lasting one year. Students concentrate principally on their Master's thesis but also attend lectures, particularly to increase their knowledge of their chosen specialist subjects. The Master's degree is awarded after an oral examination.

The specialist subjects studied at the Biozentrum include biochemistry, biophysics, computational biology, developmental biology, genetics, immunology, infection biology, microbiology, neurobiology, pharmacology, structural biology and cell biology.

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. 90 CP are awarded for the Master's degree program.

Worth knowing

The Master's degree program can be completed in two semesters by particularly keen students ("fast track"); at least ten months must be spent in the laboratory.

The Master's program starts in either the fall or the spring. Registration dates are April 30 for the fall semester and November 30 for the spring semester. 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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