Study Program

Subjects / Modules

You have to choose three focus subjects, or two focus subjects and one secondary subject.

Within the subjects you have to choose one theoretical and one practical module.

If you need help by selecting your subjects or modules, you can contact the person responsible for the module. They can also help you finding a research group for the laboratory course.

You do not have to register for most subjects. Registration is only neccessary in some subjects with restricted places.

Theoretical Module

Within the Theoretical Module you have to visit lectures, one seminar and pass an oral examination.

Lectures

For the lectures you do not have to register. There is no test to pass. However, contents of the lectures can be part of the oral examination.

Seminar

You have to enrol for the seminars. Information on how to enrol you can find in LSF.

Once you attend a seminar you have to register the seminar in FlexNow.

Oral Examination

After you have visited the lectures and the seminar you have to pass an oral examination. You choose the examiner, arrange the date for the oral examination with the examiner and register the oral examination in Flexnow.

On request by the student, the oral examination can be in German.

Practical Module

Within the Practical Module you have to visit a six weeks laboratory course.

You can contact the person responsible for the module. They can help you finding a research group for the laboratory course.

The practical modules are graded with a portfolio examination.

The grade should result from the practical performance, the writing of a protocol and the oral presentation in a seminar accompanying the laboratory course.

For the grade an evaluation sheet can be used (see download below).

The completed evaluation sheet should be given to you as a feed-back.

Evaluation of a practical module (PDF)

List of Subjects

You have to choose three focus subjects, or two focus subjects and one secondary subject.

Focus Subjects

Cell and Developmental Biology

Ecology and Nature Conservation

Evolutionary and Systematic Botany

Genetics

Microbiology

Molecular Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Molecular Human Biology

Neurobiology

Plant Cellular Biochemistry and Genetics

Theoretical Ecology

Zoology

Secondary Subjects

Human Genetics

Immunology

Medical Microbiology

Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience

Bioorganic Chemistry (inactiv)

Skills Modules

The Skills Modules are compulsory!

Communication Skills (6 CP)

Detailed module description - pdf

Essay (2 CP)

Under supervision, you have to write a scientific essay. This can be accompanying to a seminar or a lecture. Just ask the person in charge of the course.

The essay should be 10 pages long, and will be corrected by the person in charge and discussed with the student.

Preparation and presentation of a poster (2 CP)

Under supervision, you have to prepare a scientific poster and present it at a seminar or scientific meeting.

The poster can be prepared accompanying to a seminar or a lab course. Just ask the person in charge of a seminar or ask your supervisor of the lab course.

Outline of the master thesis project (2 CP)

Before starting your master thesis, you have to write an outline of your master thesis project. The outline should be about two pages long and should comprise for example the background, goals, possible methods and the execution of the project. The outline will be corrected by the person in charge and discussed with the student.

Job Skills (6 CP)

Detailed module description - pdf

Excursions and/or job qualifying course and/or internship (total 6 CP)

In this module you can choose from different module components.

excursions: botanical, zoological or industrial (see Course catalog (SPUR)
language courses (e.g. german or english language course)
job qualifiying course (e.g. IT-courses, courses for applications skills, career days for biologists, fair attendances); for the visits of carreer days and fair attendances 1 CP can be earned each, whereas a maximum of two career days and/or fair attendances can be attended.
internship "Berufspraktikum" (in companies with scope of activities for biologists); 2 CP per one week fulltime; 1 CP per one week non-fulltime; max. 6 CP
Alumni Talks / Roche Lecture Series / Company Talks; These talks are organized for students by the graduate school RIGeL ; Programme see RIGeL Homepage . For the visit of eight talks you can earn 1 CP als job qualifiying course. Form: download!

In digital talks that are offered per zoom, the names of the participants that are logged in for the whole time of the talk, are noted down. Therefore it is necessary that you log into zoom with your full name.

Enter the talk into the form und hand in the full form (eight talks) per E-Mail to elisabeth.brunner@ur.de.

For a selection of possible job qualifiying courses see! (in German)

If you need help finding a job qualifying course please contact the study coordinator elisabeth.brunner@ur.de

Research Skills (6 CP)

Detailed module description - pdf

The only couse in this module is the "Research Skills" course (6 CP) and is mandatory for all Master Biology students; 3 weeks in a block (yearly in March)

Note: Please try to visit the course in your first study year! Contents of the course are helpful for your studies.

Information and enrolment see the course catalog (SPUR) in the winter semester.

Course contents:
-   Introduction to philosophy and history of science, the scientific method
-   Finding a good research question
-   Literature research and organization
-   Design of experiments and reproducibility
-   Data analysis in R
-   Visualization
-   Introduction to LaTeX
-   Scientific writing
-   Logic and clarity
-   Scientific presentations
-   Good scientific practice

Master Thesis

Information on the Master Thesis you find here!

