Eligibility
Eligibility requirements
You are an eligible applicant for Master's level studies if
You have a nationally recognized first-cycle degree – typically a Bachelor’s degree – from an accredited institution of higher education (if applicable in the country of the degree) from a nationally accredited degree programme
Your degree corresponds to at least 180 ECTS (European credits) or three years of full-time study
Your degree gives you eligibility to master-level studies in the country where it was issued
Please see How and when to apply for more details.
If you have not graduated by the end of the application period, the possible admission will be conditional until you have presented the University with a finished degree certificate and transcript of records at the latest by 31 July (Finnish degrees) or 15 August 2027 (degrees completed outside Finland). (Information added 21 Oct 2026.) If you do not provide the required documentation by the deadline, you will lose your study place.
Language requirements
Verified proficiency in the English language is required. Please see recognized qualifications, required levels, and exemptions.
Relevant fields of previous studies
The applicant’s previous degree, based on which s/he is seeking admission to the Master’s Degree Programme in Biosciences, must be in a relevant field of study, which depends on the chosen specialisation track:
Evolutionary biology
ecology
genetics
physiology
NB! Basic knowledge of numerical analysis of biological data, e.g., bioinformatics or statistical analyses, is required.
Molecular Systems Biology
Molecular biosciences including
biochemistry
cell and molecular biology
molecular plant biology
molecular microbiology.
We recommend that you to choose the track that best matches to your previous education, since you may not apply to more than track within the MDP in Biosciences.
Admission
Annually, 15 students are admitted to the Master's Degree Programme in Biosciences.
The decision of admission will be based on
The relevance of the applicant’s awarded degree(s)
the amount, relevance, and grades of the courses in the degree(s)
the language test result (see Language requirements)
the self-introduction video
possible relevant work experience
possible interview.
Master's Degree Programme in Biosciences holds two tracks offering a solid understanding of the theories and concepts behind state-of-the-art technologies in studying life's patterns and processes, on scales varying from the cellular to the ecosystem level.
In the Evolutionary Biology track (MSc) the focus is on deepening knowledge of evolutionary biology, ecology, genetics, and physiology, with a special focus on bioinformatics and computational methods for analyzing and interpreting evolutionary and NGS data, both modern and ancient DNA.
Molecular Systems Biology track (MSc) offers extensive training in modern molecular biology and education focused on systems biology (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, gene/protein structure-function relationships) with a special focus on practical laboratory skills and molecular interaction networks.