Program Information
FOKUS Life Sciences is an intensive and highly interdisciplinary M.Sc. program that prepares students directly for a doctoral project at the Graduate School of Life Sciences (GSLS), University of Würzburg.
The program brings together research expertise from biology, medicine, chemistry, physics, pharmacy and psychology, offering a broad range of scientific environments and approaches. Teaching and research are fully embedded in an international community with English as the working language.
Applicants are expected to have
- a strong foundation in the live sciences,
- solid theoretical knowledge,
- substantial hands-on research experience (e.g. through an experimental bachelor’s thesis), and
- a clear motivation to progress quickly towards a PhD project.
Students who join the program
- are eager to work in a collaborative, international setting,
- enjoy scientific challenges, and
- are ready to take on a demanding academic workload.
If you are unsure whether your background fits, please feel free to contact.
Semester 1
You begin with the lecture series Topics and Concepts in Life Sciences (10 ECTS) and Methods in Life Sciences (10 ECTS). These courses offer a broad overview of current research, modern techniques, and model systems, taught directly by active scientists. In the accompanying lab course Research Concepts in Life Sciences (10 ECTS), you join a research group and work hands-on with state-of-the-art experimental approaches.
Fast Track Option
If you achieve excellent results in the first semester, you may proceed directly to your Master’s thesis in Semester 2. If your thesis receives a top grade, you may directly transition into a doctoral project. In this path, the remaining Master’s credits can be completed alongside your doctoral research through GSLS courses that are required for the PhD anyway.
Regular Route
If you continue with coursework in Semesters 2 and 3, you complete your Master’s thesis in the 4ᵗʰ semester and finish the degree before starting a doctoral project.
Both paths provide solid preparation for independent research and give graduates a good chance of being admitted to one of the many interdisciplinary research groups in Würzburg.
