Biology: Cancer Biology

(Concentration)

Degree program: Master of Science Faculty of Science
(120) (2021)

General description

Cancer is a leading cause of human death and comprises a broad group of diseases involving unregulated cell growth in various organs. Understanding the diverse causes of cancer requires a multidisciplinary approach. The improvement of therapeutic regimens for different cancers depends on a deep mechanistic understanding from the earliest molecular events underlying cancer onset to its later stages of progression and invasion. This will require training of a new generation of cancer biologists, capable of orienting clinical researchers towards new diagnostic and therapeutic tools, based on mechanistic insight and unbiased molecular investigations.
Students choosing this Master’s program are interested in understanding basic molecular pathways that regulate genome instability events underlying cellular transformation, crucial characteristics of cancer initiating cells, their interaction with tumor microenvironment and their molecular characteristics that offer therapeutic opportunities. Students learn how to grow cancer cells and analyze tumor-relevant samples, apply a broad range of molecular tools, and analyse the data. In addition, students will use chemical and genetic perturbations to modulate onset and therapy of specific cancers. By the end of the program, each student is expected to have developed a solid foundation leading to a mechanistic understanding of cancer at the molecular level, and is capable of addressing new biological questions inherent to the onset or therapy of specific cancer types.

Admission requirements

A Bachelor's degree in Biology, Biomedicine or Biochemistry from the Faculty of Science of the University of Zurich allows for admission to the a Master’s degree course in Biology. Corresponding degrees of Swiss and foreign universities can be recognized by the Faculty. 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 conditions or additional requirements 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

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 Biology 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. Working with organisms requires students to apply their ethical responsibilities.
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

Doctorate in one of the fields of biosciences; teaching and research at universities and other institutes of higher education; work in the chemical, pharmaceutical, medical, agrobiology and food technology industries; teaching at secondary level and in vocational, agricultural and engineering schools; management posts in industry, public administration and politics; planning for nature conservation and environmental protection, private and public; work in zoos, museums, research institutes, laboratories and clinics; scientific journalism.
The degree courses of biology at the University of Zurich qualify graduates to find work in not only specific biological or educational professions.

ECTS credits

90 ECTS Credits

Degree

Master of Science UZH in Biology

Program structure

The course work comprises block courses and special lectures in Cancer Biology (16 ECTS credits), and elective modules (4 ECTS). The core components are the Master's research project in Cancer Biology, including seminars and colloquia (together 60 ECTS credits) and the module "Integrated Knowledge in Biology" (10 ECTS credits).

Part-time studies

The Master’s degree course is usually done full-time. Exemptions must be applied for in advance and require the consent of the Faculty of Science.

Major/minor subject combinations

The Master's study program in Biology 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