Content
The master's programme Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution (M.Sc.) is designed to provide students with the theoretical and practical knowledge required for a scientific professional activity in the form of freely selectable modules from the fields of ecology, biodiversity, evolution, morphology, nature conservation, reproductive biology, behaviour, microbiology and physiology. Special emphasis is given to methodological and conceptual aspects as a prerequisite for independent scientific work.

Career prospects
The career prospects for graduates of the M.Sc. programme in Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution are primarily in the scientific (universities, universities of applied sciences, research institutes), but also in other governmental (environmental authorities, water management offices, political consulting, museums, botanical and zoological gardens) and economic sectors (e.g. expert and planning offices, plant protection and food industry).

A further qualification with a doctorate is possible after graduation.

Study structure
The programme comprises 4 semesters, whereby the fourth semester is reserved for the master's dissertation. In 4 obligatory basic modules, specialist knowledge from the fields of biodiversity, ecology, evolution including nature conservation, behaviour, microbiology, physiology and morphology is taught, as well as a research internship (in preparation for the dissertation). The main part of the study programme is a freely selectable combination of ten elective modules and a facultative excursion abroad, which allows students to set their own personal focus in order to deepen the knowledge gained. With the Mobility Module (elective module), stays abroad can be easily integrated into the study programme.

Participating Institutions
The scientific orientations of the participating institutes and working groups allow for a focus on organismic-ecological research and teaching, thus providing an ideal prerequisite for the master's programme. The following institutes and working groups of the Department of Biology are involved in the course:

• Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology
• Institute of Geography and Geology
• Institute of Microbiology
• Zoological Institute and Museum

Methods
The spectrum of methods integrated in the master’s programme is very diverse. Knowledge will be gained in the following fields:

• Ecological field and laboratory methods
• Recording and analysis of biodiversity
• Palaeoecological analyses
• Modelling, GIS analyses
• behavioural analysis, telemetry
• Morphological analyses (histology, TEM, REM, μCT, CLSM)
• Phylogenetic analyses
• Population Genetics
• Environmental analytical methods (TOC, HPLC, GC, GC-MS)
• Microbiological analyses, immunology
• Quantitative and molecular genetics
• Protein biochemical analyses
• Database Management
• Statistical analyses