Master in Molecular Life Sciences

The goal of the Master of Science in Molecular Life Sciences (MLS) is to train students for the exploration of life through experimental and computational approaches.
This Master is for students enthusiastic about interdisciplinary work, leading to acquisition of specialised and transferable skills, through both individual and group work. In brief, the MLS program offers:

Two personal research projects: a First step project and a Master research project.
A variety of specialised courses exploring diverse aspects of the biology of microorganisms, plants, animals and humans, as well as applied biotechnological and analytical approaches, from which students can compose their curriculum of choice.
Several classes in key soft skills, including scientific writing, oral presentation and public outreach.
A unique practical course allowing students to sequence and analyse the genome of one or more microorganisms, applying the most recent sequencing and computational techniques.

While you may choose to follow a curriculum that allows you to maintain a broad education, the MLS Master offers two specialisations, in Bioinformatics and Microbiology.

Training objectives

At the end of the Master of Science (MSc) in Molecular Life Sciences studies, students will be able to:

Use scientific knowledge and creativity to solve scientific problems in the molecular life sciences and computational biology.
Answer a biological question by observation, collection of data from experiments and/or computational analyses.
Observe and learn, both theoretically and experimentally, and adapt to new information.
Analyse various types of data obtained either from their own research or from the scientific literature, to integrate and synthesise them.
Handle, analyse and synthesise bibliographic resources (databases, scientific journals etc.), during the design and implementation of a scientific project.
Critically appraise their own and others’ scientific methods, results and conclusions.
Engage in scientific discussions and problem solving.
Organise and manage their work and projects individually and in a team, including being proactive in using key resources.
Communicate about science orally and in writing (seminars, posters, written reports and scientific articles).
Defend a project in front of experts and explain its broader societal relevance.
Be fluent in written and oral scientific English.

Specific training objectives by specialisations are described on their individual webpages.

Specialisations

Bioinformatics

Microbiology

Discover the Master

UNIL Masters Day 2024

The University of Lausanne collaborates with the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale of Lausanne (EPFL) and the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV). Joint centres of excellence and university technical platforms (for example: genomics; proteomics, and imaging) complement an outstanding teaching and research programme.