Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Applications for the winter semester (courses usually start in the first week of October) start in December of the previous year. The application deadline is the 30^th of May.

The exact date of your application has no influence on your chances of being admitted. Regardless of the date of your application, you will only be notified after the application deadline!

There is no general answer to this question. However, the following minimum requirements must be met:

- Completed Bachelor's degree in natural or life sciences (min. 6 semesters & 180 ECTS) or comparable.

- Bachelor's degree not yet completed (at least 150 ECTS at the time of application, no later than September 30)

- Proof of English language skills if English is not the native language

Molecular Medicine is a scientific Master's program with a strong focus on biomedical and molecular biology research. 3 laboratory rotations (8 weeks each) and elective modules with considerable practical studies are part of the program, i.e. previous experience in laboratory work is a must-have!

This is not impossible, but the most important criterion is the specific relevance of your previous studies regarding Molecular Medicine. In concrete terms, this means that either achievements to the extent of 90 credits in the field of life sciences or achievements to the extent of 120 credits in the field of natural sciences must have been acquired. In general, a degree in human medicine does not meet these requirements.

Yes, one of the following tests (valid certificate, not older than 3 years) is required:

a) "Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE)": at least level 4;

b) Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English: at least grade "B";

c) Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English: at least with grade "C";

d) CEF ("Common European Framework"): at least C1 certificate;

e) IELTS Academic ("International English Language Testing System"): at least band 6;

f) handwritten test of the "Test of English as a Foreign Language" (paper based TOEFL): at least 550 points;

g) internet based test of the "Test of English as a Foreign Language" (new internet based TOEFL): at least 80 points;

h) "Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC)": at least 750 points;

i) UNIcert: at least level III;

j) at least two years of study or professional stay in an English-speaking country within the last three years before receipt of the application for admission;

k) successful completion of an English-language degree program.

There is no test required if English is your native language.

A proof of proficiency in German is not required.

The better the average grade of your undergraduate studies, the better your chances of advancing to the next round of application. If you have a grade from a foreign university with a different grading system, you can calculate it using the so-called "Modified Bavarian Formula" on the following page: https://www.studying-in-germany.org/german-grade-calculator/.

To be able to apply for the Master`s program Molecular Medicine, the following is required:

First, register via the link you will find on our website between December and May under "Application" or "Bewerbung". After that you will receive an email with your registration number and a password as well as a link to the application portal where you upload the following documents (in German or English!):

- Official transcript ("transcript of records"): detailed documentation of your academic achievements (list of courses from all colleges/universities attended; if possible including modules, credits, and grades)

- Degree certificate (certificates of relevant examinations, e.g. Bachelor's degree, is to be submitted by September 30 at the latest)

- Curriculum vitae incl. picture

- Letter of motivation ("Why do I want to study Molecular Medicine in Göttingen?") not longer than 1.5 pages

- Proof of English language skills not older than 3 years (if your native language is not English).

Please note the following:

- You can register and upload the documents at any time during the application phase (between December and May).

- You can also add individual documents during the application phase, e.g. in case you are still waiting for a certificate.

- Please check the application platform carefully! Incomplete applications will not be considered.

- All documents should be officially translated and submitted in English or German.

Please check your SPAM folder (regularly)! Especially if you are using GMX, WEB.de and HOTMAIL accounts e-mails might get filtered out. If you cannot find the email there, you may have entered your email address incorrectly. In this case, please register again.

Both the registration number and the password are sent via e-mail. The sender of the e-mail is called "Faculty of Medicine". Please check your inbox again. You can also request a new password via the application portal using your e-mail address.

Yes, this is possible! However, please note the application deadline and that your application can only be processed if the necessary mandatory documents (signed application form, transcript of records, letter of motivation) have been uploaded.

After having registered you will automatically receive a message with your registration number and password.

In addition, you will receive a notification when your required documents have been successfully uploaded, or you will be reminded if anything is still missing.

Please make sure that you enter your email address correctly when registering, that you upload the required and correct documents within the application deadline, and check your SPAM folder regularly (especially if you use a web.de, GMX or Hotmail account).

Incomplete applications will not be processed and cannot be considered.

You will probably receive information in July whether you will be invited to the interview or whether we unfortunately cannot offer you a place!

Yes! The final degree certificate and the language test are not mandatory documents, i.e. they can be submitted later until September 30.

No! The program is taught in English and English is also spoken in all laboratories at UMG. But of course, knowledge of German definitely makes daily life easier.

The program starts once a year in winter semester (usually in the first week of October).

