Objectives and competences
The main objective of the master's degree in Advanced Microbiology is to provide students with the academic and technical training that will enable them to embark on a research career in this field or to gain employment as microbiologists. In addition, it focuses particularly on providing students with comprehensive multidisciplinary training, attaching special importance to experimental work in clinical laboratories, universities or research centres under the supervision of a lecturer or specialist (this accounts for a third of the total credit load).
Microbiology is a core discipline across all areas of specialization related to biotechnology, biomedical sciences and environmental sciences, as microorganisms play an essential role in the transformations of organic matter, in geochemical changes and in the production of diseases, in both humans and animals. As such, microbiology is of fundamental importance to industry and to the food, environment and health sectors.
Basic information
| Type | Master's degree |
|---|---|
| Faculty or school | Faculty of Biology |
| Branch of knowledge |
|
| Mode of delivery |
|
| Credits | 60 |
| Number of places available | 46 |
| Length of course | 1 academic year |
| Language(s) of instruction | 60 % Spanish - 25 % Catalan - 15 % English |
| Approximate price per credit | 27.67 euros per credit (82 euros for students who are not EU nationals and do not currently reside in Spain). Fees for the academic year 2024-2025 |
| Coordination | SUSANA MERINO MONTERO |
| Course details | Indicators |
| Open pre-enrolment | Yes |
| Open enrolment | No |
| Lead to doctoral studies | Yes |
| Admission for applicants not holding a degree qualification | No |
| Bridging courses | Yes |
| Specializations |
|
Objectives and competences
Objectives
The aim of the master's degree in Advanced Microbiology is to train specialist scientists, researchers and professionals with the expertise required by industry, the service, healthcare and education sectors, and public and private research centres. The degree focuses particularly on providing students with comprehensive multidisciplinary training, with three core outcomes:
- Up-to-date training in basic, methodological and applied aspects of microbiology (for graduates and professionals involved in the fields of health, the environment, the food industry, the pharmaceutical industry and biotechnology).
- A scientific basis and the methodological skills to start a doctoral thesis and to train as researchers in basic and applied research.
- Specialist training in the advanced aspects of microbiology for employment in biotechnology firms (health and services) in the areas of production and analysis and in research and development.
Competences
Basic skills
- To understand knowledge that provides a baseline and opportunity to be original in the development and / or implementation of ideas within a research context.
- To develop the ability to include and apply new knowledge to solve problems in unfamiliar or new situations within broader or multidisciplinary contexts.
- To develop the ability to integrate knowledge to solve problems and make judgments that includes social and ethical consideration.
- To develop the ability to critically understand scientific publications and communicate conclusions, clearly and unambiguously, with a logical and rational speech to a heterogeneous audience.
- To develop the ability to work independently.
General and Transversal skills
- To develop and structure a logical and rational speech to discuss scientific issues in front a heterogeneous audience
- To have an advanced knowledge and deep understanding of theoretical and methodological questions of specialized scientific and technological research in different areas.
- To work in group and join research teams.
- To analyse and select the suitable scientific theories and methodologies to make reasoning judgments.
- To read and critically understand scientific publications in English, as well as perform presentations in English.
Specific skills
- To apply advanced methodologies to grown and identify bacteria, virus and eukaryotic microorganisms.
- To apply molecular methodologies to study and characterize microorganisms, as well as advances microscopy techniques.
- To handle genetic modified microorganisms and bacterial plasmids, as well as amplify and sequence prokaryotic genes.
- To be able to identify microorganisms involved in important infectious diseases by fast molecular techniques.
- To apply current microbiology quality control legislation of food, drugs and industrial products.
- To understand the structure, genomic organization and replication of different virus (Medical Microbiology Speciality)
- To analyse the aetiology and pathogenic mechanisms of microorganisms (Medical Microbiology Speciality)
- To approach and validate new antimicrobial targets (Medical Microbiology Speciality)
- To analyse the impact of microorganisms in the manufacture of new products with industrial interest (Biotechnology and Environmental Microbiology Speciality)
- To use microorganisms to remove contaminants and asses the bioremediation methods for soils and waters (Biotechnology and Environmental Microbiology Speciality)
- To use techniques for the grown of microorganisms in bioreactors (Biotechnology and Environmental Microbiology Speciality)
- To propose experimental work, develop a research and write scientific reports of advanced features in Microbiology.
