Master in Advanced Immunology

Objectives and competences

Objectives and competences

Objectives

This course aims to provide a sufficient body of knowledge on immunology to access the professional opportunities offered in this field. Knowledge of this subject is necessary for the diagnosis and treatment of a large number of diseases that affect a high percentage of the human and animal populations, including infectious diseases caused by bacteria, viruses (AIDS) and parasites, as well as autoimmune diseases, inflammatory processes (rheumatoid arthritis), allergies, transplants and cancer, which require a broad therapeutic arsenal including gene therapy. In addition, from the point of view of public health prevention, vaccines have been the most effective therapeutic weapon in human history and their development is directly related to the knowledge of immunology. The aim of this postgraduate programme is to provide a grounding in the theoretical and practical aspects that underpin the training of professionals in human and animal health and professionals in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors.

The knowledge centred around the master's degree in Advanced Immunology is a platform to a wide range of possibilities in different fields of study: activities related to knowledge of the immune system, its cellular and molecular components, functional processes, and cellular and molecular interactions within anatomical structures and general physiology.

The four areas in which this knowledge is developed are:

-Research and Teaching
-Biotechnology
-Medicine
-Veterinary Science

The master's degree also aims to set a benchmark for quality, bringing together leading academics from across the Barcelona metropolitan area and generating synergies among centres of immunology education in the foremost universities, hospitals and research institutes (IDIBAPS, IDIBELL, CRESA, IRB, CRG, etc.). This is supported by key professional associations such as the Catalan Society for Immunology.

Competences

GENERIC COMPETENCES

• Capacity to produce thorough analyses of scientific articles.


• Capacity to write and defend scientific and technical reports.


• Capacity to demonstrate motivation for scientific research.


• Capacity to work ethically and with respect for the environment.


• Capacity to work independently and as part of a team.


• Capacity to work safely in a laboratory environment.

GENERAL COMPETENCES:

• Capacity to communicate knowledge of immunology and the conclusions drawn from its application to specialist and non-specialist audiences.


• Ability to expand and improve the knowledge of immunology associated with the degree, and ability to develop and apply this knowledge in a research context in an original way.


• Ability to work as part of a group, to collaborate with other researchers and to demonstrate a capacity for independent learning.


• Capacity to demonstrate the ability to teach and disseminate knowledge in the field of immunology.


• Capacity to resolve immunological problems  in new environments within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts.


• Ability to remain up to date with the development of knowledge in immunology in the international scientific community.


• Ability to integrate the knowledge acquired in immunology and to formulate judgements giving due consideration to the social and ethical responsibilities implicitly linked to this knowledge.

SPECIFIC COMPETENCES

• Ability to master the complexity of knowledge pertaining to the structure and function of the molecules, cells and tissues responsible for the immune response and their integration with other physiological systems.


• Ability to apply the most advanced experimental and bioinformatic techniques and tools used in immunology.


• Ability to integrate basic research into clinical applications.


• Ability to interact with other specialist medical, veterinary and pharmaceutical professionals in the field of immunology.


• Capacity to devise the development of analytical reagents for improvement and innovation in the field of immunology.


• Ability to conceive and design experiments that provide answers to relevant questions, to carry them out using the appropriate instruments and techniques, to analyse the results and to propose new experiments if necessary.

SPECIFIC COMPETENCES FOR SPECIALIZATION

• Ability to identify forms of manipulating the immune response in humans and in animal models for applications aimed at designing or improving therapeutic targets. Specialization: Immunobiotechnology and Research


• Ability to identify or apply potential new drugs or new therapeutic targets in the field of immunology. Specialization: Immunobiotechnology and Research


• Ability to identify pathological alterations of the immune system and to associate them with the regulation and function of immune mechanisms. Specialization: Medical Immunology


• Ability to understand the involvement of the immune system in infectious processes, cancer, transplantation and allergic processes, and to be able to identify or manipulate tools from the immune system to address these pathological processes. Specialization: Medical Immunology


• Ability to diagnose and prevent diseases associated with the immune system in domestic and livestock animals. Specialization: Veterinary Immunology


• Ability to interpret analytical results and to use them to diagnose alterations of the immune system. Specializations: Medical Immunology and Veterinary Immunology


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Access and admission

Applicant profile and access requirements

Recommended applicant profile

Access requirements and conditions

General requirements
In accordance with Article 16 of Royal Decree 1393/2007, of 29 October, students wishing to be admitted to a university master's degree must hold one of the following qualifications:

• Official Spanish university degree.


• A degree issued by a higher education institution within the European Higher Education Area framework that authorizes the holder to access university master's degree courses in the country of issue.


• A qualification issued by an institution outside the framework of the European Higher Education Area. In this case, applicants must request homologation of the degree to its equivalent official Spanish university qualification or obtain express approval from the University of Barcelona, which will conduct a study of equivalence to ensure that the degree is of a comparable level to an official Spanish university qualification and that it grants access to university master's degree study in the country of issue. Admission shall not, in any case, imply that prior qualifications have been recognized as equivalent to a Spanish master's degree and does not confer recognition for any purposes other than that of admission to the master's degree course.

