To be accepted onto the MSc programme in Environmental biology, you must first have completed a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline from a recognized university.
The MSc programme in Environmental biology is two years in duration (120 ECTS). In the first year you will combine your required courses and electives and in the second year your time will be devoted entirely to research for the individual thesis on a topic of your choice.
All courses in this programme are taught and examined in English.
More information on the Danish education system
This Master's programme offers well-balanced theoretical and practical expertise obtained through lectures, field- and laboratory work, group discussions, hands-on projects and assignments. Overall, this MSc programme will prepare you for jobs in the environmental sector – in governmental institutions and consulting companies.
Graduates who have completed this master programme are entitled to use the title of Master of Science (MSc) in Biology.
The degree will be awarded in Biology, and the environmental profile of this programme will be specified in your degree certificate.
A complete study environment
As a student at University of Southern Denmark, you will become part of a study environment we call Living Science. Your day will be characterised by great academic value and you can look forward to meeting your fellow students as well as researchers from a wide variety of fields. But a university programme at the Institute of Biology is much more than courses, classes and lectures. Good friends, a solid network and a living study environment are all part of creating a connection between the academic and social spheres.
From the evolution of life on Earth to climate change
Biology covers a large spectrum of subjects from molecules to ecosystems and from early life forms on Earth to climate changes on land and in the sea. As a biologist from University of Southern Denmark, you will gain a broad education which can be used in many different contexts in almost any work place; in the private business sector, research, teaching and public administration. In the Biology programme, you will work with current issues every day, which will often be close to daily life and the nature around you.
Work is primarily experimental in the laboratories on campus in Odense and at Marine Biological Research Centre in Kerteminde as well as different locales around the country and the rest of the world.
Research at the Institute of Biology
The Institute of Biology at the University of Southern Denmark focuses its research in experimental biology within four different areas. In these areas, the research is cutting edge and as a student, you get to be where that research is developed. However, teaching in the biological courses is broad and includes all the basic biological disciplines.
The research areas are:
Environmental stress
The research area of Ecotoxicology and environmetal stress includes examination of the detrimental effects of chemicals on natural organisms (for instance endocrine disruptors, heavy metals and pesticides) and the adaptation of organisms to naturally occurring stress factors (variations in oxygen levels, salinity, temperature etc.) as well as the interaction between chemicals and the natural stress factors.
Bioacoustics and behaviour
The research area of Bioacoustics and behaviour deals with the connection between animal behaviour and the function of the sensory organs and nervous system. The sound communication between animals and physiological mechanisms behind hearing and sound production are researched in particular in a range of animal groups such as mammals, birds, frogs and insects.
Ecology
In the research area of Ecology, the department examines life in the sea and fresh water. Research spans from bacteria to animals and plants and covers the anatomy, physiology and ecological role of individual organisms as well as compound and energy cycle in aquatic environments as a whole. Hereby, we gain a detailed understanding of the ecosystem’s function and productivity as well as its sensitivity toward manmade and natural influences. A particular focus on the ecology of microorganisms created the basis for exploration of the early evolution of life in prehistoric Earth.
NordCEE
Research at NordCEE spans a wide range of areas from microbial ecology, molecular biology, biogeochemistry, microbial physiology to geobiology. We are concerned with the role of micro-organisms in controlling the cycling of elements on the modern Earth and how this role has changed through geologic time. We work in diverse environments ranging from lakes to the oceans and in geologic formations of all ages.
Read more about research at the Institute of Biology