Program Overview

Faculty of Science

The Faculty of Science offers various programs in biology, including Bachelor and Master studies.

Programs

• BSc Biology
• Bachelor extra-faculty subject Biology
• Master extra-faculty subject Biology
• MSc Animal Biology
• MSc Ecology
• MSc Plant Science
• MSc Epidemiology
• MSc Infection Biology
• MSc Molecular Biology
• BSc Computational Sciences, Major Computational Biology
• MSc Computational Biology & Bioinformatics
• MSc Physics of Life

Master of Science in Plant Science

The Master program Plant Science imparts theoretical and practical training. The graduates acquire an in-depth knowledge of this subdiscipline of biology and demonstrate their ability to plan their own research project independently and to present the results in oral and written forms.

Program Structure

The Master program Plant Science includes the Master thesis, the Master examination, and an in-depth study course. The program can be started in the fall or spring semester and usually takes three semesters in full-time study.

Offering Organizational Unit

The Department of Environmental Sciences is the offering organizational unit for the Master of Science in Plant Science program.

Specialties

The program offers various specialties, including:

• Physiological plant ecology: How do plants and ecosystems function in the context of their environment?
• Plants in a changing climate: How do plants react to atmospheric and climatic change?
• Stable isotopes: Which processes can these modern tools of plant and ecosystem sciences reveal?
• Physiological ecology of alpine plants: How do plants function in alpine environments?
• Phylogeny and systematics: How are plants related and how have different plant lineages evolved?
• Plant Microbe Interactions: How do root exudates function in the communication of plants and their microbes? How do plants recognize and discriminate different soil microbiomes?
• Plant microbiomes: Which functions of the root microbiome support plant growth and health? How do soil microbial feedbacks drive plant performance?
• Capitalizing on plant microbes: How can we make use of beneficial plant microbes for sustainable agriculture?
• Biocontrol of plant disease: How do beneficial plant microbes function in biocontrol? How do compost bacteria suppress soil-borne plant diseases?

Responsibility

The program is led by:

• Prof. Dr. Ansgar Kahmen, Group Physiological Plant Ecology
• Prof. Dr. Klaus Schlaeppi, Group Plant Microbe Interactions

Detailed Information

Detailed information about the studies can be found in the Guidelines for the Master's Degree Programs in Biology of the Department of Environmental Sciences: Animal Biology, Ecology, Plant Science.

Examinations

The program includes various examinations, such as:

• Course accompanying Assessments
• Main Lecture Exams
• Assessments according to Learning Contract
• Master Thesis
• Master Examination

Student Committee Biology

The Student Committee Biology is available to support students in the program.

Other

Other resources available to students include:

• Evaluation of Courses
• Map with Buildings
• Military- Civilian Service / Protection
• Psychological Advice
• Language Courses
• Team Study Coordination Biology
• Teaching Committee Biology
• Preparatory Course Mathematics
• Course Directory
• After Graduation