Pre-enrolment

Calendar

First period: 1 February'17 June 2024.
Notification of resolutions: 17 June.


Second period: 8 June'2 September 2024.
Notification of resolutions: 9 September.

Notes:

• Pre-enrolment fee: A pre-enrolment fee of 30,21 euros is charged. Students who apply to more than one master's degree must pay the fee for each pre-enrolment request. Pre-enrolment requests cannot be processed until this fee has been paid.Fees will only be refunded if the master's degree in question is suspended.
• Reserved places: A maximum of 5% of the new places of the master's degree are reserved for students who meet the general and specific access requirements and accredit the recognition of a degree of disability equal to or greater than 33%.

Required documentation

• Pre-enrolment application
  
• Photocopy of degree certificate or equivalent qualification. In case of admission, foreign degrees that require so should be translated and authenticated through diplomatic channels before completing the enrolment.
  

Selection criteria

Notification

• Admission list: September

Reservation
Admitted candidates must make a payment of 300 euros to reserve their place. The payment of 300 euros will be made on account of the enrolment fee and must be paid within seven calendar days (non-extendable) from the date on which the payment receipt is generated, which will be duly notified to the interested party by email. This amount will not be refunded in the event that the student does not enrol in the master's degree course. Once this amount has been paid, a copy of the payment must be sent to the e-mail address mastersoficialsbio@ub.edu within a maximum period of three calendar days from the date of payment. If the payment confirmation email has not been received within this period, the place will be forfeited.

Enrolment

As a general rule, at the UB you will be required to enrol online. Remember that you can lose your place if you do not enrol on the day you have been assigned

• Documents required for enrolment
• Procedure to formalize enrolment
• Grants and financial aid (in Catalan)
• Economic information (in Catalan)

Enrolment calendar

• July: 15-30
• September: 12-30

Welcome

• Student Support Service
• Grants and financial aid (in Catalan)
• Accommodation

Course curriculum

Subjects and course plans

Distribution of credits

List of subjects

Subject	Type	Language	Credits
Specialization: Immune System Biotechnology and Research
Advanced Techniques in Immunology	Compulsory	2nd semester	3
Anatomy of the Immune System	Compulsory	1st semester	3
Antibodies	Compulsory	2nd semester	3
Experimental Immunomanipulation and Animal Models in Immunology Research	Optional	2nd semester	3
Final Project	Compulsory	1st semester	24
Flow Cytometry	Compulsory	2nd semester	3
Immunogenetics	Compulsory	1st semester	3
Immunopatologies i Immunoteràpies	Compulsory	1st semester	6
Immunopharmacology	Optional	2nd semester	3
Regulation of the Immune Response	Compulsory	1st semester	3
Signal Activation and Transduction	Compulsory	1st semester	3
Vaccines and Technological Convergence	Optional	2nd semester	3
Specialization: Immunopatologia Avançada
Advanced Techniques in Immunology	Compulsory	2nd semester	3
Anatomy of the Immune System	Compulsory	1st semester	3
Antibodies	Compulsory	2nd semester	3
Final Project	Compulsory	1st semester	24
Flow Cytometry	Compulsory	2nd semester	3
Immunogenetics	Compulsory	1st semester	3
Immunologia Traslacional	Optional	2nd semester	6
Immunopatologies i Immunoteràpies	Compulsory	1st semester	6
Neuroimmunology	Optional	2nd semester	3
Regulation of the Immune Response	Compulsory	1st semester	3
Signal Activation and Transduction	Compulsory	1st semester	3

Previous years

• Course plans 2023 - 2024
• Course plans 2022 - 2023
• Course plans 2021 - 2022

Teaching staff

Iñaki Álvarez Pérez
Victoria Cardona Dahl
Ángel Raúl Castaño García
Enric Espel Masferrer
Manuel Hernández González
Antoni Iborra Obiols
Moisés Labrador Horrillo
Jorge Lloberas Cavero
Mercè Martí Ripoll
Eva Martín Cáceres
Mónica Martínez Gallo
Laura Martínez Martínez
Xavier Montalban Gairin
Eduardo Palou Rivera
Raquel Planas Bas
Carme Roura Mir
​​​​​​Luis Francisco Santamaria Babi
Thomas Stratmann
Concepció Soler Prat
Annabel Valledor Fernández

Placements

Placements in a company or another type of organization are an integral part of university studies, providing first-hand experience of working methodologies in students' chosen professional fields. They offer invaluable practical experience for the transition into work after graduation. The Study Plan of this teaching includes a mandatory subject of curricular practices of 24 credits (500 hours).

 

Placements are supervised by tutors and subject to assessment. They are therefore included in the academic record.  There is also an option to complete non-curricular placements of up to 500 hours. For both curricular and non-curricular placements, an educational cooperation agreement is signed between the UB and the company, institution or other organization at which the placement will be carried out. The coordinators of the internship program for this teaching are professors Jorge Lloberas Cavero (UB) y Carme Roura Mir (UAB).

 

Institutional information

• Regulations on external placements


• FeinaUB



 
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Career opportunities

What can you work on ?

Access to the labour market

Data from the university system in Catalonia

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