BioGeoSciences (MSc) University of Koblenz

The Master's programme can be studied entirely in English. But 41% of the courses are also offered in German.

Participants can choose to write the Master's thesis in either language.

German skills are not a prerequisite for studying. However, they allow students to choose from a wider range of elective courses and are very helpful in everyday life and for a potential transition into the German labour market. Free German classes are offered by the university.

Climate change, loss of biodiversity, extreme weather events, destruction of ecosystems – we are currently facing a wealth of environmental problems!

This research-based MSc programme should be attractive for all students interested in the consequences of anthropogenic environmental change.

Study contents include, for instance, the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. The programme combines the fields of biology and geography. During the course of studies, you will gain knowledge in the fields of conservation biology, aquatic ecology, biodiversity, landscape ecology, geoecology, and physical geography.

During the programme, you will gain several scientific and methodological competences. This will qualify you to perform environmental research as well as for consulting jobs in governmental and non-governmental organisations, national and international companies and engineering and consulting offices.

The programme prepares you to take over responsible duties within the broad field of environmental sciences and qualifies you to start a PhD.

Close co-operations exist with the Bundesanstalt für Gewässerkunde (Federal Institute of Hydrology) in Koblenz, with universities in Rwanda and Madagascar, and with various other research institutions in Germany and abroad. This gives students the opportunity to participate in exciting basic and applied research projects.

EU applicants:

• 15 January for the summer semester
• 15 July for the winter semester

Non-EU applicants:

• 15 December for the summer semester
• 15 June for the winter semester

It is recommended to apply as early as possible to allow sufficient time for the visa application process.

There are seven mandatory modules with 48 ECTS in total, all taught in English.

You are free to set your own priorities by selecting seven elective modules (42 ECTS in total) out of the ones offered. Focal areas are biodiversity, terrestrial ecology, aquatic ecology, tropical ecology, geoecology, regional development, and man and environment. Due to the high number of elective modules, it is very easy to integrate a semester abroad.

The programme entails a high proportion of practical classes. These include excursions, internships, field and laboratory practicals as well as seminars.

Especially the various internships give the students the opportunity to carry out small research projects in teams, and thus to implement their theoretical knowledge into practice, thereby gaining hands-on experience in research. This ensures a strong focus on research. A majority of courses is taught in English to prepare the students for a later work within an international context.

Yes

No tuition fees

Currently approx. 290 EUR per semester, covering contributions to the student services, the student union, and the local public transport ticket

We estimate that students require 992 EUR per month to cover the costs of living (including housing, bills, Internet, food, clothes, study materials, etc.). However, this depends on the individual style of living, the type of housing, etc.

To apply for a study visa, it is often mandatory to show proof of a blocked account of around 11,900 EUR.

Academic admission requirements include a Bachelor's degree (from a programme with a minimum duration of three years) with a focus in environmental sciences, grade "good" or better. A good command of the English language is required. In specific cases, admission may be granted irrespective of the final grade, subject to approval by the board of examiners.

No German language skills are necessary. For the English language requirements, please check the official website of the study programme: 
https://www.uni-koblenz.de/de/studium/studienangebot/ma-biogeowissenschaften

EU applicants:

• 15 January for the summer semester
• 15 July for the winter semester

Non-EU applicants:

• 15 December for the summer semester
• 15 June for the winter semester

It is recommended to apply as early as possible to allow sufficient time for the visa application process.

No

There are a number of jobs available at the university (e.g. as student assistants). Students can also find part-time jobs outside the university, e.g. in companies in Koblenz and the surrounding area. A basic knowledge of German is helpful when looking for a job.

Accommodation is available in student halls of residence or on the private housing market. A certain number of rooms in halls of residence are reserved for incoming international students. Students can contact the International Relations Office for further information on the application process or regarding the search for private housing.

E-mail: accommodation@uni-koblenz.de or international@uni-koblenz.de 

Preparation of international Master's students for the German job market in the context of the university's DAAD-funded project "FIT4SukCESS", e.g. in the form of workshops on application practices and CV checks

• Orientation week including numerous informational and social events
• Academic, cultural and linguistic (English and German) support in the context of the university's DAAD-funded project "FIT4SukCESS", e.g. in the form of workshops on studying techniques and subject-specific tutorials
• German language courses from level A1 to C1 for enrolled students
• Varied and affordable sports offer

The University of Koblenz is one of the youngest universities in Germany – and yet rests on a long-established scholarly tradition. Four profile areas are linked in a unique way: “Education”, “Computer Sciences”, “Culture and Mediation” and “Material and Environment”. These profile areas also provide important impulses for teacher education, which plays a pivotal part at our university. Interdisciplinary cooperation and short distances on campus characterise everyday university life and enable vivid interdisciplinarity and continuous innovation in science.

The University of Koblenz offers a broad range of high-quality study programmes to its over 9,000 students, including around 1,000 international students.

The university sees itself as a driving force in developing a vivid economic and scientific region and is internationally visible and connected at the same time. Its great emphasis on internationalisation is also reflected in the academic and professional as well as intercultural and linguistic support it offers to its international students throughout the entire duration of their studies. With its new DAAD-funded "FIT4SukCESS" project, the university provides international students with tailor-made offers in the four topic areas: "Preparation for Studies", "Study Success", "Employability" and "Labour Market Integration", in order to lead them to academic success and subsequently to a career in Germany.

The university has given itself the motto “continue discovering”. This reflects the incentive and aspiration of all members of the university to constantly question the familiar and the customary in order to arrive at new insights and findings. To this end, the university offers its members the required resources to further develop their studies, teaching and research and to break new ground in transferring ideas, knowledge and technology.

Koblenz is a city with a rich, 2,000-year history. With currently more than 113,000 inhabitants with more than 130 different nationalities, Koblenz is located in one of the most attractive regions in Germany. Its surrounding landscape, the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, is honoured as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. Together with the metropolitan areas of Frankfurt and Cologne, which are close by, it features many cultural attractions and recreational facilities in combination with moderate living costs, all making Koblenz an ideal place to study.