Courses
MSc Biotechnology courses are divided into core courses, advanced courses and elective courses.
Detailed information on the different course categories within the MSc Biotechnology curriculum can be found in the tabs below.
Core courses provide basic and advanced knowledge in the application of theoretical, engineering and experimental methods in a biotechnological context. Cores courses are taught as lectures and as lab courses.
Students need to acquire a total of 22 ECTS in the core course category, composed of 6 ECTS from mandatory core course lectures and 16 ECTS from mandatory core course lab courses.
Failing a mandatory core course lecture twice leads to the exclusion from the MSc programme in Biotechnology.
The core course list in the ETH course catalogue is a closed list. No other courses can be added to this category.
Mandatory Core Course Lectures
The following courses are mandatory core courses and must be passed by all students:
- Systems Genomics (4 ECTS)
- Advanced Bioengineering (2 ECTS)
Mandatory Core Course Lab Courses
The following lab courses are mandatory and must be passed by all students:
Autumn Semester
- Lab Course: Methods in Cell Analysis and Laboratory Automation (3 ECTS)
- Lab Course: Microsystems and Microfluidics in Biology (3 ECTS)
- Lab Course: Microbial Biotechnology (2 ECTS)
Spring Semester
- Lab Course: Next-Generation Sequencing (2 ECTS)
- Lab Course: Mammalian Gene Circuits (2 ECTS)
- Lab Course: Cellular Engineering Stem Cells (2 ECTS)
- Lab Course: Cellular Engineering Mammalian Cells (2 ECTS)
Advanced Courses
Advanced courses provide specific insights into certain research areas.
Students need to acquire at least 22 ECTS in the advanced courses category.
The advanced course list in the ETH course catalogue is a closed list. No other courses can be added to this category. Courses listed in the advanced core course category may also be taken as electives.
Elective Courses
Students need to acquire at least 10 ECTS in the electives category.
Students may complete courses from ETH as well as the University of Basel as elective courses. The electives list in the ETH course catalogue is an open list, and the courses listed in the ETH course catalogue provide examples for possible elective courses, e.g. a selection of eligible courses. Students are expected to look for relevant courses in the ETH and University of Basel course catalogue and ask their mentor for approval. Courses from the advanced course category may also be taken as electives.
Students are recommended to browse the external pageUniversity of Basel course cataloguecall_made for elective courses of relevant master's degree programes (using the filter "programe structure" on the course catalogue website), such as for example:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Chemistry
- Drug Sciences
- Epidemiology
- Infection Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Nanosciences
Students need to acquire a total of 2 ECTS in the science in perspective category within the master's degree studies.
The ETH course catalogue lists the science in perspective course units under section “GESS – Science in Perspective”, and provides a description of course unit content and lists the requirements for earning the respective credits.
A maximum of 3 ECTS will be recognized for language courses during the entire course of Studies at ETH Zurich (BA- and MA degree together). In addition: For the languages English, French, Italian and Spanish only advanced courses (level B2 upwards) are recognized, and for German language courses level C2 applies.
D-BSSE students may complete a language course at the University of Basel Language Center (Sprachenzentrum) as SiP course, taking into account the restrictions regarding language course levels.
Further information:
Students need to register for courses offered by the University of Basel directly with the University of Basel.
Course registration deadlines and modalities are stipulated by the University of Basel and might differ from ETH registration deadlines. Make sure to check the registration procedure and deadlines in time!
Students who are enrolled at a different Swiss university and pay all of their tuition fees at that institution are admitted to the University of Basel without matriculation. They are allowed to attend individual courses and can earn credit points.
Information on the registration procedure and the further steps to enrol for courses can be found on the external pageUniversity of Basel websitecall_made.
Credit transfer: After completion of the course, please submit the transcript of records from the University of Basel to the to transfer the credits and results to your myStudies account at ETH Zürich. Note that the e-mail with the course result is not sufficient!