Admission requirements

For JMU:

•  Admission to the Master’s degree programme in Biowissenschaften at JMU will require a completed Bachelor’s degree programme (acquisition of 180 ECTS credits) at JMU or another German or foreign university or an equivalent German or foreign degree in the field of Biology.

•  You must give proof of competencies from modules, usually acquired as part of the first-degree programme mentioned above, consisting of all the following areas and to the minimum extent of ECTS credits specified in each case.
– 70 ECTS in Biology/Biosciences
– 10 ECTS in Inorganic/Organic/Physical chemistry/Biochemistry
– 12 ECTS in Physics/Mathematics/(Bio)Statistics, Biophysics

If your Bachelor’s transcript does not show enough ECTS points in a certain subject (e.g. Biochemistry), you can look at your detailed course descriptions. If the course content clearly includes topics from that subject, those credits might also be accepted as ECTS points in that field. Please make sure to provide a detailed explanation when you submit your documents.

•  Proof of experimental laboratory experience preferentially by an experimental thesis comprising a minimum of 10 ECTS.

If your Bachelor’s transcript does not include a practical thesis worth 10 ECTS, you can check your detailed course descriptions. If you took a practical course that included a scientific project with a written report or if you are the first author of a scientific paper, you can explain this and include it in your application. Please also attach the full thesis or paper – an abstract alone is not enough. Applicants without a scientific thesis or an equivalent cannot be accepted.

•  Students must provide proof of English language proficiency at level B2/C1 CEFR (corresponding to a TOEFL score of at least 90).

•  The Deadline for Admission for Local Master’s Programme is 15th July (winter term) and 15th January (summer term).

For UiB:

•  Admission to the Master’s degree programme in Biology at UiB will require a completed Bachelor’s degree programme (acquisition of 180 ECTS credits) at UiB or another Norwegian or foreign university or an equivalent degree in the field of Biology.

•  You must give proof of competencies from modules, usually acquired as part of the first-degree programme mentioned above, consisting of all the following areas and to the minimum extent of ECTS credits specified in each case.
– 60 ECTS in Biology
– 7,5 ECTS in Chemistry/Biochemistry
– 7,5 ECTS in Statistics
– 7,5 ECTS in Mathematics

•  Students must provide proof of English language proficiency at level B2/C1 CEFR (corresponding to a TOEFL score of at least 90).

•  The Deadline for Admission for Local Master’s Programme is 15th April (autumn term) and 1st November (spring term).

Acceptance requirements

Students must be firstly enrolled in the equivalent Master’s Degree Programme at their respective home university and fulfil the local admission requirements at the respective partner university. To be further eligible for the Double Degree Programme you need:

For JMU:

• JMU students must have completed a bachelor’s thesis with a grade of 1.7 or better according to the German grading system (link to conversion to german grade system).
• JMU students must be registered to the modules according to the study plan of the Double Degree Programme.
• JMU students must be registered to the following theoretical modules: Conservation Biology or Animal Ecology or Tropical Biology AND either Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services and Conservation or Global Change Biology.
• JMU students have obtained at least 5 ECTS credits in the first term in one of the following modules: Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services and Conservation OR Global Change Biology (each 5 ECTS).

For UiB:

• UiB students requires a minimum average grade of Norwegian grade C (2,5) or the equivalent in their Bachelor’s degree.
• UiB students must have obtained the 20 ECTS that are mandatory in the programme (BIO300A, BIO300B and BIO201).
• UiB students have successfully passed the 10 ECTS undergraduate course “Research Practice in Biology” BIO 299, which will be considered as BSc thesis equivalent.