Specialization "Experimental and Clinical Neuroscience"

(1) The following subjects from the module catalog have to be taken and successfully completed to have specialization in the area "Experimental and Clinical Neuroscience".

It is recommended to complete the following focus subjects before the secondary subject.

1. Focus subject: Neurobiology

Theoretical Module: BIO-M-TM-N Neurobiology, 12 CP and a further practical module in neurobiology:

BIO-M-PM-MNB, Molecular Neurobiology of Behaviour, 12 CP
BIO-M-PM-MCN, Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, 12 CP
BIO-M-PM-NP, Neurophysiology, 12 CP or
BIO-M-PM-DN, Drosophila Neurogenetics, 12 CP

2. Secondary subject: Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience

Theoretical Module: BIO-M-TM-CTN, Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience, 12 CP
Practical module: BIO-M-PM-CTN, Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience, 12 CP

3. The second focus subject must also be chosen from the following list: Biochemistry, Bioinformatics, Biophysics, Molecular Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Zoology, Genetics, Microbiology, Molecular Human Biology, Cell and Developmental Biology.

(2) The master's thesis is to be written on a topic from neurobiology.

(3) When the conditions from (1) and (2) are met, the specialization "Experimental and Clinical Neuroscience" can be written on the certificate underneath the academic degree "Master of Science" (M.Sc.).

Downloads

Master program - overview (PDF)

Examples of possible schedules (möglicher Studienverlauf) (PDF)

List of Modules - overview (PDF)

Module catalogue (version Aug. 2021) (PDF)

Links

Course catalog (courses offered in the current semester) (SPUR)

Further Information

Examination regulations and deadlines

Examination and Course Regulations for the Master´s Degree Program Biology (PDF; in English)

Prüfungsordnung Master Biology in der Fassung der Änderungssatzung vom 02. Juni 2022 (PDF; in German)

Examination deadlines (§ 22)

The master's program should generally be completed at the end of the fourth semester of study by showing the successful completion of the 120 CP necessary for the master's assessment.

If those credits necessary for successful completion of the master's assessment which are still outstanding cannot be completed by the end of the sixth semester, then the master's assessment is considered taken and failed at the first attempt. After the deadline from Clause 1 has passed, modules which have not yet been successfully completed, and the master's thesis will be considered completed and failed at the first attempt.

If those outstanding credits are not completed by the end of the eighth semester, then the master's assessment is considered conclusively failed. After the deadline given in Clause 3 has passed, modules which have not yet been successfully completed, and the master's thesis will be considered conclusively failed.

Prüfungsfristen (§ 22)

Das Masterstudium soll in der Regel zum Ende des vierten Fachsemesters durch Nachweis der zum erfolgreichen Ablegen der Masterprüfung erforderlichen 120 Leistungspunkte abgeschlossen sein.

Können die zum erfolgreichen Ablegen der Masterprüfung noch ausstehenden Leistungen nicht bis zum Ende des sechsten Semesters nachgewiesen werden, so gilt die Masterprüfung als abgelegt und erstmals nicht bestanden. Nach Ablauf der Frist des Satz 1 noch nicht absolvierte Module sowie die Masterarbeit gelten als abgelegt und erstmals nicht bestanden.

Können die noch ausstehenden Leistungen nicht bis zum Ende des achten Semesters nachgewiesen werden, gilt die Masterprüfung als endgültig nicht bestanden. Nach Ablauf der Frist des Satz 3 noch nicht absolvierte Module sowie die Masterarbeit gelten als endgültig nicht bestanden.

Transcript of Records

You can print a transcript of your records containing a certification code under the following link: FlexNow

Crediting courses / Anerkennungen

Procedure

Before going to the foreign university:

Contact the person in charge of the course or module at the university of Regensburg and present a prescription of the course which you want to visit at the foreign university with contents, hours and credit points (e.g. module catalogue).

After coming back to the university of Regensburg:

Fill in the request form and send it, together with the proof of achievement from the foreign university, to the person in charge of the course or module at the university of Regensburg.

Send the signed request form, together with the proof of achievement from the foreign university, to the Examination Office (Prüfungssekretariat) of Biology.

Downloads

Request form: Request for crediting course and examination credits in the Master´s program Biology achieved at a foreign university

in deutsch: Formular: Anerkennungen im Master Biologie

You can hand in the Request form either in English or in German.

Evaluation of a practical module - Portfolio

The practical modules are graded with a portfolio.

The grade should result from the practical performance, the writing of a protocol and the oral presentation in a seminar accompanying the lab course.

For the grade an evaluation sheet can be used (see download below).

The completed evaluation sheet should be given to the student as a feed-back. Therefore, do not enter a grade on the evaluation sheet. The grade has to be entered directly in Flexnow.

Evaluation of a practical module (PDF)