Master in Molecular Plant Science

You are fascinated by molecular biological research in the plant sciences? You are interested in learning in an international study group? You would like to work on current research projects and immediately apply what you have learned? Do you like to work independently and be goal-oriented? Then welcome to the MoPS!

What should you bring with you?

Before starting the MoPS, you should already have acquired basic knowledge in molecular biology and/ or biochemistry and have gained experience in laboratory work, e.g. in the context of a Bachelor’s program in molecular biology, cell biology, biochemistry, biotechnology, or biology with a molecular biology focus. Furthermore, you should have a good command of English, as your daily learning routine will be characterized by English-language lectures, discussions, literature, and your own presentations in English. Details can be found under "Admission requirements".

What does the MoPS offer?

The MoPS offers practice-oriented learning through group practicals in the first semester to refresh your knowledge of basic molecular biology techniques and to learn more advanced lab methods. This is followed by individual lab rotations in the second and third semesters. Here, skills relevant to academic research, such as the development of research questions, experimental design, implementation, and evaluation, are taught, as well as the presentation and discussion of research results. The program is completed with a Master´s thesis allowing me to work independently on an up-to-date scientific question embedded in the research environment of Universität Hamburg. The practical education is complemented by lectures and seminars that provide an overview of the most exciting topics and trends in molecular plant biology, and offer the opportunity to discuss ethical issues and possible career paths following the Master’s degree.

The University Universität Hamburg is the largest institution for research and education in northern Germany. As one of the country’s largest universities, we offer a diverse range of degree programs and excellent research opportunities. The University boasts numerous interdisciplinary projects in a broad range of fields and an extensive partner network of leading regional, national, and international higher education and research institutions. Sustainable Science and Scholarship Universität Hamburg is committed to sustainability.

All our faculties have taken great strides towards sustainability in both research and teaching.

Excellent research

As part of the Excellence Strategy of the Federal and State Governments, Universität Hamburg has been granted clusters of excellence for 4 core research areas: Advanced Imaging of Matter (photon and nanosciences), Climate, Climatic Change, and Society (CLICCS) (climate research), Understanding Written Artefacts (manuscript research) and Quantum Universe (mathematics, particle physics, astrophysics, and cosmology).

An equally important core research area is Infection Research, in which researchers investigate the structure, dynamics, and mechanisms of infection processes to promote the development of new treatment methods and therapies.

Excellent University

Furthermore, alongside 10 universities and 1 university alliance, Universität Hamburg was named a University of Excellence and was deemed a "flagship university."

Outstanding variety: 180-degree programs

Universität Hamburg offers more than 180-degree programs within its eight faculties:

• Faculty of Law Faculty of Business
• Economics and Social Sciences
• Faculty of Medicine Faculty of Education
• Faculty of Mathematics
• Informatics and Natural Sciences
• Faculty of Psychology and Human Movement
• Faculty of Business Administration (Hamburg Business School).

Universität Hamburg is also home to several museums and collections, such as the Herbarium Hamburgense, the Geological-Paleontological Museum, the Loki Schmidt Garden, and the Hamburg Observatory.

History

Universität Hamburg was founded in 1919 by local citizens. Important founding figures include Senator Werner von Melle and the merchant Edmund Siemers. Nobel Prize winners such as the physicists Otto Stern, Wolfgang Pauli, and Isidor Rabi taught and researched at the University. Many other distinguished scholars, such as Ernst Cassirer, Erwin Panofsky, Aby Warburg, William Stern, Agathe Lasch, Magdalene Schoch, Emil Artin, Ralf Dahrendorf, and Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker, also worked here.