Master

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

To find a subject and a host laboratory, we offer you a list of Master projects.

It is up to you to ask for a meeting with the chosen supervisor to discuss the possibility of starting a Master's project in his/her laboratory. In this case, the subject of the Master's project is proposed by the supervisor, in agreement with the student. It is recommended that students make contact during the 3rd year, not at the last moment. Announcements and information on the internet can give very useful indications. In case the Master is carried out in a laboratory outside the Section, a supervisor must be found within the Biology Section.
 

Yes, because each laboratory has a limited capacity due to its infrastructure, resources and mentoring opportunities. Moreover, each discipline requires a good basic training and a student who does not have a good level in the discipline(s) of interest will not have priority.

Yes, of course, but the timing and duration of the holiday must, if possible, be agreed in advance with the supervisor of the master, to avoid any misunderstanding. As an indication, the directives of the Section of Biology specify that the duration of the master’s thesis is of 45 full time-weeks without counting any holidays (see the Annex to the Regulations on the back of the registration form). On this basis, holidays are to be taken in agreement with the Director.

The student who did not obtain at least 20 credits ECTS during the 2 first semesters of his/her master studies is excluded.

 

If you did not complete the master within the regulatory time (3 semesters), you must submit a written request for an extension to the Vice-President of the Section. The request must be adequately justified and the letter must be countersigned by the Director of the master. The Vice-President of the Section and the Vice-Dean of the Faculty in charge of the students will then grant, by mutual agreement, an extension.

Yes, in agreement with the Director / supervisor of the master.

No! This is plagiarism and, as such, considered as a very serious matter. The penalties can be very severe. For more details, see the page on the policy on plagiarism at the University.

Subjects of masters can overlap two disciplines, with, for example, a co-directorship in each of the disciplines. In any case, to obtain a master in biology requires the involvement of a professor responsible within the Section, who guarantees the consistency of the chosen subject with respect to the training in biology. It is also possible to register simultaneously for two masters to obtain two titles in two different sections (e.g. physics and biology). However, the requirements for each title must be fulfilled, that is to say a master’s thesis and courses’ credits required for each of them. A given exam cannot be validated for two different titles.
Finally, there are bi-disciplinary masters within the Faculty of Science, which include a major discipline (e.g. biology) in which the student completes a 60 ECTS master’s thesis, and a minor discipline (e.g. mathematics ) in which the student pursues an accelerated curriculum in a year or two, depending on the courses taken and the prerequisites of each minor discipline. The head of the bi-disciplinary masters is the academic advisor of the Faculty, who should be contacted for information.

No, the list of disciplines is limited to that Faculty. The minor disciplines that can be chosen are: mathematics, computer science, physics, chemistry, biology or earth sciences.