Courses
Within the master Environmental Biology, you have the option to specialise in one of the four tracks. Each track offers courses of which some are compulsory (see below). In addition, you can follow other courses that are included in the list of programme-related courses.
More information on how to apply for a specific course can be found in the Osiris Course Catalogue.
Ecology & Natural Resource Management
- Exploring your Research Impact (compulsory)
- Ecology of Natural Resources (compulsory)
- Conservation Science and Impact (compulsory)
Plant Biology
- Exploring your Research Impact (compulsory)
- Plant-Environment Interactions (compulsory)
- Plant-Microbe Interactions (compulsory)
- Applied Plant Biology (compulsory)
Fungal Biology
- Exploring your Research Impact (compulsory)
- Fungal Biology (compulsory)
Behavioural Ecology
- Exploring your Research Impact (compulsory)
- Measuring Behaviour (compulsory)
- Evolutionary Perspectives on Sexual Behaviour (compulsory)
- Zoo Conservation Biology
- Primate Social Behaviour
All programme-related courses:
- 6 weeks
- 4.5 EC
- Course dates: 22 May 2023 till 30 June 2023
Mandatory
Yes, for ENVB-PB students.
Optional for students from other programmes
Science and Business Management, and Bio Inspired Innovation
Short description
To obtain a broad overview and understanding of “the green sector” in the Netherlands and abroad, with the focus on the plant breeding industry and biotechnology, the role of fundamental research therein, and job opportunities for young MSc’s with a plant molecular biology/biotechnology background.
More information
- 8 weeks
- 4.5 EC
- Course dates: 14 November 2022 till 03 February 2023
Mandatory
No.
Optional for students from other programmes
Yes.
Short description
Please note: Basic of Biostatistics is an online course (~16 hours per week). The course offers a variety of learning activities such as web lectures, discussions and (group)assignments. A maximum of 60 students can be enrolled in the course (divided into groups of max 15 students in order to remain small-scale learning).
The course provides an introduction to statistical methodology and supplies a number of statistical techniques important for practical data analysis. Examples from the medical and biological fields will be used in exercises.
NOTE: It is expected that students have some basic knowledge on descriptive statistics and mathematics.
Course schedule
The statistical theory will be introduced and discussed in the first 6 weeks (week 46 till 51). After the Christmas holiday (week 52 till 1) the remaining parts of the course are scheduled: case study (week 2) and exam (week 3). The re-exam is scheduled in week 6. You will find the more detailed schedule in the Osiris course catalogue.
Registration
You can register for this course via OSIRIS Student. More information about how to register for a course can be found on this page. Registration for the course will open in the second half of September.
More information
- 3 weeks
- 5 EC
- Course dates: 14 November 2022 till 02 December2022
Mandatory
No.
Optional for students from other programmes
Yes, for ENVB students.
Short description
This course is an introduction in Biotechnology. It will give an overview of different fields in biotechnology (molecular techniques, bacterial biotechnology, fungal biotechnology, plant biotechnology, industrial biotechnology, medical biotechnology, animal biotechnology) with special emphasis on new developments. In addition, other aspects related to biotechnology, such as intellectual property rights, ethical concerns and the marketability of a product are discussed.
More information
- 9 weeks
- 6.5 EC
- Course dates: 11 September 2023 till 10 November 2023
Mandatory
Yes for ENVB-ENRM students.
Optional for students from other programmes
Yes.
Short description
How effective are the world’s protected areas at saving our species? How does conservation impact people? How can we promote biodiversity within urban areas? How does conservation science relate to policy and practice? If these critical questions and challenges that face the world today inspire you, this could be the course for you.
You will learn about the fundamentals of nature conservation and how to manage, deliver and evaluate the impacts of conservation efforts. Scientists and practitioners will teach about the theory and the tools for tackling conservation problems effectively, thoughtfully, and ethically.
