After admission there are important steps you have to take in order to start your studies successfully. First of all, please send us your completed acceptance letter. You can find the form and all the important information regarding enrolment and hall of residence places on the following page:

Preparatory Course for Master programmes – M. Sc. Biology

We are delighted that you are thinking of joining us at Ulm University for your Master’s course.

If you decide to join us at Ulm University and are accepted on the Master’s course, please note that you have to participate in the Online Pre-master Course Biology (PMC) before the start of the master programme, and the passing of the PMC is required for final enrolment. The Pre-master Course will be open from May 5th. It can be completed independently online from home. We want to ensure that all students start our programme at the same level and will complete their master's programme successfully. The PMC is designed to strengthen your lab skills and give you the chance to brush up on your bachelor's knowledge.

Once we have received your acceptance letter, we will send you details on how to access the online PMC course.

This course provides intensive tuition in biology (both theoretical and practical) and some tuition in biostatistics to help prepare you for your MSc.

Topics

Theoretical part

Molecular biology: heredity, basic genetics, DNA, RNA, proteins, translation, transcription
Evolutionary biology: natural selection, genetic drift, population genetics, sexual selection, speciation
Microbiology/Cell biology: cellular anatomy, mitosis, meiosis, bacteria, viruses
Botany: plant kingdom, anatomy, life cycles, reproduction, plant physiology
Neurobiology/Physiology: nervous systems, basic animal physiology
Ecology: behavioral ecology, biodiversity, ecosystem functioning

Lab part:

Experimental design, sample collection
DNA extraction, PCR, gel electrophoresis
Aseptic techniques, bacterial growth
Microscopy

The theoretical part will be available in an e-learning format with pre-recorded videos, texts, and feedback exercises for you.
The lab part will be a flipped-lab with online videos for you to prepare for the lab.

That may sound stressful, but do not worry! You will be taught all this material, you will get intensive tuition, and your tutor will be there to support you throughout.

Data wrangling, experimental design
Working with R
Parametric vs. non-parametric tests, comparing two or more groups, correlation, linear regression...

The biostatistics part will take place simultaneously with the biology courses. The lectures are available in an e-learning format with pre-recorded videos.