Application

Admission to the EEC programme is only possible for the winter term. The application deadline is usually in June, results will be sent out in early July. If admitted, your studies will begin in mid-October. If you want to start take up your studies in the summer term, a possibility is to enroll in the M.Sc. Biology for a semester and then change into the M.Sc. EEC later.

The selection criteria for the program are:

1. Relevant content of your undergraduate studies to the areas of ecology, evolution and conservation (for what counts as relevant, see target audience)
2. Grade point average of your qualifying degree (typically your BSc degree)
3. Answers to a subject-specific task / entry exam question (see below)

During the selection process, your application will be ranked independently by at least two professors according to these criterial on a scale of 0 - 10. Based on the results, you can be either directly admitted, directly rejected, or you can be invited for an interview (which we will conduct via Zoom). For details on the ranking system, see our examination regulations. 

Based on the selection criteria above

• You have good chances to be admitted when you have a good or excellent BSc degree with a focus on organismic biology, field ecology, evolutionary or behavioral biology or BSc programs in nature conservation or environmental studies with a focus on science and organismic biology
• You have low chances to be admitted when you either have poor marks in your BSc degree or your degree is in a field unrelated to those named above. Fields that are likely not admitted include environmental, forest or civil engineering, landscape architecture, environmental law, environmental planning, environmental politics, plant biotechnology, biochemistry and molecular biology or similar. If you are interested in molecular biology or biotechnology, our general MSc Biology program is more suitable for you. 

If based on this information you are clearly out of the scope of our program, it doesn't make sense to apply or contact us. When you are in doubt about the suitability of your studies, it is recommended that you write an informal email with your transcript of records (list of courses) and ideally the abstract of a written thesis or research project to eec *at* ur.de . 

We will respond to you via email if an application makes sense.

For applicants that do not come from a European university, this step is recommended even if you think that your studies fall into the categories named above! 

For your application, you need:

• A cover letter (1 page max.), stating at least that you are applying to the EEC program, but ideally also including a very brief summary of your background and your motivation for applying to the program.
• Your BSc certificate (or a certificate of an equivalent degree with at least 180 CP) including a transscript of records. If you do not have your degree certificate yet, you can also submit a transcript of records with at least 150 CP. If accepted, you can then hand in your final degree certificate within the first semester of your M.Sc. studies.
• A standard CV summarizing your education and relevant work or internship experience
• A proof of  English language knowledge (at least level B2), either through a test or through previous studies. For details about which documents can be accepted as proof, see the rules of the MSc Biology at our university, in particular this webpage.
• A transcript of records with grades for each course and, unless you studied at UR, a syllabus / course catalogue which specifies the content of each course. All documents must be in German or English (if the original is not in German or English, you must provide a certified translation).
• Your solution to the entry exam question for the EEC program (details see below)
• If possible: your BSc thesis, or a part of it (file size < 4.7 MB)

Applicants from non-German universities additionally need to supply:

• Certificate of German language skills (at least A1). If you do not have this certificate at the time of your application, you can obtain it during your first year of study. If you are a citizen of a German-speaking country or went to school in a German-speaking country (e.g. Austria, Switzerland), we will also consider this as proof of your German language skills.
• Certificate of your university-qualifying school degree for your BSc thesis (e.g. high school diploma, A-level, Abiturzeugnis)
• Copy of passport
• Official document or URL explaining the grading system of your university (can be omitted if the grading system is clearly explained in your transcript of records). 

To evaluate your background knowledge and thinking in ecology, evolution and conservation, we ask you to write a scientific essay (maximum 3 pages, Arial, 11pt, references do not count towards the page limit) on the following topic:

Background: Recent research suggests that while insect abundance and diversity has declined in many regions, functional redundancy within pollinator and decomposer guilds may buffer ecosystem processes more strongly than previously assumed. Some ecologists now argue that preventing species extinctions is thus less important as long as functional diversity is maintained. Others contend that this view dangerously underestimates evolutionary and cascading ecological consequences that operate on timescales not captured in short-term studies.

Essay Questions:

Part 1 — Engage with the argument (approx. 500 words): The passage above presents a controversial position on insect conservation. Critically evaluate the claim that functional redundancy reduces the societal urgency of halting insect loss. Do you find it convincing? What goal should insect conservation maximize? 

Part 2 — Broaden the analysis (approx. 500 words): Setting aside the functional redundancy debate, discuss what a world without insects would mean from an ecological, evolutionary and a practical conservation perspective. Where does the argument in the passage above break down most severely, and why?

Style: Your essay should be written for an academic audience and include appropriate citations, a reference list and all other properties that one would expect from an academic text. The quality, recency, and relevance of your citations will be considered as part of the assessment. It will be evaluated positively if you are able to connect your arguments with relevant theories/models/concepts from ecology, evolution, and conservation that you should be familiar with from your undergraduate studies. 

Plagiarism and AI check: By submitting your essay, you confirm that the text was written by you alone, without the use of any other resources, people, or software. By submitting, you also grant us the right to run the text through software and databases that check for plagiarism or AI writing (e.g. chatGTP). If plagiarism or the use of AI is suspected, the selection committee will discuss the case and may ask you for an additional interview. If the selection committee is convinced that the text was not created by the applicant, your application may be rejected.

Applications can only be sent via the campus portal of the University of Regensburg (externer Link, öffnet neues Fenster) (SPUR).

Once there, navigate to “Apply and enroll as student”, and start your application from there. A direct link to this option is here (externer Link, öffnet neues Fenster). 

• Can I start the studies in the summer term? No, this is not possible. You have to apply for the winter term and start in the winter term.
• If I am currently enrolled in the MSc Biology, how can I apply for a change in the MSc EEC? Please just follow the normal application procedure above, noting in your cover letter that you are already in the MSc Biology.