Students need to complete two practical laboratory rotations (with one including a Poster presentation).
Info for Students
Administrative Forms
Application for Admission
File name: Form1_2026_Application_for_admission.pdfLast update: 06.05.2026Delivery of Thesis
File name: Form3_2021_Delivery_of_thesis.pdfLast update: 06.05.2026Application for Defense
File name: Form4_2026_Application_for_defense.pdfLast update: 06.05.2026Student Status Report
File name: 5.FormSR_2024_Student_status_report.pdfLast update: 19.08.2024
Examination and Admission Board
Chairperson: Prof. Dr. Katrin Deinhardt
Examination Office
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Study the basics
Laboratory Rotations, Project Proposal and Master Thesis
In order to support a scientifically broad education in the BMB Master's program, Laboratory Rotations, Project Proposal and Master Thesis should be done in different working groups.
Laboratory Rotations
Module 02-CHE-MA-BMB-E1/2: Lab Project 1&2
Projects are performed and supervised by faculty members (all scientists who offer courses in the BMB curriculum; see list supervisors and reviewers or examiners) in the laboratories of the BMB program teachers.
- Two lab rotations of 9 weeks, each including practical work, a written report and a presentation, have to be completed in two independent laboratories.
- Students usually spend 9 weeks full-time in the research group to complete practical lab work (around 6 weeks), the report and the presentation(s) on the project. There is no obligation for the students to work for more time than 9 weeks for completion of the lab rotation.
- The two lab rotations cannot be done in parallel. The report of the first lab rotation has to be submitted to the respective supervisor, before the student is allowed to start the second lab rotation.
- Progress and/or results of lab rotations have to be presented in a seminar of the hosting research group.
- One of the two lab rotations has to be presented and discussed as a poster in the annual BMB Poster Symposium.
After the end of the practical work, the report on the lab rotation performed has to be submitted to the supervisor before completion of the 9 weeks period (digital submission of a publication-style document including abstract, introduction, results, discussion, detailed materials and methods, raw data/source in appendix). An example is given here (non-binding, just for some orientation). In justified special cases (e.g. health problems) an extension will be granted upon application.
- After submission of the report, the supervisor grades the student within 3 weeks.
- The lab rotation application form has to be completed and signed by student and supervisor before start or in the 1st week of a lab rotation. In addition, it has to be signed and grade included after completion (see Form Lab rotation Form LR). The completed and signed formular has to be sent to the examination office, Frauke Ernst.
At least one lab rotation has to be performed at the University of Bremen in the laboratories of the BMB program teachers. The other one can be performed externally (outside the BMB or outside Bremen). For an external laboratory rotation, an application has to be sent to the Examination Board, containing a brief project description, information on the scientific merits and qualifications of the external supervisor (CV, statement on teaching assignments), and an acceptance letter from the host stating that the external supervisor is aware that the laboratory rotation lasts no more than 9 weeks (including time for report and presentation(s)). The external supervisor has to be appointed by the BMB Board as temporary examiner for the module laboratory rotations. The external laboratory rotation can only be started upon approval and written notification from the examination board. It is the student’s obligation to apply sufficiently early to receive the approval notification timely.
Master Thesis
Module 02-CHE-MA-BMB-G: Module Master Thesis (incl. Colloquium)
At the end of the BMB studies, students need to complete a Master Thesis with an individual independent research project in in a laboratory of the BMB program. General Rule: The master thesis can be started once a minimum of 66 CP have been acquired in the BMB Master programme.
- The Master thesis is supervised by a principal investigator (1st supervisor) who is teaching in the BMB program. A 2nd scientist is involved as additional thesis reviewer and examiner (see List of Supervisors).
- The student has to apply at the examination board to start the Master thesis (see Form Application for Thesis Form 1). The Master thesis may only be started upon approval and written notification from the examination board. It is the student’s obligation to apply sufficiently early to receive the approval notification timely.
- Within 24 weeks after the official starting date of the thesis, the completed Master thesis has to be submitted in electronic form to the examination office:Frauke Ernst, frauke.ernstprotect me ?!vw.uni-bremenprotect me ?!.de together with the relevant form (see Form Delivery of Thesis Form 3).
- The thesis must include a Declaration on copyright In agreement with the supervisors, the Form Application for Defense (Form 4) also needs to be submitted.
- Keep the submission email secured as proof of timely submission.
- The two supervisors will review the thesis timely (within max. 8 weeks) and submit the review with the grade of the written thesis to the examination office. The thesis defense can only take place after the reviews have been completed and the theses graded as passed
In rare cases, a Master thesis can be performed under the principal supervision of a scientist who is not a principal BMB-PI (”external Master thesis”). The following additional regulations apply for an external thesis:
- The student has to apply for an external thesis to the examination board at least 3 months before the potential start of an external Master thesis. The examination board decides whether the application is approved or declined. The master thesis can only be started upon approval and written notification from the examination board.
- The applicant has to explain in detail why a Master thesis is not possible in the groups of the BMB faculty members and has to give convincing reasons why the desired external Master thesis should be approved.
- The application has to contain a detailed description of the proposed Master project, information on the scientific merits and qualifications of the potential external supervisor (CV, Publication list, teaching assignments etc.), and an acceptance letter for the student from the potential external supervisor.
- The potential external supervisor will have to be appointed as temporary examiner by the examination board and has to provide written confirmation to attend the thesis defense at the University in Bremen as examiner without receiving any financial reimbursement from the University of Bremen.
- In addition, a written confirmation has to be presented from an eligible 2nd BMB examiner/ reviewer who is based at the University of Bremen to act as internal second examiner.
- The defense of the Master thesis will always be held at the University of Bremen. Travel and other expenses related to the external Master thesis will not be covered by the University of Bremen.
Please note that a Master thesis that is performed in an external lab as part of a collaboration with a supervising BMB-PI is not considered as external Master thesis, if the BMB-PI acts as principal first supervisor of the Master thesis. In this case, the external supervisor may act as 2nd examiner and needs to be appointed by the board as reviewer of this specific thesis. It is the student’s obligation to apply sufficiently early to receive the approval notification timely.
- Defense duration: around 20 min presentation plus discussion (together max. 60 min).
- The defense is open to public, if the student does not request to exclude the public.
- The mark of the Master thesis module accounts for 40% of the overall grade of the Master degree and constitutes to 75% the average mark of the Master’s Thesis and to 25% the mark of the defense.
- Day, time and room of the defense will be announced to BMB faculty and students.
- All current BMB students are encouraged to attend the Master defense.
Supervisors
Current list of potential primary supervisors and second reviewers or examiners
File name: 26_Supervisors.pdfLast update: 04.06.2026