FAQ - Frequently asked questions

The School of Biology provides three Masters degrees of Science in biology, the content of which focuses on the main strengths of biological research at the University of Lausanne:

• MSc in Behaviour, Evolution and Conservation (BEC) with three specialisations : Behaviour, Economics and Evolution (BEE), Computational Ecology and Evolution (CEE) and Geosciences, Ecology and Environment (GEE)
• MSc in Medical Biology (MB) with 4 tracks : Immunology & Cancer, Pharmacology & Toxicology, Metabolism & Human health, Neuroscience.
• MSc in Molecular Life Sciences (MLS) with 3 specialisations in bioinformatics, in microbiology or in integrative biology.

These Masters provide specialised theoretical and practical courses, closely integrated in the research groups of Lausanne. Of particular importance is the personal research work (or "Master thesis") that will really confront the students with the conducting of an experiment throughout one year that will allow one to acquire methodology and research techniques, and to experience the writing and defence of a thesis.

The language for teaching of these 3 masters is english.

To be allowed to register for one of the three Masters of the School of Biology at the University of Lausanne, it is necessary to hold a Bachelor degree of Science in Biology or in a field considered equivalent.

Lausanne students can register by filling an application form for transfer to a Master (see website for registrations in the University of Lausanne). All other applications must be made on the basis of the record of achievement at school to the Service des immatriculations et inscriptions of the University of Lausanne.

The registration deadline appears on the homepage of each Master.

The other candidates may be asked to take additional training prior of maximum 60 ECTS to entering the chosen Master to complete their curriculum with the courses required for the Master’s curriculum.

In the three Masters offered by the School of Biology, the share of individual research intensifies from the first to the third semester.
During the first semester, students learn the methods and techniques necessary for laboratory experiments in the context of an introductory personal work (first step project). This supervised practical work represents about 50% of the teaching time of the first semester. From the second semester, students start their Master research project, within a research group linked to the Master. The time spent on this work goes from 50% at the beginning of the second semester to 100% in the third semester.

The School of biology follows its graduates since 2007, the results are available on this link.

The registration for courses and examinations can be done via the link "Registration for courses and exams" of this page.

The registration deadlines appear on the same page.

Almost every course has a Moodle page where the course supports are stored, as well as any recordings.

In order to access them, you must first be officially registered for the course.

Then follow the procedure below.

Procedure for accessing Moodle course pages via MyUNIL  (822 Ko)

The School of Biology provides equivalencies, which are only valid for the academic curriculum for which the request has been made.

A request can only be made in case of a successful year of study or if a qualification has been obtained.

The student must have passed an exam of the courses for which an equivalency is sought.

A student who obtains equivalencies must acquire at least 120 in a Bachelor curriculum or 60 ECTS credits in a Master curriculum of the School of Biology to obtain the corresponding degree awarded by the Faculty.

The secretariat of the School of Biology is located in the building Amphipôle, office 312.

The office is open Monday to Friday from 9:00am to 11:30am.

For any request or question outside these hours, write to biologie-etudiants@unil.ch.

Students interested in going on mobility are encouraged to do it during the third year of their curriculum of Bachelor. The plans of mobility leave must be substantiated and documented, meaning that they prepare themselves at the beginning of the second year by choosing a destination and defining a programme.

More information : Mobility & Summer undergrade.

Requests for special arrangements for study and examinations

Requests for special arrangements for students with disabilities are governed by the Directive of the Dean’s Office of the Faculty of Biology and Medicine “Mesures de soutien et aménagements pour les étudiants en situation de handicap").The Directive is the only authoritative document on the conditions, deadlines, procedures, etc. for requests for special arrangements with disabilities.

Application deadlines

Requests for special arrangements for the exams should be sent to biologie-etudiants@unil.ch within the first 6 weeks of the semester:

• October 30 for the winter session
• March 31 for the summer and fall sessions

Form and content of applications

All requests must be made by the student in writing and must be accompanied by an expert opinion from a specialized service or doctor. Learning disabilities (dys* problems) can be certified by a logopedist.

The official document certifying the disability must contain the following elements:

• the medical diagnosis in accordance with the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10) or the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental and Psychiatric Disorders (DSM-V), information on the degree of severity of the disability and the trend of evolution.
• detailed and reasoned proposals for the requested special arrangements.
• the duration of the requested special arrangements in relation to the expected evolution.

The medical expertise must have been carried out within a recent period of time, less than 12 months, or be confirmed by the attending physician within the same period of time, in order to attest to its validity for the period concerned, i.e., the date of commencement of studies and of the examination session for which the request for accommodation is made.

If the student has benefited from support and special measures during a previous training, he or she should, if possible, also submit the document mentioning the measures obtained.

The documents must be written in French, English, German or Italian.

Any incomplete application (or one written in a language other than those specified above) will be refused and must be completed in accordance with the above-mentioned elements within the time limits indicated. It is the student’s responsibility to ask his or her doctor to establish a medical certificate in accordance with the above-mentioned indications.

NB: For dyslexics and dysorthographics, a report from a logopedist may be accepted in lieu of the medical certificate.

Application decision

The School of Biology makes a decision, specifying the special arrangements accepted and the duration for which they are granted. It reserves the right not to grant all or part of the requested arrangements depending on the resources available (human, infrastructure, etc.) or if the request is disproportionate.