Biological Physics
Biological Physics
Programme structure
Biological Physics is one of four Master’s programmes in Biomolecular Sciences; the others are Cell Biology, Biological Chemistry and Systems Biology. The Biological Physics compulsory courses run from September to the end of February. Most of the students begin with this. Students who need to catch up on certain subjects can take specific Bachelor’s courses in this period so that everyone is at the same level in February. Most students start their first work placement after the compulsory courses. The second work placement, the literature survey and the additional selected topics form the main elements of the second year of study.
The full Master’s programme takes two years and is worth 120 ECTS. The programme consist of the following elements:
Compulsory courses
The Biological Physics programme starts in September and October with two compulsory courses:
- Protein Science (6 ECTS, September);
- Genomes and Gene Expression (6 ECTS, October);
Followed by a program in November and December of which 6 ECTS are compulsory:
- Biological Physics of the Cell I: Life at Rest (3 ECTS, November)
- Mathematical Modeling I (3 ECTS, November)
- Biological Physics of the Cell II: Life in Motion (3 ECTS, December)
- Mathematical Modeling II (3 ECTS, December)
And a program with technical modules in January until March of which also 6 ECTS are compulsory.
This programme provides you with a thorough grounding in the subjects and methods of the participating institutes and prepares you for one or more work placements.
Formative Academic Skills (9 ECTS total):
- Ethics (3 ECTS)
- History of Science (3 ECTS) OR Biomolecular Sciences & Business Innovation (3 ECTS)
- Scientific Writing Skills in English (3 ECTS)
Work placements
Your work placements will account for a minimum of 66 ECTS, one shorter work placement (30 ECTS) and one longer work placement (36 ECTS). Your first work placement should preferably be within VU University Amsterdam or the VU Medical Center (VUMC), but this is not compulsory. You are free to carry out your second work placement outside VU University Amsterdam, at a hospital or company or an institute abroad, for example.
Literature survey
As a Master’s student you are also required to carry out a literature survey (9 ECTS). You are expected to complete this task more or less independently, though you will, of course, receive expert guidance from one of the teaching staff. You can decide on your own topic and research question.
Optional courses (12 ECTS)
- Two courses can be selected from the course programme as mentioned above
- One or more courses can be selected from ‘selected topics’
- The traineeships can be extended with 6 ECTS
- Courses can be selected from other programmes, like the specialization ‘Systems Biology’ or ‘Cell Biology’.
- Courses can be selected from the Msc Biomedical Sciences or Medical Natural Sciences.
In case of any deficiencies, a maximum of 12 ECTS can be spend on Bsc courses.
The research institute BioCentrum Amsterdam offers a number of short and intensive courses in among others mass spectroscopy, protein purification and protein synthesis.
Selected topics (each 6 ECTS)
The aim of the selected topics/optional components is to provide you with in-depth knowledge of various areas. You will deal with the theoretical and practical aspects of the subject. Your choice of courses and optional components will depend on your own interests and the topic of your research work placements. If necessary, you can take a tutorial to fill in any gaps in your existing knowledge. The optional components in the Master’s programme in Biological Physics are:
- Mechanisms of Photoreception
- Regulation of Photosynthesis
- Single-Molecule Studies of Motor Proteins
- Single-Molecule Studies of DNA-Protein Interaction
Once you have passed all the components of the Master’s programme, you will be awarded the title Master of Science in Biomolecular Sciences. This is recognized internationally.
Course descriptions
Online course information with respect to Biological Physics can be found at:Course guide
Contact
For more information, contact the programme coordinator Biological Physics:Dr. Jan P. Dekker
Phone: +31 (0)20 59 87931
E-mail: jp.dekker@few.vu.nl
Room: S130
De Boelelaan 1081- 1087
1081 HV Amsterdam
