Molekulare Medizin - Master

Application procedure

20 places are available per year and will be awarded according to the applicant’s qualifications and experience. The program always starts in the winter term and the application deadline is 15th April. To be admitted to the Master’s program, students must have completed their first degree.

A ranking list is created based on the final grades or provisional final grades of the first degree. A bonus can additionally be awarded by the selection committee, especially for publications and academic prizes in scientific fields.

Application and admission takes place via the central administration office of the university:

Applying for a Master's degree

Online Application Portal

Admission requirements

In addition to the completed application form, the minimum graduate admission requirements are:

1. a Bachelor’s degree/first degree in Molecular Medicine or a recognized equivalent from an accredited institution with 240 ECTS and with a final grade of at least 3,0 in the German grading system; equivalence is tested by the selection committee.
2. at least 6 ECTS in each of the following subjects: Immunology, Infectious Diseases, Oncology and Neurosciences.
3. official evidence of English language proficiency
4. an ‘Allgemeine Hochschulzugangsberechtigung (HZB)’ i.e. a general qualification for university entrance. Foreign certificates must be verified by the relevant public authority as comparable;
5. a Curriculum Vitae (CV)
6. a letter of motivation  (a maximum of 2 A4 pages), optional
7. request to Laboratory Classes/ Practical Laboratory Skills for prospective Students in Molecular Medicine

Foreign language competence

English language requirements for Master’s Applicants (level of C1 or above according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages):

Applicants must provide proof of their English skills (level C1 CEFR or above). Proof of English language skills can be demonstrated on the basis of:

1) Internet-based TOEFL (TOEFL iBT)

2) IELTS

3) Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English Test

4) Language certificate from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) in accordance with the levels of language competence of the Common European Framework of Reference and the UNIcert System

Other documentation will not be accepted.

Exceptions: Some students applying for Master's courses may be exempt from submitting formal test evidence:

• Applicants whose first language/mother tongue is English
• Applicants who have gained 30 ECTS in lectures/modules taught in English as part of a degree course in an EU/EEA country or Switzerland. The language of instruction of each module must be clearly stated on official documents.
• Applicants with a Bachelor's degree in a closely related subject area taught exclusively in English.
• Applicants with a first degree taught exclusively in English.
• Applicants who have gained 30 ECTS (or equivalent) in lectures/modules taught in English as part of a degree course in Great Britain, Ireland, Malta, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, or English-speaking parts of Canada. The language of instruction must be clearly stated on official documents.
• Applicants with a formal university entrance qualification gained through instruction in English.

Other documentation of language of instruction will not be accepted.

Curriculum/Field of study

Tübingen’s Master’s program is an excellent choice for students seeking an advanced academic and laboratory research training program in modern cellular and molecular medicine with direct application to the study of human disease.

A particular strength of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Tübingen is our highly acclaimed applied research in the specialized areas of neurosciences, immunology, oncology, and infection biology. Training in these specialized areas is offered by experts who are predominantly active researchers or clinical scientists. As expert teachers they provide a comprehensive and thoroughly up-to-date overview of the area. Each student chooses two of the following four specialized areas:

Immunology:

Exploring the specialist field of immunology will allow you to gain a sound knowledge of the complex processes involved in the regulation of cellular and immunological processes in both humans and animals. The immunological processes are thus examined in association with disease-induced malfunctions, for example in the case of immunity defects or in tumor immunology. The lectures in the series “Advanced Immunology” cover the detailed mechanisms of the immune system, including an examination of the recent discoveries made in cellular and molecular immunology. The major topics comprise the evolution of immune systems, therapeutic antibodies, computational immunobiology, antigen processing, cellular communication, negative and positive regulatory mechanisms in immunity, interaction between immune systems, and pathogens and pathomechanisms.

Oncology:

Cancer is a frequently occurring complex disease with an increasing incidence and a high socio-economic impact. Both the lecture on Advanced Molecular Oncology and the other courses in this area are intended to provide further knowledge on the molecular basis of tumor development and molecular approaches to pathology and diagnostics, as well as molecular strategies in cancer therapy. Based on the topics to be addressed, students will acquire a solid understanding of the state-of-the-art of molecular and translational oncology with respect to:

• Molecular mechanisms of cancer development
• Molecular pathology and diagnostics
• Molecular strategies in cancer therapies

Neurosciences

The scope of neuroscience has expanded to include different approaches used to study the molecular, cellular, developmental, structural, functional, and computational aspects of the nervous system, as well as neurological disorders. The techniques used by scientists have also expanded enormously, from molecular and cellular studies of individual nerve cells to imaging of sensory and motor tasks in the brain.

The main lecture series in this area places considerable emphasis on the molecular and cellular pathomechanisms of the most common dementias and other neurodegenerative disorders, especially Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Other dementias covered are the heterogenous group of Frontotemporal Dementias, and the Prion diseases, including Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. Additional movement disorders discussed in this lecture series include Huntington’s disease and various ataxias. Finally, Motor Neuron Diseases such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis will be presented and the recent link to the pathogenesis of Frontotemporal Dementia highlighted.

Infection Biology

Viral infections, the threat of pandemics, and the emergence of antibiotic resistance have made clear the enormity of the unmet medical needs in microbial pathogenesis. Most likely, there will be an increasing demand for knowledge about infectious diseases, in particular from developing areas of the world, where microbial infections are more prevalent and often have devastating consequences. In Tübingen special emphasis is currently being placed on issues such as the bacterial cell envelope, malaria, staphylococci, antibiotics, and viral and gastrointestinal infections. The Department of Medical Microbiology/Virology was formed to meet this need by harnessing the current explosion of new information about the basic biology of pathogens and host responses in order to develop novel therapeutics to combat serious infections.

