Master of Science in Molecular Medicine Friedrich Schiller University Jena

Courses are held in English.

The MSc course in Molecular Medicine conveys basic and advanced insights into the molecular basis of disease. The imparted knowledge and practical training should enable students to conduct biomedical research and medical biotechnology. To impart skills of experimental methods in biomedicine, the course offers comprehensive laboratory exercises. The curriculum responds to increasing demands of research institutions in molecular biomedicine. Scientists with pronounced knowledge in medicine and natural sciences are sought to fulfil these demands.

Profound knowledge in molecular medicine will be provided in the modules Molecular Pathology, Molecular Pharmacology, Human Genetics, Clinical Chemistry/Molecular Diagnostics and Medical Biometry. For the advanced students in the second year, the course covers recent research achievements in molecular pathology and molecular pharmacology.

The module Molecular Pathology provides basic knowledge about causes and treatments of main disease entities including cancer, cardiovascular, inflammatory, and neurological diseases. Different types of cell and tissue damage, and their histological correlates will be demonstrated with microscopic and macroscopic preparations.

The module Molecular Pharmacology offers basic knowledge of common pharmacology and toxicology. The complex interactions between agents and their pharmacological targets in the human body will be explained. The module combines medical-pharmacological efficacy patterns of these agents with their molecular, cellular, and organ specific effects and functions.

The module Clinical Chemistry/Molecular Diagnostics presents various topics of laboratory medicine and diagnostics, principles of frequently used clinical biochemical and molecular biological methods as well as instruments of diagnostic analysis, principles of step-by-step diagnostics for early diagnosis, course of disease, and therapy control. This includes a review of diagnostically relevant metabolic products and substrates, methods of point-of-care diagnostics, enzyme activity determination, diagnostic procedures in hemostaseology, and procedures for drug monitoring and diagnostic molecular biology.

The module Medical Biometry explains the basics, fundamental terms and prerequisites for biomedical data analysis. In small groups students will be taught to use the statistical software package SPSS. The course includes basics of probability calculation, epidemiology, descriptive statistics, diagnostic tests, random variables, and selected distributions as well as concluding statistics (estimation procedures, significance tests, multiple test procedures, etc.)

1 April through 31 May, exclusively

The first year of the Master's programme is divided into five mandatory modules: Molecular Pathology, Molecular Pharmacology, Human Genetics, Clinical Chemistry/Molecular Diagnostics and Medical Biometry. In addition, students may select two of the 17 compulsory elective modules dealing with clinical research topics (Molecular Intensive Care, Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Stem Cell Research, Molecular Genetics, Oncology, Neurosciences, Rheumatology/Nephrology/Endocrinology, Transgenic Animal Models, Medical Microbiology, Medical Immunology, Neuroepigenetics, Experimental Surgery, Experimental Nephrology, Bioinformatics, Molecular-Biological Approaches in Medical Research and Diagnostics, Forensic Sciences, Quantitative Proteomics for Biomedical Research) consisting of lectures, seminars and a block of practical training. The second year is devoted to in-depth instruction on special problems in molecular pathology and pharmacology. For most of the second year, intensive experimental work on a research project in one of the participating institutes will provide further practical skills and form the basis for the completion of the Master's thesis.

Part-time studies may be permitted by the board of examination.

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Student exchanges (Inter-university Cooperation Agreement between Faculté de médecine of Université de Montréal, Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal and Friedrich Schiller University)

Opportunity to write the Master's thesis abroad or to complete internships abroad in addition to the studies in Jena

Not systematically provided

No tuition fees

The semester fee amounts to approx. 290 EUR per semester (student services and student self-government). For details, see: semester fee (uni-jena.de).

Students need approximately 700 to 900 EUR per month for rent, food, health insurance, books and personal items. For details, see: https://www.uni-jena.de/en/Jena+living+international.

Bachelor's degree in biochemistry/molecular biology or in a relevant/comparable discipline such as natural science, life science, or medicine

Proficiency in English at level B2 (CEFR) is recommended in order to meet the requirements of courses given in English and to be able to write the Master's thesis in English.

1 April through 31 May, exclusively

No

Students can work as student assistants and besides their studies up to a certain extent. Please also see: https://www.uni-jena.de/en/Jena+living+international

Accommodation in student residences is available to a certain extent. Please apply at the "Studierendenwerk Thüringen". For further information, please visit our website at https://www.stw-thueringen.de/en/housing/

You can also look for single or shared private accommodation yourself. In the buildings of the university, there are numerous information boards with accommodation offers. Note, however, that the availability of private accommodation in Jena is rather limited.

The university hosts a "Career and Welcome Point": https://www.cwp.uni-jena.de/en