Biology degree

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The study biology is one of the most popular science subjects at the universities; At many universities, the number of admissions has been limited for many years ( numerus clausus ), although the admission criteria are relatively high in particularly popular locations.

Requirements for studying biology

A high school diploma or a comparable school-leaving certificate is required to start studying biology . It is beneficial for successfully completing the first semester of your studies if you have been taught in as many natural science subjects as possible up to the Abitur. A degree in biology is often started because this subject is supposedly the "easiest" scientific subject. In fact, especially in the first semesters of the biology degree, a considerable part of the training is in the basic subjects chemistry and physics , which is why solid previous knowledge from teaching in the upper secondary school is also advantageous for the biology degree: at many universities there are demanding, introductory physics and chemistry lectures not offered specifically for biology students, but jointly for physics, chemistry and biology students. At some universities, courses in theoretical biology are compulsory as part of the basic studies , which has recently increased the mathematical requirements in biology studies.

If you have not been taught biology up to the Abitur, this does not have to be an obstacle to taking up a biology degree, but it is associated with considerably more effort: The introductory courses usually give a very broad overview of the sub-areas of biology, what This is necessary for the simple reason that each school can set its own priorities in subject-matter lessons, but the university strives for a uniform level of knowledge for all new students.

Admission to Studies

This article or paragraph presents the situation in Germany . Help us to describe the situation in other countries.

In Germany, places for a Bachelor's or Master's degree in biology are generally allocated by the individual universities. Study places for the biology degree “ teaching post ” are only awarded for North Rhine-Westphalia by the Foundation for University Admission, otherwise applications must be sent directly to the universities. Since the German universities generally have the right to develop their own selection criteria for the allocation of study places, it is imperative for potential applicants to obtain detailed information about the application requirements of the desired university location in order to be able to assess the chances of admission. since there are often relatively high numbers for the subject biology, also for teaching staff.

courses

Up until the mid- 1960s , most German universities had a uniform training course for all students in the subject of biology, which in principle - and without prior intermediate exams - was completed with the doctoral examination . Only those who aspired to become a grammar school teacher usually registered for the state examination after the 8th to 10th semester and then mostly foregone writing a doctoral thesis . At that time, training for teaching at elementary, secondary and secondary schools took place outside the universities at teacher training colleges.

In the early 1950s, the diploma course in biology was introduced ( University of Hamburg ). In the second half of the 1960s, teacher training was generally integrated into the universities, while diploma courses were introduced in the natural sciences, and with them the diploma as the first professional qualification. In the following 30 years, therefore, the following courses of study were generally also available in biology:

  • the course in biology / diploma
  • the biology course for teaching at grammar schools

The students for the teaching post at secondary schools and secondary schools, at elementary schools as well as for other types of schools also attend certain biological courses in the course of their strongly pedagogical and less subject-specific training, provided they choose biology as one of their subjects.

Education in biology is currently in a state of upheaval in the entire German-speaking area, as the diploma courses are being replaced (and have already been replaced in many places) by Bachelor / Master courses. The aim of these reforms is to a. to establish the bachelor's degree as the future first professional qualification.

In contrast to many other courses of study, there are also excursions in biology in addition to lectures , seminars and internships . In the course of their studies, many students also apply for an internship outside of the university during the semester break in order to gain their first experience of the world of work.

Biology students can familiarize themselves with the following subjects in the course of their studies, but not every subject is offered at every university:

The course in biology / diploma

The Biology / Diploma course consists of a four-semester basic course and a subsequent main course of at least four semesters .

Undergraduate studies

The structure of the basic course can vary greatly from university to university. At many universities, the beginning semesters are dominated by the natural science related subjects chemistry , physics and mathematics . Other universities, on the other hand, introduce the basics of the morphology and physiology of plants and animals in the first semester .

The basic course is usually concluded with a Vordiplom exam, which often consists of oral exams in botany , zoology , chemistry and physics. At some universities, these exams are no longer applicable, as performance examinations accompanying the course replace the intermediate diploma in preparation for the Bachelor's degree.

Main course

In the main course at many universities, you have a biological "major" (e.g. genetics ) and one or two biological minor subjects (e.g. microbiology ) and a non-biological minor (e.g. organic chemistry ) must choose.

The main course also includes stays in research groups, often lasting several months, in which one is actively involved in a current research project under the direct guidance of the working group leader - often this is a professor - or another qualified scientist. From this close contact with a research group and their topic, you usually develop the topic for your own diploma thesis and - if desired - for a doctoral thesis later .

The Bachelor / Master course

The bachelor's degree basically consists of a four-semester basic course plus a two-semester main course. After these six semesters, a scientific paper must be prepared, for which about three to four months should be available. A successful bachelor’s degree can be followed by a master’s degree , although admission to this second phase of studies at many universities is made dependent on the level of performance in the bachelor’s examination. The Bachelor's / Master's degree programs have also been introduced in Germany due to the standardization of degrees in Europe ( Bologna process ).

The bachelor's degree in biology is a first professional qualification, the master's degree corresponds to the earlier diploma degree in biology.

