Program Overview

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Program Overview

The University of Copenhagen offers a Master's program in Biology with a course titled "Advanced Ecology" (NBIK15007U). This program is designed to provide students with a high-level introduction to ecological processes, including trophic interactions and within- and between-species as well as biogeochemical cycling.

Program Details

Education

• The program is part of the MSc Programme in Biology and the MSc Programme in Biology with a minor subject.
• The course is taught in English.

Content

• The course covers key concepts, theories, and hypotheses in ecology.
• It includes the spatial and temporal distribution of species and organisms.
• The biology of microorganisms, plants, and animals of importance to ecosystem function and/or which are typical of different environments is also covered.
• The function of freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems and their interaction with local, regional, and/or global systems, including global change, is part of the curriculum.

Learning Outcome

Knowledge

• Key concepts, theories, and hypotheses in ecology.
• The spatial and temporal distribution of species and organisms.
• The biology of microorganisms, plants, and animals of importance to ecosystem function and/or which are typical of different environments.
• The function of freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems and their interaction with local, regional, and/or global systems, including global change.

Skills

• Hypothesize, independently formulate and conduct empirical studies/experiments, in the field and in the laboratory, and explain, communicate and put into perspective a scientific problem, both orally and in writing.
• Use relevant experimental techniques, methods of quantification and equipment, both in the field and in the laboratory, including the competences required to evaluate the complexity of the data collected, sources of error and methodological uncertainties.
• Summarise - orally and in writing - a research subject using original scientific literature as the basis.
• Make the case for a scientific thesis using empirical knowledge and scientific inference.
• Use quantitative, including statistical, methods of relevance to the subject area.

Competences

• Understand and present the structure and function of complex ecosystems.
• Manage, advice on, and conduct research into ecosystems, based on in-depth biological knowledge.
• Illustrate and analyse a biological phenomenon by distinguishing between immediate (how?) and evolutionary (why?) causes and explanations.
• Explain and discuss the distribution and density of species on local and regional scales.
• Explain the important physical, chemical and biological characteristics of different ecosystems, and understand how organisms adapt and respond to changes in them.
• Analyse the occurrence and activity of organisms in relation to the physical/chemical environment.
• Explain and discuss the evolutionary adaptations of organisms to a given environment and their behaviour in relation to/response to both members of the same species and individuals of other species.
• Evaluate interactions between individuals at different trophic levels, e.g., plants/herbivores, prey/predators, and host organisms/parasites/mutualists/diseases.

Literature

• See Absalon for specific literature requirements.

Recommended Academic Qualifications

• Academic qualifications equivalent to a BSc degree are recommended.

Teaching and Learning Methods

• Teaching will follow three main lines:
  • Code-based teaching involving field visits to investigate water, soil, biotic communities, and processes.
  • Question-driven teaching focusing on the theory of ecological, behavioural, and evolutionary principles through lectures, seminars, and computer-based exercises.
  • Problem-based learning applied in an individual essay aiming to answer ecological questions using empirical data and scientific inference.

Workload

• Category: Hours
  • Lectures: 25
  • Class Instruction: 15
  • Preparation: 75
  • Practical exercises: 30
  • Excursions: 8
  • Project work: 50
  • Exam: 3
  • Total: 206

Feedback

• Continuous feedback during the course of the semester.
• Peer feedback (students give each other feedback).

Exam

• Credit: 7.5 ECTS
• Type of assessment: Written assignment and on-site written exam.
• Type of assessment details: Evaluation based on individual written exam and individual essay. The written exam contributes 70% of the final grade, while the individual essay contributes 30%.
• Examination prerequisites: 80% participation in exercise classes is mandatory.
• Aid: Only certain aids allowed; see description for specifics.

Marking Scale

• 7-point grading scale.

Censorship Form

• No external censorship; several internal examiners.

Re-exam

• If the individual essay has not been passed, a new essay must be handed in no later than one week before the re-exam.
• Oral exam, 20 minutes with 20 minutes preparation time, replacing the ordinary written on-site exam if necessary.

Criteria for Exam Assessment

• To obtain the grade 12, the student should convincingly and accurately demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and competences described under Learning Outcome.

Course Information

• Language: English
• Course code: NBIK15007U
• Credit: 7.5 ECTS
• Level: Full Degree Master
• Duration: 1 block
• Placement: Block 1
• Schedule: C
• Course capacity: 60

Study Board

• Study Board for the Biological Area

Contracting Department

• Department of Biology

Contracting Faculty

• Faculty of Science

Course Coordinators

• Kathrin Rousk

Lecturers

• Jonathan Shik, Rasmus Kjøller, Anders Michelsen, Jana Isanta-Navarra, Jes Søe Pedersen, Hans Henrik Bruun, Kathrin Rousk

Timetable

• 25E-B1-1; Hold 01;; Advanced Ecology

This program is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of ecological processes and principles, preparing them for careers in research, management, and conservation of ecosystems. The course structure, teaching methods, and assessment criteria are all geared towards ensuring that students gain both theoretical knowledge and practical skills in ecology. With its focus on advanced ecological concepts and its emphasis on empirical studies and scientific inference, this program is ideal for students seeking to deepen their understanding of ecological systems and their interactions.