General description

Biomedicine is a research area at the interface of sciences, anatomy, physiology, and medicine. Biomedicine bridges between disciplines by combining quantitative methods from sciences and clinical research to answer questions from basic and clinical medicine. Thereby, biomedicine contributes to unravel the functions and causes of diseases of the human body and to develop new approaches to diagnostics and therapeutics. Biomedicine enables the translation of results from basic sciences to the clinical application and to ask new questions in basic sciences.
Biomedicine is directed to all students with a strong interest for the sciences and medicine. The courses address those enjoying Chemistry, Physics and Biology, those interested in understanding the anatomy and function of the human body and those curious to learn how diseases arise, how diseases can be diagnosed and cured. Students should enjoy planning and performing experiments or to participate in clinical studies. Biomedicine is a real alternative to medicine, if you are mostly interested in applied medicial laboratory science.
Biomedicine is not suited for students that failed to be accepted into Medical school and who wish to enter Medical School via Biomedicine. There is no facilitated entry into Medical School from Biomedicine , acceptance into Medical School will depend on the general conditions set by the Faculty of Medicine. Very few courses from Biomedicine may be credited upon request to the Dean of Studies for Medicine.
The University of Zurich has an international top position in Biology, medical sciences and clinical research at the University Hospital Zurich. Biomedicine builds on this strength.

Admission requirements

The following academic degrees exempt the holder from having to pass any further examinations for admission to the Master’s degree course:

• A Bachelor's degree from the Faculty of Science of the University of Zurich, whereby the Faculty determines which types of the Bachelor's degree are required for admission to the respective Master's degree courses.
  
• Corresponding degrees of Swiss and foreign universities which are generally recognized by the Faculty, or recognized by subject. In terms of paragraph 1, such degrees are reviewed according to the stipulations of § 3 of the Bologna guideline of the Swiss University Conference.
  

Further possibilities for admission to a Master’s degree course: the Faculty assesses all other qualifications, in particular those from universities of applied sciences, according to its own criteria, whereby. The principle of equal treatment applies to assessing the equivalence of Bachelor's degrees The Faculty can require the fulfillment of additional conditions in form of evidence of academic achievement. The Faculty decides about the acceptance of Academic achievements and credit points which were obtained elsewhere.

Branch of studies

Biomedical sciences

Specific requirements

Admission with possible conditions from branch of studies: Biochemistry, Biology

Educational goals

Master’s graduates have skills in scientific research. Their knowledge allows them to understand complex biological systems. They recognize relevant problems in Biomedicine and are able to plan and conduct experiments using a variety of techniques to address these problems. Their ability to adapt technical procedures to specific scientific problems allows them to expand their problem solving skills. The ability to work exactly and treat precious materials, instruments and organisms carefully is particularly important. The master’s thesis, which is a research project within the master’s program, teaches students to conduct research independently as would be required for a dissertation.

Career possibilities

The MSc is the qualification required for all academic biomedicine professions and meets the scientific requirements for admission to the Study Program for the Teaching Diploma for Secondary Education. For the Teaching Diploma for Secondary Education however, a broader general education is required. Modules in Biodiversity and Ecology must be completed additionally. Therefore we recommend a Master in Biology with the option of a minor in Biomedicine.

ECTS credits

90 ECTS Credits

Degree

Master of Science UZH in Biomedicine

Program structure

The program is based on block courses and special lectures in Biomedicine and Biology (20 ECTS credits). The core compulsory components of the degree are the Master's research project in Biomedicine, including seminars and colloquia (together 60 ECTS credits) and the modules ‘Scientific writing and presentation’ (4 ECTS credits) and 'Integrated Knowledge in Biology' (6 ECTS credits).

Major/minor subject combinations

The Master's study program in Biomedicine 90 can be taken as a single major or be combined with a minor study program 30 at Master's level.

Examination and assessment regulations

The student's achievement is assessed at the end of each module. Achievements are graded on a scale from 1 to 6, whereby 6 denotes the highest grade of achievement and 1 the lowest. A grade below 4 is insufficient. Achievements can also be graded with 'passed' or 'failed'.

Language of instruction

English