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- 9 weeks
- 7 EC
- Course dates: 12 September 2022 till 11 November 2022
Mandatory
Yes, for ENVB-ENRM students.
Optional for students from other programmes
No.
Short description
*9 weeks of 20 hours per week
The aim of this course is to strengthen your expertise in plant-, microbial and landscape ecology and to show how this expertise is of vital importance to natural resource management.
More information
- 4 weeks
- 6 EC
- Course dates: 14 November 2022 till 09 December 2022
Mandatory
No.
Optional for students from other programmes
Yes, especially for ENVB-BE students.
Short description
The course focuses at behavioural and welfare problems in animals. It addresses the (neuro)ethological basis, the implications for science and society, and clinical aspects.
Registration
You can register for this course via OSIRIS Student. More information about how to register for a course can be found on this page.
The maximum number of participants is 24.
To register the applicants are asked to send a short (max. 250 words) motivation letter to the course coordinator dr. Mona Giersberg (m.f.giersberg@uu.nl). In the letter please explain why you want to take part in this course and why it is relevant for your further studies/career. A selection will be made based on the timing of registration (first come, first serve) and the motivation letter.
More information
- 4 weeks
- 6 EC
- Course dates: 19 September 2022 till 13 October 2022
Mandatory
Yes, for ENVB-BE students.
Optional for students from other programmes
Yes. Especially the NSCN tracks CN and BN.
Short description
In this course all aspects of sexual behaviour will be presented on the basis of the book "The Red Queen, Sex &The Evolution of Human Nature" of Matt Ridley, 1993, key papers and recent articles. Although the title of the book suggests differently, the major part of the book deals with animal behaviour. Human behaviour is also treated from a biological point of view.
More information
- 1 week
- 1.5 EC
- Course dates: 12 December 2022 till 16 December 2022
Mandatory
Yes.
Optional for students from other programmes
Yes, if space allows.
Maximum number of participants: 70
Dates to be confirmed
Short description
Being involved in research, MSc students should be aware of the potential role their results could play to build a sustainable future. Moreover, students should be able to constructively discuss and connect with other students of the master's program. As such, this inter-track course will encourage the participants to determine and discuss how their research topic may contribute to solving questions related to sustainability. In particular, participants will put their research in relation with one or more of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations (https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/?menu=1300). Groups of students belonging to different tracks will be composed. Based on the project proposal that the students wrote at the start of their major internship, participants will write a short report containing a clear description of their potential contribution. Each participant will read the reports of a few fellow peers and give peer review. Based on group meetings and discussion of the reviews, each group will choose one report which will be presented in plenary in no more than two slides at the end of the course.
More information
- 6 weeks
- 9 EC
- Course dates: 12 September 2022 till 21 October 2022
Mandatory
Yes, for ENVB-FB students.
Optional for students from other programmes
Yes, unless maximum capacity is reached.
Short description
The aim of this course is to discuss and understand principles of the ecology, physiology, molecular biology, developmental biology of fungi and biotechnology with fungi. To this end, students will make assignments, discuss articles, have lectures, participate in the annual meeting of the section Mycology of the Royal Netherlands Society for Microbiology, make summaries of scientific presentations, and interview an expert in the field of fungal biology.
More information
- 3 weeks
- 4.5 EC
- Course dates: 17 October 2022 till 04 November 2022
Mandatory
No.
Optional for students from other programmes
Yes, especially NSCN and ENVB (Behavioural Ecology).
Short description
This course can be considered a general introduction to bioinformatics and provides an overview of the importance of bioinformatics in various biological disciplines, with a focus on the research that is performed at Utrecht University. The theory and tools for bioinformatics provided are very useful for any life science researcher.
More information
- 2 weeks
- 3 EC
- Course dates: 6 March 2023 till 17 March 2023
Mandatory
No.
Optional for students from other programmes
Yes.
Short description
The aim of this course is to give a basic training in R for Life Sciences students. R is a programme for statistical analysis.
