Study programme
The Master's programme in Biomedical Sciences is a two-year programme of 120 EC in total. The cluster in Medical Biology offers seven pre-defined specialisations or tracks:
Courses
At the beginning of the first year all students must enrol in the compulsory course Molecular Biology of the Cell. Further elective and compulsory coursework and research training largely depends on the individual preferences and the choice for one of the above mentioned specialisations (See the information pages per track for more information on courses). For detailed information regarding the curriculum and courses, please see the UvA Course Catalogue.
Amsterdam, high density of science institutes
Biomedical Sciences at the UvA is closely affiliated with the University of Amsterdam Academic Medical Center (AMC-UvA), the Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences (SILS), the Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI) and the Sanquin Blood Supply Foundation. This provides a unique and exciting science-dense area in which the strengths of the participating institutes are combined, from fundamental to applied research. The cooperation with these prominent institutes ensures students a broad range of expertises and excellent internship opportunities.
Major: Big Biomedical Data Analysis
Within Biomedical Sciences it is possible to follow a 60 EC major called Big Biomedical Data Analysis (BBDA) within all tracks. This one year programme is developed to teach biomedical students the essential bioinformatics to be able to handle, analyse and interpret big omics data sets. The major consists of courses on Genomics, Transcriptomics, Proteomics and Metabolomics, plus a 42EC internship.
Michelle Smulders, Master's student in Biomedical Sciences, explains why she chose the Big Biomedical Data Analysis Major and tells you more about the study programme.
Professional specialisations
In general, Master's students are trained to become independent researchers. But at the UvA Faculty of Science you can also choose to complete your Master's programme with a professional specialisation, that focuses on other skills than doing research.
There are two professional specialisations available:
- Science Communication (in Dutch)
- Management, Policy Analysis & Entrepreneurship (Science in Society).
Double degree Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Students that have completed the double Bachelor's degree programme in Medicine and Biomedical Sciences or students that have completed a Bachelor's in Medicine and Biomedical Sciences can enrol in the double Master's degree programme in Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
Accreditation and academic title
Degree requirements
A Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences is awarded upon successful completion of all the core courses in the curriculum, a written literature thesis and two independent research projects. This translates into a total of 120 EC credits.
Degree certificate
Medical Biology is a cluster of the accredited degree programme Biomedical Sciences. After successful completion of this programme, you will receive a legally accredited Master's degree in Biomedical Sciences and the title Master of Science (MSc).
Accreditation
The Master's programme in Biomedical Sciences has been legally accredited by Academion. This means that upon successful completion of the programme, students will receive a legally accredited Master's degree in Biomedical Sciences and the title of Master of Science (MSc).
In 2023 the Master’s programme in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Amsterdam received a ‘positive’ final rating in the reaccreditation recently concluded by Academion. This rating means the programme consistently met the required level of quality.
Bring your own device
All students enrolled in Biomedical Sciences are requested to bring their own laptop, due to the nature of the programme. More information on specific system requirements can be found here.