Quantitative Biology
Bachelor of Science

The admission requirement for the Bachelor's degree programme Quantitative Biology is the general university entrance qualification (high school diploma). The degree programme has local admission restrictions (local numerus clausus) and is taught in English. Application for addmission takes place online via the DoSV procedure. Please note the enrolment deadlines.

Evidence for sufficient language skills to study Bachelor Quantitative Biology:

All applicants must demonstrate English language proficiency at the B2 level.

Applicants with a German Abitur fulfil this requirement through their university entrance qualification.

Applicants from EU states must prove their English language proficiency at B2 level by submitting a valid English language proficiency test at the time of enrolment.

Applicants from non-EU states must prove their English language proficiency at B2 level by submitting a valid English language proficiency test after their application to uni-assist.

The test should not fall below the level of a passed IELTS test level 6.0 or TOEFL test paper 500, computer 200, iBT 80.

In contrast to traditional biology programmes, the modules in the first two years are not divided between botany, zoology, microbiology, etc.. Instead,  students acquire understanding of the basic principles in biology, which lead sometimes to similar, sometimes to very different solutions for distinct organisms. The Bachelor programme conveys profound knowledge of biology, including the mastery of important experimental, mathematical, statistical, and computational methods. Its central aim, however, is to empower students to combine biological with quantitative-analytical thinking. The integrative design of the teaching modules embeds the necessary quantitative skills in biological contexts. Almost all modules include practical courses or exercises where students practice the application of what they learned. The 4-year variant (quantBio+) gives students more freedom to plan a stay abroad and offers room for additional, intensive research experience. The Bachelor programme in Quantitative Biology prepares its graduates perfectly for a job in modern biological and biomedical research.

In the first five semesters, interdisciplinary modules provide a deep understanding of biological mechanisms, phenomena, and concepts, combined with the relevant physical and chemical foundations. Besides teaching basic experimental techniques, the programme puts particular emphasis on mathematical modelling, biostatistics, and bioinformatics . The broad integration of theoretical and quantitative methods sets Quantitative Biology apart from other Bachelor programmes in biology. Before the end of the basic phase, successful students can opt to transfer into the 4-year variant Quantitative Biology PLUS (quantBio+). The 4-year variant is designed to give students additional opportunities for stays abroad and allows them to broaden their horizons in the field of quantitative biological research in academia and/or industry.

Quantitative Biology is an interdisciplinary degree programme, which integrates biological and quantitative-analytical elements (mathematical modelling, biostatistics, bioinformatics) in equal measure. These quantitative skills play at most a marginal role in traditional biology programmes, but are of central importance in modern biological and biomedical research. Thus, a large field of professional opportunities for graduates of Quantitative Biology is research and development in the life science and health sectors, be it in industry, public research institutions, or academia. Many other fields are open to the graduates, including environmental biology, pharmaceutical industry, hygiene, or water management. This degree qualifies students not only for Master programmes in biology, but also, for example, fo the Master programmes in "Molecular Biomedicine", "Translational Neuroscience", "Industrial Pharmacy", and "Artificial Intelligence and Data Science" at HHU. Graduates of the 4-year variants can additionally apply for 1-year Master programmes or directly pursue a doctoral programme in a suitable graduate school.