In addition to the classic course in biology, a large number of courses have been established in the course of the conversion of the diploma courses to bachelor / master courses, which - building on a similar basic education - set special focuses in sub-areas of the biosciences. The different names make it difficult for those willing to study to make a selection here. The Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology therefore maintains a list of courses in Germany in the working group "Studies in Molecular Biosciences", for example, which are mainly devoted to imparting the molecular basics of life and the skills needed to investigate them.

Teacher training courses

There is a separate curriculum for each of the various teaching posts , as each teacher must be trained in at least two school subjects. A full second major in addition to biology is usually another natural science subject, but a combination of biology / German studies or biology / sports science , for example, is also possible. However, such a combination of subjects is relatively time-consuming, since the lectures between such different subject areas are not coordinated by the university lecturers.

The course also includes several internships at schools, for which you usually have to attend a preparatory and a follow-up course.

teacher in grammar schools

As with the diploma course, the structure of the biology course of future high school teachers, especially in the basic course, can vary greatly from university to university. At many universities, the beginning semesters are dedicated to the neighboring natural science subjects of chemistry, physics and mathematics, while other universities already offer internships, seminars and lectures on biological topics in the first semester. As a rule, students for the teaching post at grammar schools attend the same biological courses in their basic studies as the future diploma or bachelor / master degree in biologists, but with regard to the second teaching subject, the training in the accompanying subjects physics, chemistry and mathematics is much less detailed, unless chemistry or physics themselves play the role of the second teacher training course.

The basic course is usually concluded after four semesters with an oral intermediate examination in the subjects of zoology and botany , plus the intermediate examinations in the second major.

In the main course, student teachers can also set thematic priorities, but often have fewer options than diploma or master’s degree students and usually have to choose botany and zoology as the focus. There are also courses on didactics of biology . The course can be completed after at least four semesters of main study with the 1st state examination. Optionally, this can be followed by a doctoral thesis.

In the Bachelor / Master system, individual priorities can only be set to a very limited extent, so personal interests in the subject can hardly be pursued. The only possibility for student teachers to gain in-depth insights into a sub-area of ​​biology is the free area, which every student of the upper secondary level has to fill in himself. However, this is kept quite short compared to the education and specialist sciences.

Teaching post at secondary schools

In contrast to the teaching post at grammar schools, where students everywhere have relatively free options in combining their main subjects, the choice is sometimes considerably limited - depending on the regulations of the respective federal state. In Bavaria, for example, only the combination of biology / chemistry and biology / physics is desired, while in Hessen the combination of subjects can be chosen almost freely.

The duration of the course is usually around 6 to 8 semesters and is characterized by a relatively high proportion of subject didactic courses. In addition to the future subjects, an accompanying course must be completed, which consists of the so-called basic sciences political science , sociology , pedagogy and pedagogical psychology .

Teaching at primary schools

Already in the primary school / primary school / elementary school students are in science and social studies faced with biological issues, mainly engaged in various ecosystems such. B. with forest and meadow as well as with the habits of animals. Accordingly, the training of future teachers for the primary schools differs greatly from the training of the other teaching posts: Biological topics are primarily developed under the aspect of imparting simple basic knowledge, subject didactics is the focus of the training for this teaching post. The course usually lasts six to seven semesters.

Biology as a minor

In addition to the biology courses, there is also the possibility of studying biology in another area during a university course. After completing some of these courses, as well as completing a degree in biology, it is possible to do a doctorate on a biological topic.

If the regulations of the respective university allow it, biology can u. a. are chosen as a minor subject when studying biochemistry , mathematics , biomedicine , medicine , pharmacy , psychology , environmental sciences (such as landscape planning , landscape ecology or geoecology ), forestry , interdisciplinary natural sciences , chemistry , physics / biophysics and movement science / sports science .

After studying biology

Biologists can be employed in very different workplaces; a doctorate is often a requirement . They will primarily work in research , be it at a university , in a zoo or in a botanical garden , be it in industry (especially in the pharmaceutical industry ). There are also other research institutions such as B. the Max Planck Society and the Paul Ehrlich Institute . With the appropriate degree, a graduate can also teach in schools. There is also the possibility of working in authorities (e.g. in sewage treatment plants and elsewhere in environmental protection ), as a science journalist , as a lecturer in a scientific publisher or as a scientific documentary . In many potential areas of activity, especially in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, biologists compete with doctors, pharmacists and veterinarians for employment.

However, the professional group of biologists is faced with a comparatively high level of unemployment. In 2014, according to the Stern Job-Ampel, there were over 6,000 graduates compared to around 800 biologists who left working life. Unemployment among young biologists rose again in 2007. Practice-oriented studies, stays abroad and internships in business can significantly improve career prospects.

literature

  • Association of Biology, Biosciences and Biomedicine in Germany (Ed.): Perspektiven: Job profiles by and for biologists, bioscientists and other natural scientists. Association of Biology, Biosciences and Biomedicine in Germany V., 9. completely revised. Ed., 2015, ISBN 978-3-9810923-2-5

Web links

Wiktionary: Biology studies  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ www.bpc.mh-hannover.de ( Memento from March 26, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) - courses in molecular biosciences in Germany
  2. ↑ Subject: Biology . stern.de GmbH. Archived from the original on June 20, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
  3. ^ Tilman Achstetter & Gerd Klöck. Biologists in industry. Spectrum Academic Publishing House, 2009, ISBN 978-3-8274-1877-7