MSc Biochemistry - Chemical Biology

Introduction

The Master’s degree programme in Biochemistry – Chemical Biology (BCB) offers comprehensive training in all aspects of chemical biology and the adjacent areas. Itsgraduates are qualified to hold responsible positions in academia, the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries and public services.

Domain-specific knowledge and understanding

Graduates with a Master’s degree in BCB

• have in-depth knowledge of the various concepts, methods and aims of scientific research in chemical biology, biochemistry and molecular chemistry and their interfaces with biology, bioanalysis, pharmacy and the biomedical disciplines;
• have in-depth knowledge of the methods and principles of molecular biology;
  
• are familiar with the safety and environmental guidelines and are able to implement them;
• perceive the use of interdisciplinary approaches and can apply them in a targeted manner;
• are able to process tasks independently, in a structured manner and in accordance with scientific standards.

Skills

a) Analytical skills

Graduates with a Master’s degree in BCB are able to

• recognise, comprehensively analyse and and accurately and clearly document scientific and practical problems in chemical-biological and biochemical research and development;
• generate, analytically characterise and classify scientific data and compare it with existing databases, and to utilise such databases (e.g. genome, proteome and protein structure repositories);
• statistically analyse, interpret and visualise scientific data from their discipline in the correct manner;
• familiarise themselves with the latest developments in the field via the scientific literature and to critically evaluate them.

b) Development skills

Graduates with a Master’s degree in BCB

• are, based on their scientific understanding and analysis of current data, able to formulate a hypothesis and propose and/or develop methods to test it experimentally;
• are able to assess a practical problem in the area of biochemical analytical research and development, elaborate solutions to it and implement these solutions;
• are able to recognise important developments in the research field and build upon them.

Personal and social competences

Graduates with a Master’s degree in BCB are able to

• clearly and accurately visualise and describe scientific data in oral and written form for specialists or laypersons;
• collaborate openly and constructively with specialists from their own and from neighboring disciplines;
• develop and apply specialist concepts and terminology and to convey the core concepts and strategies of chemical biology to other scientists, also in the context of multidisciplinary projects;
• recognise the social relevance and ethical dimension of their work and to act responsibly and prudently in accordance.

The total number of 120 credits necessary to obtain the Master’s degree must be acquired within four years.

Categories of course units

Students have to obtain credits in the following categories:

• Core and compensatory subjects: 18 credits
  
• Elective subjects: 36 credits
  
• Semester projects: 32 credits
  
• Electives in science in perspective (SiP): 2 credits
  
• Master's thesis: 32 credits
  

Description of the categories

Core and compensatory subjects
Core subject area of «chemical biology». All students have to take three courses from this area.

Elective subjects
Elective subjects include a broad spectrum of advanced topics in chemical biology, biology, and chemistry as well as topics from related areas. Students may also take as compulsory elective subjects (a) core subjects as long as they have not taken them as such, (b) elective subjects from the Bachelor's degree programme.

Semester projects
Students have to carry out two semester projects, they are free to choose the area but it should fit to the programme. The chosen supervisor should be contacted at an early date.

Master's thesis
The Master's thesis is carried out under the supervision of a professor in a core or elective subject area. Students are free to choose the area. The duration of the Master's thesis is 6 months.

Electives in science in perspective (SiP)
All students must collect credits in courses offered by the Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences (D-GESS).

Subjects of the Master's programme in Biochemistry - Chemical Biology

Autumn semester 2023

Spring semester 2024

The links take you to extracts from the ETH Course Catalogue.

• The Course catalogue is available in separate versions for the Autumn semester (1st semester) and for the Spring semester (2nd semester).
• Further links in blue colour
• The view «Course units» gives an overview of all courses
• The view «Catalogue data» shows detailed information
• Printout is possible in both views (Icon in top right corner)

The Master's degree programme uses a credit system which is based on the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). Credits are a measure for the total labour required from the students to reach the educational goal. Calculations are based on a total of 1500 to 1800 working hours per year, equivalent to 60 credits. Therefore, 1 credit corresponds to 25 to 30 hours of total work.

Credits are allocated after the performance assessment intended for the course has been passed. Upon application by the student the Master's title is awarded when a total of 120 credits is reached.

