Study programme

The first semester of the Master of Science in Behaviour, Evolution and Conservation is composed of compulsory courses aiming to complete the methodological skills acquired throughout the Bachelor studies, in particular scientific writing, as well as to reinforce knowledge in the fields of molecular genetics, phylogeny, evolution, and population biology. Students have the opportunity to become familiar with research by doing an introductory research project (First Step).

In the second semester, students must acquire 15 ECTS credits by following specialised courses. The course offering is enhanced by various collaborations, either with the Master of Science in Molecular Life Sciences of the School of Biology, or with external institutions (for example: with the Vaud Centre for Wildlife Preservation or the Haute Ecole Spécialisée in Environment of Lullier). Some courses are given in the form of field training courses as a way of discovering the fauna and flora of various environments (e.g., marine, alpine, Mediterranean). Concurrently, students integrate into one of the research groups associated with the Master and start their personal Master research project.

The third semester is dedicated to the completion of the Master research project.

Warning

Due to the current health situation, the different schedules for the courses of the School of Biology can be amended. Schedules are regularly updated. The date of the latest version of the timetable is indicated in the name of the document.

Course descriptions

The course descriptions are available on the internet of the University of Lausanne at the page: Programmes offered at the UNIL under the heading Structure of the Stage .

Archives

For the study plans of previous academic years, please visit our Archives page.

Registration for courses and exams

For students following a Bachelor or Master curriculum in the School of Biology, the registration for courses is mandatory and can be done via the Internet from the link below, within the periods set by the School of Biology at the beginning of semester. Outside of these periods, registration is not possible.

 Make sure that you have activated your UNIL email address.

Registration procedure for Bachelor (in French) and for Master (in English)

Deadlines

Autumn semester:

• September 14 to October 11, 2020: Registration for courses and exams of the autumn semester

• October 12 to 25, 2020: Withdrawal for exams of optional courses of the winter session

Spring semester:

• February 22 to March 21, 2021: Registration for courses and exams of the spring semester

• March 22 to April 02, 2021: Withdrawal for exams of optional courses of the summer session

The School of Biology does not accept any registration, amendment or withdrawal outside of the registration periods.

Request about the Exams

With a valid medical certificate, the School of Biology considers on a case-by-case basis the specific situation of a student with a disability.

Please, request had to be sent to biologie-etudiants@unil.ch during the first 4 weeks of the semester:

• October 15 for the winter session
• March 15 for the summer and fall sessions

Any request must be justified by the delivery of an original medical certificate. This must clearly indicate:

• desired amenities (extra time for exams, special room and / or equipment ...)
• the period for which amenities are requested (exam sessions, semesters, the entire course, etc.).

NB: For dyslexic and dysorthographic patients, a logopedist report may be accepted instead of the medical certificate.

The School of Biology reserves the right not to grant all or a part of the request depending on the available resources or if the application is disproportionate.

Dates of exam sessions and session schedules

The dates of the exam sessions are in the file: 

 Exam schedule 2020-2021 (in french only)

Students must be available throughout the entire period of each session. The examination schedules are listed below before each session. Students are notified of the publication of the exam schedules by email.

WARNING : The schedules published on the website are subject to change and no appeal based on the published schedules can be made.

Examination program

At the end of each exam period, an electronic record is prepared for each student, indicating if the student has passed or failed the corresponding step in the Bachelor or Master curriculum.
The requirements for passing these steps are given just below.

Marked copies consultation

On request students have access to marked copies of their examinations after each examination session. The student has to ask the teacher within 10 days following the exam publication.

Consulting an examination copy could serve to understand the note obtained or to set of arguments for building a case for appeal.

• To consult a MCQ type examination (in French only) : Directive interne pour la consultation des examens de type QCM


• For other type of examination (in French only) : Procédure pour la consultation des examens écrits

Appeals

An appeal can only be lodged within the 33 calendar days following the electronic notification of the exam results (initial date = email announcing the publication of the results on MyUNIL, sent by the secretariat of the School of Biology).

To be accepted, an appeal must:

• Cite precise and admissible motives, such as non-compliance with the regulations, improper procedure, grievance over arbitrariness.

• Be written by the student or be accompanied by a proxy of the student if it is lodged by a third person.

Address the appeal to:

Direction de l’Ecole de biologie
Quartier UNIL-Sorge
Bâtiment Amphipôle
CH-1015 Lausanne

Service juridique provides you with an internet page dedicated to Appeals (only in French) : www.unil.ch/service-juridique/home/menuinst/recours-etudiants.html

• General Study Rules for the Bachelor and Master in Biology (in French only)

• Study rules for the Master of Science in Behaviour, Evolution and Conservation