Marine Biology at the University of Groningen

How does climate change affect whales and seals? How does overfishing influence marine food webs? How do we restore and protect the Wadden Sea?

This Master's programme had a selection procedure. The application deadline was 15 March 2024. For more information about the selection procedure, please check here .

The two-year selective Master's degree programme in Marine Biology focuses on life in our seas and oceans. Whether you are interested in biological oceanography, conservation of marine mammals, coastal marine ecology, or genomics, we offer plenty of opportunities to receive well-founded, expansive research-focused academic training in marine biology. Together with your mentor (a professor in the marine biology programme) you will design your own tailored study programme fitting your personal preferences and career plans. The programme also offers a business and policy-oriented track.

Our flexible Master's degree programme is open to students with a Bachelor's degree in Biology. We offer several mandatory master courses, taught by experienced staff from several research institutes (GELIFES, ESRIG) at the UG and the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ). In addition, we offer elective courses across a wide range of research disciplines, habitats, and skill types.

The Master's programme is heavily research focused. We offer research opportunities with UG staff in the following areas (names of principal investigators in parentheses):

Marine Ecology (Eriksson) (Eriksson)
Marine Evolution and Conservation (Palsbøll)
Tropical Marine Evolutionary Ecology (van der Meij)
Marine Conservation Ecology (Govers)
Marine Polar Phytoplankton (van de Poll)
Climate and the Marine Carbon Cycle (Bintanja)
Marine Zoology and Biomimetics (Stamhuis)
Marine Algae and the Sulphur cycle (Stefels)
Ecophysiology and Evolution of Endosymbioses (Laetz)
Marine environment and policy (Science, Business and Policy track, de Boer)

To learn in more detail about the research opportunities at NIOZ and elsewhere, check out the Research Tab (below).

This selective Master's programme in marine biology is designed for students to start in September as part of an annual cohort. Students who would like to start during the academic year are referred to the Master’s programme in Biology.

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Marine Biology at the University of Groningen

Why study this programme in Groningen?

• Wadden Sea nearby: unique in the world (on UNESCO World Heritage list)
• Focus on Biology! Research projects on the level of cells, organisms, populations and communities in seas and oceans
• In cooperation with the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ)
• Students form collaborative cohorts and frequently interact with their supervisors & teachers
• Our faculty is the home of the 2016 Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry, Ben Feringa, and the Nobel Prize winner in Physics.

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Marine Biology at the University of Groningen

• About one third of the graduates continue in academic research with the pursuit of their PhD degree in The Netherlands or abroad.
• About one third of the graduates continue in various kinds of research and management related to fisheries and coastal zone management.
• About one third of the graduates work in the public sector, for example in journalism, teaching or communication.

Job examples:

PhD research position
Research and Management related to marine biology
Work in the public sector

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Marine Biology at the University of Groningen

Dutch diploma

Registration procedure

This Master's programma has a selection procedure, the Board of Admissions will decide whether you can be admitted to the Master's degree programme.

For a more elaborate explanation of the selection procedure, please have a look here. Please fill out the checklist to describe why you are applying for this Master's degree programme (questions to be addressed are outlined on the form).

Provide two reference letters (non EU applicants) or provide the names of those we may contact for reference (EU applicants) using the application form.
Provide a bachelor thesis or another individually written report of an academic assignment. If such a report is not available an assignment will be given by the Board of Admissions.

International diploma

Registration procedure

This Master's programma has a selection procedure, the Board of Admissions will decide whether you can be admitted to the Master's degree programme.

For a more elaborate explanation of the selection procedure, please have a look here. Please fill out the checklist to describe why you are applying for this Master's degree programme (questions to be addressed are outlined on the form).

Provide two reference letters (non EU applicants) or provide the names of those we may contact for reference (EU applicants) using the application form.
Provide a bachelor thesis or another individually written report of an academic assignment. If such a report is not available an assignment will be given by the Board of Admissions.

More information on this programme? Visit the website!

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Marine Biology - Impressions of your Masters study

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Overview of Masters programmes - University of Groningen

		Applied Mathematics
		Applied Physics
		Artificial Intelligence
		Behavioural and Cognitive Neurosciences
		Biology
		Biomedical Engineering
		Biomedical Sciences
		Biomolecular Sciences
		Computational Cognitive Science
		Computing Science
		Ecology and Evolution
		Energy and Environmental Sciences
		Industrial Engineering and Management
		Marine Biology
		Mathematics
		MSc Astronomy
		MSc Mechanical Engineering
		Nanoscience
		Physics
		Systems and Control
		Accountancy and Controlling
		Applied Cognitive Neuroscience
		Arts and Culture
		Business Administration
		Clinical and Psychosocial Epidemiology
		Economic Development and Globalization
		Environmental and Infrastructure Planning
		Ethics of Education: Philosophy, History and Law
		Global Criminal Law
		History
		Human Movement Sciences
		Human Resource Management
		International Business and Management
		International Relations
		Literary Studies
		Marketing
		Media Studies
		Molecular Medicine and Innovative Treatment
		Philosophy, Politics and Economics
		Philosophy, Science and Humanities
		Population Studies
		Religion and Cultural Heritage
		Religion, Conflict and Globalisation
		Sport Sciences
		Sustainable Entrepreneurship
		Theory and History of Psychology
		Tourism Geography and Planning
		Voice Technology

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