DownloadETH Zurich’s Grading System and ECTS Grades (PDF, 54 KB)vertical_align_bottom

Credits are allocated after the performance assessment has been passed. A performance assessment not passed can be repeated once. Exams and the Master's thesis are rated with a grade between one (lowest) and six (highest). In order to pass, a grade of four must be achieved. Other performance assessments may also be rated with passed/not passed.

Forms of performance assessments
Performance assessments are in the form of exams, or of a semester performance. The course catalogue lists for each course the form and mode of the performance assessment. Exams are usually held in examination sessions during the last weeks of the semester breaks.

Admission to performance assessments
Admission to the performance assessments normally requires that the Bachelor's studies are completed. Exceptions are specified individually for the various categories below.

Core subjects

• Performance assessments in this category are in the form of exams.
• Students who do not pass an exam in a core subject in two attempts get one further chance with a compensatory subject offered in the same area.
• Students enrolled in both the Bachelor's and Master's degree programme in BCB of ETH are admitted to examinations in core and compensatory subjects of the Master's degree programme on condition that they have to acquire no more than 11 credits in the category 'elective subjects' for their Bachelor's diploma.
• Students who were admitted to the Master's degree programme with the requirement to acquire credits from the ETH Bachelor's degree programme are admitted to examinations in core and compensatory subjects on condition that they have to acquire no more than 11 of the additional required credits.

Elective subjects

• Performance assessments in this category are in the form of exams.
• Students enrolled in both the Bachelor's and Master's degree programme in BCB of ETH are admitted to examinations in elective subjects of the Master's degree programme on condition that they have passed the examination block I and the compulsory lab courses of the ETH Bachelor's degree programme's second year.
• Students who were admitted to the Master's degree programme with the requirement to acquire credits from the corresponding ETH Bachelor's degree programme are admitted to examinations in compulsory elective subjects on condition that they have to acquire no more than 11 of the additional required credits.

Semester projects

• Performance assessments in these categories are based on semester performance.
• Students enrolled in both the Bachelor's degree and Master's degree programme in BCB of ETH are admitted to the semester projects of the Master's degree programme on condition that they have to acquire less than 60 credits for their Bachelor's diploma.

Master's thesis

• Details on the Master's thesis are documented in the «Directives for Master's Theses». The Master's thesis cannot be started before the Bachelor's degree programme is completed.

Early electronic enrolment in myStudies is mandatory
The programme includes two semester projects.

Subjects and supervision
The semester projects are carried out under the supervision of a professor in a core subject area, or in an elective subject. Exceptions will be clarified by the student's administrator.
Students enrolled in the Bachelor's programme in Biochemistry - Chemical Biology of ETH are admitted to the semester projects before graduation from the Bachelor's programme on condition that they have to acquire less than 60 credits for their Bachelor's degree.

Who must submit a request?
Students who wish to carry out a semester project

• in a subject area other than a core subject area or a compulsory elective subject, or/and
• externally (outside of the curriculum according to the course catalogue or of D-​CHAB)

must submit a request at least four weeks ahead of the scheduled start using the Downloadapplication form (PDF, 121 KB)vertical_align_bottom.

When the number of credits in the individual categories as defined in section "Programme outline" has been acquired students can submit a request for degree conferral via their student portale («myStudies») and the student administration. This has to be done no later than four years after the start of the Master's degree programme. The request must itemize the study achievements which should be listed in the final academic record. The maximum number of credits that can be taken into account is 130.

Students with an ETH Zurich Bachelor's Degree may spend one semester during their Master's degree programme at another university. A study programme for this semester abroad has to be compiled in advance in cooperation with the mobility advisor of the Department. Credits can be obtained externally in the categories semester projects and elective subjects up to a total maximum of 30 credits.

Students without an ETH Zurich Bachelor's Degree are not allowed to participate in exchange programmes of ETH Zurich. Individual mobility is possible but credits do not count towards the Master ́s degree. A Master’s thesis external to D-CHAB / D-BIOL must be carried out under the supervision of an ETH professor and would therefore neither run under the mobility programme nor count toward the maximum mobility credits allowed.