Molecular Biology and Evolution, M.Sc.
The Biology Center at the University of Kiel (CAU) welcomes you to the webpages of the new Master curriculum in Molecular Biology and Evolution (MAMBE)! The Master curriculum begins every winter semester. It is an international program, taught entirely in English, and it is based on the fruitful collaboration with the Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön. Together with further collaborations (with the Leibniz Science Campus EvoLUNG (Evolutionary Medicine of the Lung), and also the Collaborative Research Centre 1182, Origin and Function of Metaorganisms), it specifically combines the areas of evolution and molecular biology - a combination which has emerged as an extremely successful interdisciplinary research field in recent years but has not yet been available in academic education.
Programme facts
| Degree | Master of Science (M.Sc.) |
|---|---|
| Duration | 4 semesters, 120 ECTS |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Required English | C1 |
| Start | Winter semester |
| Application | Via uni-assist, winter semester until 15.07 |
| Admission | No admission restriction: every eligible applicant is admitted |
| Tuition fee | €0 per semester for international students |
| Semester contribution | €179 per semester |
What the tuition fee consists of
Will I get in
Every applicant who meets the formal requirements is admitted — but places can run out before the deadline, so apply at the start of the window.
How the selection works and how strong the competition is — we go through it against your certificate when we select programmes for you.
Programme selection →What you study
The study volume comprises approximately 100 semester credit hours (SWS) and 120 credit points including 30 credit points (CP) for the Master's thesis.
The full curriculum and the programme's parameters are part of programme selection: we compare them with your profile.
Pick programmesCareer
Graduates of the Molecular Biology and Evolution degree program are well prepared for PhD in molecular biology and related fields, evolutionary biology and ecology, as well as in interdisciplinary biological specialties.
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In addition, graduates will also have very good job prospects in the following areas:
- in research and development or product development in industry (pharmaceutical industry, biotechnology, medicine) or agriculture (e.g., animal breeding, plant breeding)
- in the service sector (e.g., development of diagnostic procedures, clinical studies, plant research, e.g., large-scale screening phenotyping)
- in the public sector (eg at research institutes or universities)
- Special qualification through interdisciplinary training: mastery of evolutionary algorithms for product development and optimization or prediction and analysis of dynamic biological systems such. B. pathogens; Competencies in statistical and computer-based methods for the evaluation of biological problems; Competencies in Molecular Biology Methods
Cost of study
| Tuition fee of the federal state (Schleswig-Holstein), international students | €0 |
|---|---|
| Semester contribution | €179 |
Requirements and application
| Previous education | For the Master's program Molecular Biology and Evolution, you will be admitted to a Bachelor's degree program with at least 180 credit points after completing your studies with a standard period of study of at least three years at a university in the Federal Republic of Germany or an equivalent foreign university in the same or a related subject. |
|---|---|
| Language | English C1 — confirmed by a certificate when you apply |
| Application | Via uni-assist, winter semester until 15.07 |
The procedure and the set of documents depend on your certificate. We check the university's requirements against your documents and give you a list: what to submit, how to certify and translate it, where and when to apply.
Check the requirementsHow to get into this programme
- 1Check your certificate and its recognitionDirect admission, a year at a university at home, or Studienkolleg first — this decides the whole plan.
- 2Documents and translationsCertified translations of the certificate and transcript, an APS if required. 3–4 weeks.
- 3Application via uni-assist until 15.07uni-assist checks documents for 4–6 weeks — send them well before the deadline.
- 4Admission, visa, movingPlan 2–3 months for the visa and the blocked account in parallel.
How to apply
You can submit the application yourself or with our help — the university decides on admission in both cases.
Applications go through the university's portal or uni-assist. Typical mistakes:
- ×incorrectly made certified copies and translations
- ×a wrong set of documents
- ×the application submitted the wrong way
- ×errors or gaps in the application form
- ×the application submitted at the wrong time — too early or too late
An incomplete or incorrectly prepared application is excluded from the selection — it can no longer be corrected after the deadline.
StudyInFocus does not represent the university and does not influence the admission decision. We do not sell study places and do not guarantee admission — this is a service for preparing and submitting documents on the applicant's side.
If your level is not enough yet
The two most common stoppers are a language level below the requirement and a certificate without direct admission. Both can be solved, but they take months — plan them now, not after a rejection.
Questions about this programme
How much does the programme cost?
What language level do I need?
When do I need to apply?
Don't postpone the application
The deadline is 15.07.2027 (274 days left). Language, translations and the document check take months, not weeks. In 30 minutes we will build a plan backwards from the deadline and tell you honestly whether you can make it.