The program consists of fundamental, translational and clinical research in the field of infectious diseases and comprises a number of central research themes. These include:

• Viral control of translation
• Trafficking of viral components
• Reverse transcription and integration
• Evolution and emergence of viruses
• Bacteria-phagocyte interaction
• In vivo infection models
• DNA sequencing techniques, protein expression systems
• Flow cytometry
• Malaria vaccines
• Drug resistance of Plasmodium falciparum
• Reverse genetics in Plasmodium falciparum
• Helminths and allergies

Characteristics

The innovative Master’s program in Molecular Medicine is characterized by interdisciplinarity, practice orientation and an international focus with the ambition to qualify future excellent scientists for medical research. 

A particular strength of the Master’s program in Molecular Medicine at the University of Tübingen is its location within the thriving research culture of the Faculty of Medicine with its four focus areas of neurosciences, immunology, oncology, and infection biology, all of which have been deemed excellent by the Training in these focus areas is offered by experts who are predominantly active researchers or clinical scientists. As expert teachers they provide a comprehensive and thoroughly up to date overview of the area.

Tübingen’s consecutive Master’s program lasts one academic year (two semesters) and encompasses a total of 60 ECTS. It is run by the Faculty of Medicine and the Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience.

Our curriculum complies with the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) to ensure compatibility with other international programs. The bachelor’s program lasts four academic years (eight semesters) and encompasses a total of 240 ECTS credit points. To apply candidates need as minimum entry requirement 240 credits (= 4 year degree or degree (BA)).

Program coordination/Administration

The Master’s program lasts one academic year (two semesters) and encompasses a total of 60 ECTS. The one year curriculum is divided into two main parts, the first concentrating on deepening knowledge and advanced laboratory research training in two/or one of the above mentioned areas (see below Studieninhalt/Course Content), the second on an individual research project (= Master’s thesis).

In the first semester, students can choose from a catalogue of modules in two selected areas of specialization allowing the student to tailor the program to their individual or interests. A total of 5 modules (33 ECTS) must be taken.

The Master’s thesis Research Project (27 ECTS) in the second semester forms a major component of the course and entails five months’ full-time practical work in the laboratory on a novel piece of research. This element gives students experience in independently solving an experimental problem within the field of modern biomedical research and writing an extended report (approx. 50-60 pages). Students gain experience of laboratory work, knowledge of modern scientific methods, and practice in researching scientific literature.

Exchange programs

The Faculty of Medicine at the University of Tübingen maintains close cooperation with more than 40 universities all over the world, which offers our students the option to write their Master’s thesis in research departments abroad. The research placement is planned by the student in cooperation with our international coordinator and the chosen host institution.

Freiwilliger Auslandsaufenthalt
In jedem Studiengang ist ein freiwilliger Auslandsaufenthalt möglich. Mit der Planung sollte ca. ein bis eineinhalb Jahre vor der Abreise begonnen werden. 
Weitere Informationen und Beratung zum Auslandsstudium finden Sie auf der fachübergreifenden Seite Wege ins Ausland. Zudem bieten einige Fächer auch eigene Informationen zu Auslandsaufenthalten an. 

Further information

Akkreditierungsurkunde Master DE

Akkreditierungsurkunde Master EN

Measles Protection Act (= Masernschutzgesetz)

You may have heard in the media that the Measles Protection Act was passed in the Bundestag in November 2019 in the Bundestag and came into force on 1 March 2020. The law not only regulates the compulsory vaccination of kindergarten children and pupils. It also affects people who are employed and work in the health care system and therefore also you as a student at the Faculty of Medicine in Tübingen. From 1 August 2021, you may enter the lecture halls, laboratories and other teaching rooms in the buildings of the University Hospital only if you can prove immunity to measles or if you are unable to have a measles vaccination due to a medical contraindication. Persons are considered protected if they have received two measles vaccinations in their lifetime or if they have serologically proven immune protection. Without this proof, the Faculty of Medicine cannot allow students to take part in the courses at the relevant institutions. Detailed background information on the measles vaccination and the legal basis can be found at on the legal basis can be found at https://www.masernschutz.de/.

To Do: Students must provide proof of sufficient immunity against measles.

Proof can be provided

a) via the vaccination documentation or

b) a doctor's certificate of sufficient vaccination against measles or that there is a medical contraindication to measles vaccination.

Im Wintersemester 2018/2019 sind für Molekulare Medizin alle Abschlüsse rund 180 Studenten eingeschrieben.

Module handbook

Module Handbook

Examination regulations

Examination Regulations

Career opportunities

The Master´s program in Molecular Medicine lasts one academic year and leads to a Master of Science (M. Sc.) degree. Upon sucessful completion of the program, graduates may choose to continue their studies by directly pursuing a doctorate in Molecular Medicine.

Alternatively graduates may choose to embark upon a professional life:

• in scientific research (e.g. at universities or other research facilities)
• in industry (e.g. biomedical technology, production and quality inspection)
• in fundamental research and development, publication and the publishing sector, marketing and administration
• in private laboratories (e.g. molecular diagnostics and analytics)
• in clinics (e.g. molecular and biochemical diagnostics, clinical research)
• in other institutions (e.g. ministries, institutions for the promotion of research, institutions for the transfer of technology)

Beratung und Praktika
Der Career Service der Universität berät bei der Berufsorientierung und beim Berufseinstieg. Praktika und Jobs finden Sie im Praxisportal.

Opportunities for further studies/Perspectives

Upon successful completion of the Master of Science program in Molecular Medicine, graduates may directly pursue a doctorate or PhD.

Hier finden Sie alle Informationen zur Ehemaligen-Vereinigung Alumni Tübingen.