Master of Science in Biochemistry (MSc Biochem)

The Master of Science in Biochemistry at Ruhr University Bochum is a two-year, high-quality programme designed to prepare you for a successful international career. The programme offers the flexibility to tailor your studies to your individual interests. Combining excellent theoretical education with intensive hands-on laboratory research, the programme is taught entirely in English. It provides a scientific education that introduces the student to advanced theoretical and experimental approaches in modern biochemistry and molecular life sciences. The programme offers a wide range of elective courses and six specialisations, including Membrane Biochemistry, Stem Cells, Molecular Medicine, and more. About one-third of the curriculum consists of compulsory courses, while two-thirds are elective modules. In the first semester, you will gain insights into four out of six available research areas. At the beginning of the second semester, you will choose your specialisation, which will shape the rest of your Master’s studies. Your training culminates in a research internship during the third semester, leading to your individual Master’s research project and thesis in the fourth semester. Many research topics are embedded in collaborative inter-faculty research networks, including Max Planck Institutes and industry collaborations. Most graduates of the MSc Biochemistry programme pursue a doctoral degree in Germany or abroad. Career opportunities extend beyond academia into industry sectors such as chemical and biotechnological companies, food hygiene and quality control, environmental protection, science communication, and public service. Salaries in the chemical industry are among the highest across various sectors. Compulsory lectures in biochemistry, bioinformatics, and radiation safety, a biochemical seminar on current topics in biochemistry, and two elective lectures in the chosen focal point programme in the first year Compulsory practical phases in four focal point programmes in the first semester, and two research-oriented advanced practicals in the chosen focal point programme in the second semester Another elective lecture in the chosen focal point programme, one elective lecture in chemistry, and a lecture with integral hands-on experience in animal research training in the second year One research-oriented, semester-long advanced practical in the focal point programme in the second year Master's thesis in the second year (six months) PDF Download