MSc in Molecular Biology

The MSc in Molecular Biology programme is both practical and research-oriented, reflecting the interests of business and industry, research institutions, and the public sector. This flexible programme accommodates the interests of each individual student because it allows you to specialise in a particular subject area, while acquiring a general mastery of molecular biology.

SPECIALISATION

Students can choose to specialise within a choice of fields, including one of the five branches of molecular biology in which Aarhus University is particularly strong: plant molecular biology, neurobiology, RNA biology and innovation, protein science and cellular health, and intervention and nutrition.

The study programme can be tailored to fit your qualifications and interests. In the first year, you will follow a course programme based on your specialisation choices. In the second year, you will write a thesis. There are excellent opportunities for collaboration with research groups in connection with your thesis project work, and this gives you the chance to participate in the research group’s projects, academic discussions, and publications.

WORLD-CLASS RESEARCH

The teaching at the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics is greatly influenced by the research conducted here, as all the lecturers are active researchers. This means our students gain insights into ongoing research projects across the entire spectrum of molecular biology – from bacteria and yeast to humans. Our understanding of biochemistry and molecular biology is based upon the entire spectrum, from atoms to organisms.

STUDENT LIFE

Students in the programme are based at the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, which is located in the University City. Here the students have their own facility, Die Rote Zone, where they can study, socialise, and hold Friday bars. A number of student organisations in the department also organise academic and social activities.

CAREERS

As a molecular biologist, you will primarily be working with finding solutions to the many health and food challenges faced by our society due to ageing populations and more stringent standards for food development and quality. These areas are growing rapidly – a trend that is expected to continue. The employment prospects for future molecular biologists therefore look very promising.

Graduates of the Molecular Biology MSc programme are very much in demand in both the Danish and international job markets. Previous graduates are working across a wide range of fields and institutions, mostly within research, production, and administration and consultancy, in both private and public sectors. Graduates who prefer to work with people and communications often go into teaching at lab-technician and teacher-training colleges or adult education, become medical writers, or communication specialists e.g. at museums. Other molecular biologists work in specialist molecular biology fields in the food industry, the health sector, or the pharmaceutical industry.

SELECTION CRITERIA

As the Master’s programme admits only a limited number of students each year, meeting the admission requirements does not in itself guarantee admission to the programme. Student places are allocated on the basis of an overall assessment. In evaluating qualified applicants, the admissions committee assesses applicants according to the following criteria: academic background; overall grade level of bachelor’s degree; grades achieved on relevant courses; and relevant courses (measured in credit units) included in the bachelor’s degree.

Relevant courses include core courses within the subject areas of molecular biology, biochemistry, bioinformatics, chemistry, mathematics, probability theory, and statistics.