Program information

A focus subject consists of a theoretical and a practical module. Theoretical modules consist of lectures, a seminar, and an oral exam. Practical modules are essentially lab internships. As focus subjects, you can elect 

• Ecology
• Biodiversity
• Evolutionary and systematic botany
• Theoretical ecology
• Molecular ecology and evolutionary biology
• Animal ecology and evolution
• Conservation ecology and genetics
• Microbiology
• Bioinformatics

For this module, choose courses from 2 of the following 4 areas. When in doubt about whether courses are eligible, please contact Prof. Christoph Reisch , who is responsible for the module.

1) Science and philosophy

A lecture or seminar from the areas of (science)philosophy or ethics.

2) Environmental law

For example VHB Kurs "Biodiversitätsfördernde Maßnahmen" or an introductory lecture in public law.

3) Language skills

You can take any language course offered by the UR (e.g. the courses by the SHK here (externer Link, öffnet neues Fenster) (externer Link, öffnet neues Fenster)) or any other language course (e.g. VHS or private language school with a certificate) with a duration of at least 2 SWS

4) Soft Skills

Any courses in the following areas:

1. Any presentation, rhetoric or scientific writing courses, see e.g. courses offered by the ZSK
2. Job skills (application training or career events)
3. IT courses, see e.g. here

An internship of at least six weeks, organized by the student, in an institution or company with potential jobs for biologists. E.g. planning offices, authorities, biological collections, zoos, national parks, botanical gardens, museums, associations or scientific institutes. Positions at the University of Regensburg or other universities in Germany will not be recognized. Only in exceptional cases and after consultation with the chair of the examination committee is it possible to do the internship at the university. The internship can take place in Germany or abroad.

Contact person: Prof. Erhard Strohm

A compulsory 3-week block course in research methods that is offered once per year. It is recommended to take this course in your first year. The date will be announced in the course catalogue. 

Broadly, the same rules for the thesis apply as for the MSc biology, with the addition that you would typically search for a supervisor within the groups that contribute to the EEC programme (this, however, is not a requirement). External MSc thesis are also possible and encouraged. 

Application for admission for the master thesis: download pdf! (externer Link, öffnet neues Fenster)

The examination regulations for the program can be found here (externer Link, öffnet neues Fenster). 

Because of legal / administrative reasons, all regulations are in German. For translation, you can use, for example, the DeepL German-English translation (externer Link, öffnet neues Fenster) (externer Link, öffnet neues Fenster).

You can find the course catalogue for the EEC program here.  (externer Link, öffnet neues Fenster)

Notice! The subjects “Ecology” and “Biodiversity” are currently not offered.

Our faculty offers the MSc Ecology, Evolution and Conservation and MSc Biology. These two MSc programs have a nearly identical structure (in that both require 3 skills modules and selection of 3 focus subjects), but differ in the details of the application process, the offered courses and the study regulations. The main differences are:

1. In the EEC program, you can only take focus subjects with relevance to the EEC field (see examination regulations). In the MSc Biology, you can take pretty much all focus subjects from the EEC field, but you can mix them with other focus subjects, in particular from molecular biology or biochemistry. Note, however, that while both MSc Biology and MSc EEC students can take the EEC focus subjects, EEC students will be given priority in case of limited places, as these students cannot choose alternative focus subjects.
2. The EEC program has a different application process and study regulations. Broadly, the MSc Biology requires that your BSc studies were in Biology with a similar curriculum than in Regensburg. The EEC is more broad and also admits students with other BSc degrees such as ecology, environmental sciences etc.
3. The MSc EEC program has slightly different soft skills modules than the MSc Biology and notably includes an external internship. 

The bottomline is: if you are broadly interested in biology and consider taking focus subjects in the area of biochemistry as well, you should apply for the MSc Biology. If you know that you want to specialise on organismic biology with a focus on ecology, evolution and conservation, you should apply for the MSc EEC.

Note also that as the structure is so similar, it is also possible to switch between the two programs. Details have to be assessed on a case by case basis, but as a rule of thumb assume that:

• All focus subjects that you have already started or completed can be transferred between the two programs
• The Research Skills module is identical and can be transferred
• Likely, some courses can be transferred between the MSc Biology job skills module and the MSc EEC Ethics, law and communication module
• The MSc EEC Internship module is not included in the MSc Biology, so if you switch from Biology to the EEC, this is something you have to do additionally.