Registration
You can register for this course via OSIRIS Student. More information about how to register for a course can be found on this page.
The maximum number of participants is 45 students per course.
More information
- 2 weeks
- 1.5 EC
- Course dates: 09 January 2023 till 20 January 2023
Mandatory
Yes, for ENVB-BE students.
Optional for students from other programmes
Yes, especially for NSCN and other ENVB students.
Short description
The purpose of this course is to acquire working knowledge of the methods for measuring and analysing animal behaviour. The course is based on the book "Measuring Behaviour. An introductory guide".
Registration
The maximum number of students is 25. Applications are on "first come first serve" basis. You can register for this course via OSIRIS Student. More information about how to register for a course can be found on this page.
More information
- 3 weeks
- 4.5 EC
- Course dates: 14 November 2022 till 02 December 2022
Mandatory
No.
Optional for students from other programmes
Yes, especially for ENVB students.
Short description
In this course you will learn how to analyse genome data of individual microbes, but also of microbial communities (metagenomics).
More information
- 3 weeks
- 3 EC
- Course dates: 6 February 2023 till 21 February 2023
Mandatory
Yes, for ENVB-PB students.
Optional for students from other programmes
Yes.
Short description
Plant-microbe interactions will be introduced in a general lecture, highlighting recent developments and the importance of the reviewing process. For a set of recent manuscripts the students will act as reviewers and editors following the format provided by high standard international journals. Editor decisions will be presented and discussed.
More information
- 2 weeks
- 3 EC
- Course dates: 12 September 2022 till 23 September 2022
Mandatory
Yes, for ENVB-PB students.
Optional for students from other programmes
Yes.
Short description
A general lecture on plant-environment interactions will set the stage for an advanced-level course on how plants adjust to their most important environmental factor: light. Although plants rely fully on light as their energy source, they often struggle with temporal and spatial variations in the abundance of this resource. Both excess and shortage of light can be very harmful to plants. Students will study the latest developments in plant plasticity towards variations into light quality and quantity.
More information
- 1 month
- 2.5 EC
- Course dates: 24 May 2023 till June 2022 till 28 June 2023
Mandatory
No.
Optional for students from other programmes
Yes.
Short description
The master classes consist of three lectures with subsequent discussion, each with their own topic: 1. Morality, 2. Empathy, and 3. Culture in nonhuman primates. Students will read primary literature to prepare each class and its discussion. The classes will be examined with a multiple choice exam.
Send an e-mail to the course coordinator masterclass.bio@uu.nl for enrollment.
More information
- 4 weeks
- 6 EC
- Course dates: 17 October 2022 till 03 November 2022
Mandatory
No.
Optional for students from other programmes
Yes.
Short description
This course approaches this broad field of research from a zoo perspective, and will mainly focus on areas of interest that are related to small population management in captive settings and in field conservation programs.
Registration
2nd year BE students have priority, followed by 1st year BE students. Other GSLS students have to apply with a motivation letter. The maximum number of participants is 20.
More information
Professional Identity Education (PIE) helps you as a student finding your professional identity: this is me, this is what I bring, this is what I want. Combined with several skills you will learn, it brings you a useful basis for studying effectively and finding a job. In monthly workshop-like sessions, participants will get skilled on professional communication, presenting yourself, dealing with stress, a successful job interview, and much more.
Each PIE session consists of three parts: skill training, options to get study support from fellow students, and – perhaps the most fun part – a social activity. Especially when you are doing individual research, this is a great way to interact with fellow students.
Enrollment
PIE is a pilot project for students of the programmes Bioinformatics and Biocomplexity, Bio Inspired Innovation, and Environmental Biology. The pilot runs during the full two years of your programme. There is no need for enrolment, students will automaticically receive all further information. You can just come to the sessions and participate!
More information
Contact the PIE course coordinator for any further questions you may have: Tessa Voerman.