Access and admission
Applicant profile and access requirements
Recommended applicant profile
Postgraduate students who want to take a doctoral programme in microbiology.Researchers in R+D in the industrial sector who are seeking ongoing training and the opportunity to update and refresh their knowledge.
Health professionals: doctors, pharmacists and hospital physicians who want to refresh their knowledge. The master's degree will make an important contribution to the knowledge of professionals with years of experience.
Access requirements and conditions
General requirementsStudents 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.
Specific requirements
Bachelor's degree or pre-EHEA degree in biology, pharmacy, medicine, veterinary science, biochemistry, biotechnology, biomedical sciences, environmental sciences, biomedicine, food science and technology, or any degree in a related discipline that provides equivalent training in biology, biochemistry, genetics and microbiology.
Graduates in disciplines not directly related to official access qualifications must take bridging courses to access the master's degree. The bridging courses will have a maximum study load of thirty credits, corresponding to specific bachelor's degree or pre-EHEA degree subjects, as established by the Coordination Committee of the master's degree in Advanced Microbiology. Degrees that do not provide a basic grounding in biology, biochemistry, genetics and microbiology are not considered to be related to the master's degree so holders of these degrees will not be considered for admission.
Students must also have B1 English language skills.
Pre-enrolment
Calendar
First period: 3 February'9 June 2025.Notification of resolutions: 17 June.
Second period: 10 June'2 September 2025.
Notification of resolutions: 5 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.
- Other specific documentation related to the selection criteria.
Selection criteria
The Selection Committee is responsible for the selection and admission of prospective students. This Committee analyses the documentation presented by pre-enrolled students and pre-selects the candidates according to the following criteria:
- Academic record (65%). To establish the equivalence of the gradepoint average to the Spanish scale (from 1 to 10), students with a degree obtained outside Spain must submit a request for the study of equivalence of average grades of university studies from foreign institutions, carried out by the Spanish Ministry of Education.
- Previous professional experience (15%).
- Degree of command of the official languages of Catalonia (Catalan or Spanish) and of English (10%).
- Letter of reference from university professors, researchers and professionals in the business world (5%).
- Personal interview (5%).
Notification
The Selection Committee will publish the list of admitted students on the master's degree website. As with pre-enrolment, notification of admission is also given in two periods; the exact dates are indicated in the pre-enrolment calendar as the resolution dates.
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: 14-30
- September: 10-14
Course curriculum
Subjects and course plans
Distribution of credits
| Type | ECTS |
|---|---|
| Compulsory | 15 |
| Optional | 25 |
| Compulsory placements | 0 |
| Compulsory final project | 20 |
| TOTAL | 60 |
List of subjects
Bridging courses
| Subject | Type | Language | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specialization: BC for admission to the Master's Degree in Advanced Microbiology | |||
| Genetic Engineering | Optional | 1st semester | 6 |
Previous years
Teaching staff
Elisenda Balleste Pau
Carlos Balsalobre Parra
Anicet Ramon Blanch Gisbert
Maria Isabel Costafreda Salvany
Roser Fisa Saladrigas
Montserrat Gállego Culleré
Magdalena Grifoll Ruiz
Antonio Juarez Gimenez
Cristina Madrid Xufre
Susana Merino Montero
Rosa Maria Pintó Solé
Lorena Rodríguez Rubio
Juan Tomás Magaña
Eduard Torrens Serra
Jordi Urmeneta Maso
Placements
Work experience contributes to the comprehensive training of university students and facilitates knowledge of a working methodology appropriate to professional reality. In this way, they offer practical experience that allows future graduates to be integrated into the labour market. The Master's Course Plan includes a mandatory curriculum subject, Master's Final Project, which consists of 20 credits (500 hours).
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.
- Final project rules
- Regulations on external placements
- Normative for the elaboration of the final project at the Faculty of Biology
Career opportunities
What can you work on ?
Access to the labour market
Data from the university system in CataloniaContact us
secretaria-biologia@ub.edu
Secretary: 934 021 086
Information: 934 021 431
Coordinator: SUSANA MERINO MONTERO