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Master's programme in Evolutionary Biology

120 credits

This Master’s programme is aimed at students who want to understand how evolution works – and why it matters. The programme provides an ideal foundation for doctoral studies as well as professions outside of academia.

How do biological systems evolve? On the Master’s programme in Evolutionary Biology you will learn how to unravel the history of life by examining diversification, adaptation, and how the evolutionary process itself evolves. Evolution affects biology at all levels, from molecules to ecosystems, and our courses and research projects provide unique opportunities to study this diversity. You will acquire conceptual and methodological skills in molecular and genome evolution, evolutionary developmental biology, and evolutionary ecology. As an evolutionary biologist, you will be uniquely suited to understand living systems, and to solve problems that require collaboration across disciplines. Our teaching promotes an active, inquiry-based learning that is integrated with our Department’s world-leading research on the evolutionary biology of microbes, plants, and animals.

Get some inspiration to what the Master's programmes leads to. You find completed Master's degree projects in biology on LUP Student Papers.

Recommended course of study

The programme comprises two years of full-time studies (120 credits), with at least 90 credits at advanced level in biology. Teaching is carried out in the form of courses, primarily in modules worth 15 credits and a degree project for one or two semesters.

Year 1

Autumn

Spring

Year 2

Autumn

  • Optional courses or start of Master's Degree project

Spring

Degree requirements

Courses corresponding to 120 credits, of which should encompass:

Compulsory Courses, 30 credits:

  • Evolutionary Biology - Patterns and Processes BIOR89
  • Evolutionary Biology - Methods and Applications BIOR90

Elective Courses, at least 30 credits:

  • Bioinformatics and Sequence Analysis BINP11
  • Animal Ecology BIOR91
  • Genetic Analysis BIOR92
  • Modelling Biological Systems BIOS13
  • Molecular Ecology and Evolution BIOR25
  • Molecular Genetics of Eukaryotes BIOR47
  • Plant Evolution and Adaptation BIOR77
  • Population and Community Ecology BIOR69
  • Processing and Analysis of Biological Data BIOS14

Optional Courses, 0-30 credits

Master´s degree project in biology BIOM02/BION02/BION03, 30/45/60 credits

Degree title

Master of Science (Two Years)
Major: Biology with specialisation in Evolutionary Biology

Small monkey holding a branch. Photo.
Biology - Evolutionary Biology

Application

Prerequisites and application at Lund University central education web pages.

Questions?

Lotta Persmark, Study advisor, biology and bioinformatics

Telephone: +46 46 222 37 28
Email: Lotta [dot] Persmark [at] biol [dot] lu [dot] se (Lotta[dot]Persmark[at]biol[dot]lu[dot]se)

Programme coordinator

Tobias Uller - information at Lund University Research Portal

Page manager: Lotta [dot] Persmark [at] biol [dot] lu [dot] se | 1 Feb 2022