How are DNA and RNA structured? How does a COVID vaccine work? And how can we preserve biodiversity? If you are interested in these questions, this is the programme for you!
Female students take plant samples
Image: Sebastian Reuter
Life is all about diversity! A balanced environment thrives on numerous different ecosystems, genetic diversity and a wealth of plants, animals, fungi and micro-organisms. This is the only way that habitats and species can provide us with the food and drinking water we need or even raw materials for our clothes and medicines. For example, insects are the unsung heroes in the fight against multidrug-resistant organisms, as some produce an antibiotic that works against bacteria. Students enrolled on our bachelor’s programme in ‘Biology’ deal with a range of questions, such as how ecosystems work and how biological processes take place at cellular and molecular level.
You will cover a wide range of content during your studies. Current topics in biochemistry, molecular and cellular biology, genetics, zoology, botany, and ecology are also included in the degree programme. And not just in theory, but also in practice! Laboratory practicals and field work assignments are an integral part of the syllabus to reinforce the content covered in the lectures.
Jena has a rich biological history. This is where various scientific discoveries were made by the famous zoologist Ernst Haeckel, the botanist Matthias Jakob Schleiden, and the geneticist and botanist Otto Renner. To this day, our city offers an excellent research landscape for students and teachers in the field of biology.
A bachelor’s degree is the first professional qualification that can be obtained at a university. The standard length of the programme is six semesters, and different types of courses are offered for each module (e.g. seminars, lectures, or practical classes).
If you opt for a single-subject bachelor’s programme in ‘Biology’, your education will be focused on one subject comprising 180 ECTS credits (1 ECTS credit = 30 hours of attendance, preparation and follow-up work, private study, assessed coursework and examinations).
In the first and second years of study (1st to 4th semester), you will have to take compulsory modules covering the fundamentals of science and biology. In the third year of study (5th and 6th semester), you will be able to choose most of your modules according to your interests and career aspirations.
| 1st semester | 2nd semester | 3rd semester | 4th semester | 5th semester | 6th semester |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Compulsory modules (60 ECTS in total) |
Compulsory modules (60 ECTS in total) |
Compulsory modules (4 ECTS in total) |
|||
| Mathematics (3 ECTS) |
Biochemistry (9 ECTS) |
Biophysics & Bioinformatics |
Statistics (4 ECTS) |
||
| Chemistry (9 ECTS) |
Microbiology (18 LP) |
Required elective modules (35 ECTS in total) |
|||
| Physics (4 ECTS) |
Cell Biology (5 ECTS) |
Ecology & Biodiversity (12 ECTS) |
There are modules with 5 ECTS and 10 ECTS. These are to be chosen so that you reach in total 35 ECTS. |
||
| Zoology 1 (15 ECTS) |
Zoology 2 (6 ECTS) |
||||
| Botany 1 (10 ECTS) |
Botany 2 (10 ECTS) |
Dissertation modules (21 ECTS in total) |
|||
| Genetics (9 ECTS) |
Project module (11 ECTS) |
||||
| Evolutionary Biology (5 ECTS) |
Bachelor’s dissertation |
||||
Abbreviations: ECTS = European Credit Transfer System
You can find more detailed information in the module catalogue for the degree programmeExternal link.
Come and discover our Botanical Garden on a walk or during your everyday student life! Around 10,000 plant species from all vegetation zones on earth are cultivated across 4.5 hectares of land comprising vast open spaces and greenhouses.
Career opportunities:
Woman at microscope
Image: Daniel HofmannFurthermore, the following natural science master's degree programmes are offered:
Biochemistry M.Sc.
Biogeosciences M.Sc.
Chemical Biology M.Sc.
Geography - Climate and Environmental Change M.Sc.
Molecular Medicine M.Sc.
Business Administration for Engineers and Natural Scientists M.Sc.
A university entrance qualification, such as a general secondary school leaving certificate, is required for admission onto the study programme.
More information on university entrance qualifications can be found here.
The study programme is taught in German. You must therefore have a very good command of German at the start of the study programme.
Please submit an up-to-date and complete CV in tabular form. Please provide full details regarding your schooling and academic education to date. You can find more information hereExternal link.
Please upload the school certificate confirming your university entrance qualification to our application portal. You can find more information hereExternal link.
Please upload transcripts of records for all previous periods of study and degrees, as well as, if applicable, your degree certificate, to the portal.
Proof of sufficient German proficiency must be provided for all German-language degree programmes. The following certificates are recognized as proof of proficiency by Friedrich Schiller University Jena:
Please note: We strongly recommend that you submit the required proof of German proficiency at the time of your application.
If you do not yet have the required language certificate, you may apply for our DSH course starting from German level B1. This course ensures optimal language preparation and also gives you the opportunity to get to know Jena while benefiting from student status.
A translation into German or English must be submitted for every application document that was not originally issued in German or English. These translations must be prepared by an authorized translation office.
Applicants with university degrees from India, Vietnam, or the People’s Republic of China must submit an APS certificate.
Applicants from the following countries must provide proof of their university entrance examination:
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07743 Jena
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07743 Jena
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Bachstraße 18 k (1.OG)
07743 Jena
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Neugasse 24
07743 Jena
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University Main Building / SSZ
Fürstengraben 1
07743 Jena
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Office hours:
We offer consultations in person, by telephone, and via Zoom. You can make an appointment by calling us on +49 3641 9-411111 (Mondays to Fridays from 9:00 to 11:00) or outside these office hours on +49 3641 9-411200. You can also use our remote help desk.
Consultation hours:
Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays (9:00 to 12:20), Tuesdays (14:00 to 18:00), and Wednesdays and Thursdays (14:00 to 16:00).
Video chat: To the video chat – Zoom Videochat ZeitenMondays to Fridays (12:30 to 13:00) Password ZSB2020 Data protection informationpdf, 101 kb
University Main Building, Room E065
Fürstengraben 1
07743 Jena
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Opening hours:
Information Desk (UHG; Room E0.65)
Mondays (10:00 – 12:00)
Tuesdays (13:00 – 15:00)
Wednesdays (10:00 – 12:00)
Thursdays (13:00 – 15:00)
Fridays (10:00 – 12:00)
You can also use our remote help desk at
www.uni-jena.de/service-ssz
or send us your enquiries by post.
Telephone hours:
Mondays to Fridays
(9:00 – 11:00)
Postal address:
Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena
Studierenden-Service-Zentrum
07737 Jena
University Main Building
Fürstengraben 1
07743 Jena
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