Ecology and Evolution

Ecologists ​and Evolutionary biologist investigate the relationships between organisms and their environment as well as how organisms adapt to their environment. Do you want to know how nature works both as an aim in itself as well as to develop the tools to predict and combat problems caused by pollution, biodiversity loss and climate change? You can study ecology and evolution from a bacterial, fungal, plant, animal and systems perspective and at different scales of biological organisation.

The two-years Master’s programme in Ecology & Evolution is taught in English. The programme offers a broad package of courses and research projects which provide a firm theoretical and professional foundation to a Master's degree with a distinct personal and research profile. The development of the individual profile is strengthened by the possibility to choose between different specialisations, besides the standard research master, in the second year of this programme. After completing the programme you will have developed a critical, scientific attitude and an awareness of the ethical and social aspects of ecology and evolution.

This is a joint programme in which half of the courses are organized by Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU), the other half by Universiteit van Amsterdam (UvA), which means that you share classes with students from our partner university. Most coursework takes place in the first five months of each academic year (i.e. the first semester). The remainder is spent on two research projects, masterclasses, and a literature survey, all on topics within your own scientific interests.