Adaptive Organisms is a two-year, English-taught Master's specialisation in Biology at the Faculty of Science. In your first period, you build a strong foundation through five compulsory courses spanning the specialisation's core themes. After that, you shape your own programme through electives, two extended research internships and writing assignments.
Programme structure
The Master's specialisation in Adaptive Organisms has a course load of 120 EC over two years, structured as follows:
- Compulsory courses (18 EC)
- Electives (18 EC)
- Internships (72 EC)
- Thesis and research (12 EC)
Compulsory courses
Your programme begins with an intensive block covering the key themes of the specialisation, through five 3 EC subject-specific courses. Later in your first year, you'll also work on your personal and professional development.
Electives
You'll put together a personal elective programme drawing from specialisation electives, a philosophy elective, and free electives. You choose the direction that fits your interests, as long as the level and coherence of your choices meet the programme's requirements.
Internships
Two research internships form the heart of the Master's specialisation. You'll run your own experiments under the supervision of researchers at the Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences (RIBES). Most students complete their first internship in Nijmegen and their second abroad or at an external organisation, such as ETH Zurich, the University of Western Australia, or the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama. Opportunities at the Max Planck Gesellschaft are also available.
Thesis and research
You'll write a review article and a research proposal, learning to synthesise scientific literature and design your own research. Alternatively, you can replace one of these with a field research course, gaining hands-on research experience in the field instead.