As an example, the structure of the study program of the year 20/21 is shown in the figure on the right hand side:

1^st semester: M.MM.101, lab rotation 1, M.MM.102
2^nd semester: Lab rotation 2, M.MM.103, lab rotation 3
3^rd semester: Master Thesis

In addition, 14 credits must be earned through electives.

If you reach the next round of the application process, you will be invited to an interview of about 20 minutes (interview will be held in English).

You will also have the opportunity to register for a test at the time of application, which is designed to determine your suitability for our Master's program. The test is not mandatory, but the test result will affect the internal ranking of applicants. Thus, participation may increase your chances.

The test takes place in March of each year. The exact date and location of the test will be announced on the homepage. Invitations to the test will be sent approximately 14 days prior to the test date.

A maximum of 20 students are accepted each year.

Molecular Medicine is a restricted program. The best 60-70 applicants (out of currently 700-800 applications per year) will be invited for an interview of about 20 minutes.

The courses are taught in English.

No. The  application deadline for all applicants is May 30^th of each year.

The following documents are required for enrollment at Georg-August University:

• Application documents (official transcript, certificates, curriculum vitae with picture, letter of motivation, proof of language proficiency).
• Proof of health insurance
• Proof of payment of semester fees
• Proof of measles vaccination/immunity

At UMG, proof of measles protection is mandatory; you cannot enroll at UMG without proof of measles protection.

If necessary, please use the time between your application and enrollment to get vaccinated or to refresh your vaccination status. The short period of time to accept your study place after admission is usually not sufficient for this.

With the passage of the new measles protection law in the Bundestag in November 2019, all students in the Cardiovascular Science, Molecular Medicine (B.Sc./M.Sc./PhD), and Human and Dental Medicine programs at UMG will also be required to provide proof of their measles protection.

Without the proof of vaccination or serological immune protection, the Faculty of Medicine will not be able to admit students to the hospital for practical courses, examination courses, etc. as of 01.03.2020. Therefore, all future students must provide mandatory proof of their measles protection already as part of their enrollment at UMG. You can find more information about this on our application page.

3 lab rotations of 8 weeks length each are part of the curriculum of the Molecular Medicine program. Students choose a research lab at UMG, at the Göttingen Research Campus or at another institute (national/international,) where they then work full time (on their own small project) for 8 weeks. Afterwards, a lab report is written and the results and experiences are presented.

By achieving our Master´s degree you mainly qualify for a subsequent PhD, but of course jobs in a research lab in academia or the industry and a job in clinical trials are also conceivable.

During the Christmas holidays (approx. 23.12. - 02.01.) the laboratories are usually closed and there are no courses. Likewise, the week around Easter is usually free.

However, the Master's program Molecular Medicine is an intensive study program – long vacation periods are not planned (see question 14).

No, you only have to pay the semester fees for all students of the Georg-August-University (approx. 390€). These consist of the administration fee, the student body fee (including the semester ticket) and the student union fee. Long-term students pay an additional long-term tuition fee of 500 €. Further information and deadlines can be found here on the website of the University of Göttingen.

No, the study program itself does not offer scholarships. For enrolled students of the Georg-August University there is more information about funding opportunities here.

Due to the large number of applications, we are unfortunately unable to provide feedback on the reasons for rejection to each individual student.

When applying, please make absolutely sure that your documents are complete and that all your information is correct! Incomplete applications cannot be processed!

Every year we receive about 700-800 applications for only 20 study places. Therefore, we have to consider many different aspects when selecting our future students.

The applications are checked for the following aspects, among others:

• Accuracy and completeness
• Grade of the relevant Bachelor's degree
• Letter of motivation (incl. content, spelling, grammar...)
• Experience in the laboratory
• Ranking of the university where the degree was obtained

No, the Master's program Molecular Medicine is a full-time study program with several courses that require attendance in Göttingen. It is not possible to complete it online or half-time.

Due to the current situation we are forced to offer single theoretical modules online, but the corresponding module exams require attendance in Göttingen.

In principle yes, but please note that Molecular Medicine is an intensive study program. Especially during the lab rotations, which require full-time presence in the lab over the 8-week period, it might be difficult to balance this with the additional requirements of a part-time job.

Of course! You can apply for as many programs as you like.

However, if you are selected for more than one of your desired programs, please do not forget to cancel the places you do not want to accept. This is the only way that other applicants still have a chance to maybe get a place in your stead.

If you have further questions, please contact the study program coordination via e-mail.