Master's degree in Life Sciences

Department of Life Sciences

Academic year

2011-2012

DGES Code

6041

Course Type

2nd Cycle Studies - Mestrado

Qualification Awarded

Mestre

Duration

4 Semester(s)

ECTS Credits

120.0

Organisational Unit/Department

Faculty of Sciences and Technology

Department of Life Sciences list courses open website

ECTS Departmental Coordinator(s)

António Manuel Santos Carriço Portugal (APORTUGA@BOT.UC.PT)

Study Programme: Mestrado em Ciências da Vida

Calendar: 1st Semester
Start date: 05-09-2011
Start date (first year): 26-09-2011
End date: 17-12-2011; 2nd Semester
Start date: 13-02-2012
End date: 09-06-2012

Objectives and Profile of the Programme

The Master’s degree in Life Sciences has as preferred target audience unemployed workers or partially employed workers with a graduation on Life Sciences subjects. Objectives are: a) To reinforce the acquisition of knowledge and comprehension skills relative to socially pertinent themes in Life Sciences, allowing the development of original applications; b) To reinforce the ability to apply knowledge and comprehension and problem solving skills in new situations within enlarged and multidisciplinary Life Sciences frameworks; c) To reinforce the ability to integrate knowledge, to deal with Life Sciences complex questions, to solve problems and to forward suggestions and decisions even situations where there are important information gaps, including discussions on the ethical and social implications of such suggestions and decisions; d) To reinforce the ability to communicate rationale and conclusions to both experts and non-experts in a clear and unambiguous manner; e) To reinforce the skills to self-supervised and autonomous log-term learning. Being probable a wide range of former knowledge and skills by the students, each one will choose from a broad list of disciplines allowing the pursuit of different paths in Life Sciences (e.g. close to Biomedical Sciences or Conservation Ecology or…).

Mode of Study

The course is delivered in full time or part time attendance and daytime schedule.

Access to Further Studies

The course has a vast set of optional curricular units that will allow the students to get a more specific formation in several areas, according to the specialization they intend to follow in a future Ph.D program. The possibility of choice within a varied set of options; several areas of Biology (Cellular Biology; Ecology; Molecular Biology, among others), associated with the possibility of accomplishment of a practical period of training in one of the different laboratories of the involved Departments and research units; it will also allow the students to continue for a PhD program.

Admission Requirements

a) Holders of the Bachelor degree or legal equivalent; b) Holders of a foreign academic degree achieved by following a 1st cycle of studies organized according to the principles of the Bologna Process by a State that has adhered to this Process; c) Holders of a foreign higher education academic degree that is recognized to meet the objectives of the Bachelor degree by the Scientific Council of the Faculty of Sciences and Technology; d) Holders of an academic, scientific or professional curriculum vitae that is recognized by the Scientific Council of the Faculty of Sciences and Technology to attest the capacity to attend this cycle of studies

Recognition of Prior Learning

The provisions of article 45 in the Decree Law no. 74/2006, 24th March, with the words of Decree Law no.107/2008, 25th June shall apply.

Qualification Requirements and Regulations

The legal framework for the qualification is established by the decrees: Decree-Law no. 74/2006, 24th March, amended and republished by the decree: DL no 107/2008, 25th June; Ordinance no. 782/2009, 23rd de July.

Professional Goals

The final dissertation may result from a traineeship at the enterprise where the student is a worker at partial time, or, if unemployed, at one of the several institutions with whom the FCTUC collaborates, such as the Hospital of the University of Coimbra; the ICNB (Institute for Nature Conservation and Biodiversity); the Regional Board of Agriculture; the Commissions of Coordination and Regional Development and several enterprises whose activities are related to sciences of life. Graduate students may find job opportunities in one of these institutions/enterprises

Examination Regulations, Assessment and Grading