18 Life Sciences Degree Programs in Switzerland

The Master of Arts in interreligious dialogue: Science, Philosophy and Theology of Religions, promoted by the Re.Te. Institute ("Religions and Theology") of the Lugano Faculty of Theology, has been designed to provide extensive knowledge of the major world religions, explain their basic principles, their different structures, and their history. The Master’s course aims to teach its students to promote and develop a dialogue with members of other religions, precisely by gaining an appreciation of other religions and learning how to communicate and hold effective interaction.

The Master’s program in Health Sciences at the University of Lucerne offers students from a wide range of disciplines the necessary knowledge and skills towards a comprehensive understanding of health, functioning, and disability. The program provides a broad background in health sciences from an interdisciplinary perspective. It focuses on describing, understanding, and improving the health of individuals, and the optimal response of society and health systems to the health needs of the population.

This innovative fourteen-week online program is designed to equip professionals with an understanding of the science behind international challenges and practical skills in negotiation, strategic communication, critical thinking, and policy analysis.

UNITAR has partnered with the University of Arizona to offer a Professional Certificate in Science Policy and Diplomatic Practice. This online programme provides students the opportunity to gain valuable insights into the world of diplomacy and international affairs, equipping them with the skills needed to help foster global cooperation in addressing pressing scientific challenges.

This Master offers knowledge in molecular genetics, genomics, cell, and developmental biology. It offers specialized teaching on the interactions of molecules within the networks that control the life of microorganisms, plants, animals, and humans. In addition, much emphasis is placed on advanced techniques such as genome annotation. There are three possible specializations: “Bioinformatics”, “Microbiology” or “Integrative Biology”.

Climate and climate change are associated with great challenges. Climate impacts on the natural and managed environment, on our life-support systems, economy, and society are of pressing concern ; they demand for scientists, experts and professionals with a holistic view on the climate system. The Master of Climate Sciences program at the University of Bern offers an adequate and innovative educational scheme and a curriculum outside the traditional disciplines to provide you with the scientific basis and the necessary skills.

There is a growing need for experts who have specific knowledge in a scientific discipline combined with skills in data science, modeling, and computation. Programming, Algorithms, Data-Structures, Mathematical Modelling, Machine Learning, Pattern Recognition, Data Bases, Data Architecture Systems, Handling and Visualising Data, Neural Networks, and Deep Learning are the relevant Keywords. Those who master these contents have key qualifications for the future.

‘The Master of Applied Sciences (MASc) is a research-based program that provides advanced knowledge and practice in a chosen area of specialization, developing the skills for conducting research in this area, plus a thesis satisfactorily defended.’ The Master of Applied Sciences is far more important than generally known. Its purpose is to introduce students to theoretical backgrounds, which address the 'real world' for finding best-practice solutions. But for being best practice, they need solid analysis and investigation, which is indispensable for good and informed decision-making. This analytical orientation makes the MASc a deal programme and through the variety of subject areas interesting to many. Its flexible structure demands little physical presence making it especially attractive for professionals.

In this Master's program, you deal with innovative solutions for the food and beverage industry. You recognize innovation as a holistic process and develop new products and processes effectively from raw material to delivery. You consider the knowledge of technology, food, packaging, supply chain, strategy, and design.

Within the Basel life science program, the Department of Environmental Sciences offers a comprehensive 1.5 year Master's course in Plant Science for graduates with a background in biology (B Sc in biology or equivalent). The cornerstone of this course is an individual research project in one of the areas of plant science of about one-year duration. The project ends with a written Master's thesis. The practical part is complemented by lectures, seminars, and excursions. The course builds upon the strength of the Department in the areas of physiological plant ecology, plant-microbe interactions, ecosystem sciences, and sustainable land use. The program benefits greatly from the leadership of the Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, a network integrating more than 600 scientists interested in plant science.

Scope Chemical engineering and bioengineering inhabit an exclusive position at the interface between engineering and molecular science. Intimately connected to the basic sciences such as chemistry, biology, and physics – and in association with engineering disciplines such as mechanical engineering, materials science, electrical engineering, and computer science – chemical engineering and bioengineering aim to develop new processes and methods for the design, production, transformation and application of existing and novel materials. The basic mission of chemical and bioengineers is to develop new applications of molecules and biomolecules that will improve the quality of life, and to produce them in quantities and at a cost that allows them to be accessible to all.

Do you have a BSc from natural sciences or engineering (including also mathematics and architecture) and seek a career where policy analysis and management are important? The ETH's Institute of Science, Technology and Policy offers the MSc in Science, Technology and Policy a programme suitable for students who have completed a bachelor's degree with minimum 180 ECTS points in natural or engineering sciences including architecture and mathematics.

Computer-based approaches are becoming increasingly important in biological research. The study of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology at the University of Bern gives you a good basic knowledge and prepares you for a career in a large amount of working fields. The information necessary to build and control any living organism is written in its genome and stored in the language of the genetic code. It took 13 years and 3 billion dollars to decipher the human DNA blueprint. A single decade later, sequencing a whole genome takes but a few hours on a machine that fits on a tabletop and it costs just shy of 5000 dollars. Consequently, biological and medical sciences are now collecting enormous amounts of information. This tsunami of data generates new problems: it needs to be analyzed properly to unearth and retrieve the exciting knowledge it contains. And, most importantly, it also has to be made available to the scientific community in a useful way.

Advanced master's degree in the biology of organisms and populations, from the angles of ecology, evolution, and conservation. These different approaches make it possible to integrate very broad levels of the organization, from the gene to the communities. There are three possible specializations: “Behavior, economy and evolution”, “Computational ecology and evolution”, or “Geosciences, ecology and environment”.