Course content

The main goals of this course are to:

1. Acquaint students with interdisciplinary understanding and critical thinking of current research and applications of biological science and
2. Develop skills in planning, implementing, discussing, and present the results of a Master’s level research project.

The framework of the course is seminars, guest lectures, group work, and student presentations.

Students will work in interdisciplinary groups to develop and deliver seminar presentations, the first early in the studies to discuss the scientific plan, and the second towards the end of the studies to present results and conclusions. The seminars require active involvement and participation from the students.

Examples of discussion topics in the following years

• How to write a thesis
• How to write an abstract
• How to give good presentations
• How to find literature
• What is plagiarism and how to avoid it
• Open, reproducible, sharable science
• Innovation and open science
• Writing a cover letter and CV
• Career opportunity after MS degree
• How to conduct a good job interview
• Science and activism

Learning outcome

This course is designed to provide academic and career preparation for MSBIOL students. Training topics will include scientific discussions, presentation skills, giving and receiving peer feedback, and career development for non-academic professions. Ultimately, students will learn to think critically and incorporate feedback into their communication, both in writing and in presentations. The course also aims to help students identify potential thesis research topics and explore career paths beyond the degree program.

Learning methods and activities

Course organization:

Each semester consists of 10 classes, which span 11-12 weeks’ time. The fall semesters include practical lectures and group discussions, where different disciplines may be grouped together. Spring semesters include preparing individual presentations as part of group work and giving presentations. This will prepare the students with presentation skills as well as skills to give feedback to their peers. First-year students present their research topic as a poster presentation and second-year students present their research topic as an oral presentation at the end of the semester. To have meaningful seminar discussions, all students are required to submit a short abstract prior to their scheduled presentation. Abstracts must be submitted at least one week before the presentation and will be shared with fellow students to allow for preparation and informed participation.

General organization of group work:

The groups will be arranged by the course leader. Throughout the semester, the students will be placed in different groups, so they get to work together with different students. Each group will contain 5-6 students.

Expectations from the students:

There is a minimum of 75% attendance and two presentations to pass this course. Additionally, active participation and positive input during the class are expected.

Specific conditions