Molecular Biology and Genetics

University of Pavia
Italy, Pavia

Department of Biology and Biotechnology

Study location	Italy, Pavia
Type	Graduate, full-time
Nominal duration	2 years (120 ECTS)
Study language	English
Awards	(Master's Degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics)
Course code	08427/00/2025

Tuition fee	€4,500 per year Students may be eligible to apply for a flat rate or to tuition fees calculated according to their family income. More information here: en.unipv.it/en/education/bachelors-and-masters-degree-programs/fees-and-funding/fees
Application fee	€35 per programme This fee is not refundable.

Tuition fee

€4,500 per year

Students may be eligible to apply for a flat rate or to tuition fees calculated according to their family income. More information here: en.unipv.it/en/education/bachelors-and-masters-degree-programs/fees-and-funding/fees

Application fee

€35 per programme

This fee is not refundable.

Entry qualification	Undergraduate diploma (or higher) Students graduated in a non-Italian university must apply through the procedure described herein. Students graduated in Italy must apply following the procedure described at this page Entry requirements of students graduated in a non-Italian university Bachelor’s Degree (Bachelors’ of Science, BSc type, and Honours type. Information on country specific titles can be found on this page , this list is partial) in Biology or Biotechnology or related programmes judged suitable by the Evaluation committee with at least 3 years duration. The following partial list reports Bachelors’ degrees that are not suitable for this MSc course: Biology Education/Teacher, Botany, Chemistry, Doctor of Physical Therapy/Physiotherapy, Engineering-related degrees, Food Hygiene, Laboratory sciences (Clinical Laboratory Sciences/Medical Laboratory Sciences/Medical Laboratory Technology), Midwifery, Nutrition/Nutritional Sciences, Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Chemistry/Pharmaceutical Production Technology. Degrees in Doctor of Veterinary Medicine may not be suitable for the admission. Other Bachelors’ Degree need to be evaluated to judge their suitability for the MSc program. Students must have a good knowledge of basic biology topics with particular attention to Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Genetics, Microbiology, Molecular Biology. Evidence that they have acquired a minimum number of ECTS or, in case of students outside the European Union, the equivalent number of hours of study in these areas: Biology (cytology, physiology, biochemistry, molecular biology, applied biology, pharmacology, genetics microbiology), Mathematics/Physics/Bioinformatics, Chemistry (general, organic, inorganic and pharmaceutical). An Evaluation committee will evaluate the coherence of the courses in the curriculum of each candidate. See this document for details. Knowledge of English should correspond at least to a B2 level. Students who graduated in a non-Italian university must take and pass the evaluation of their academic qualifications and admission exam (see section “Other requirements”). The suitability of the Bachelor’s Degree for the enrollment in the MSc is evaluated by an appointed Committee. Students with suitable BSc must pass an admission exam that will take place via online. Students graduated in Italy This website is dedicated to students who graduated abroad. Students graduated in Italy must apply following the procedure described at this page . The entry qualification documents are accepted in the following languages: English / French / Italian / Spanish. In order to apply for the admission test for this Master Programme, international students must submit a scan of their transcript in English or Italian. Transcripts in Spanish or French are also accepted. If the transcript provided by your home school is not in English, you will need to obtain official translations along with verified copies of the original. In order to finalize your enrollment, you must submit the scanned version of your original documents.

Entry qualification

Undergraduate diploma (or higher)

Students graduated in a non-Italian university must apply through the procedure described herein.

Students graduated in Italy must apply following the procedure described at this page

Entry requirements of students graduated in a non-Italian university

Bachelor’s Degree (Bachelors’ of Science, BSc type, and Honours type. Information on country specific titles can be found on this page , this list is partial) in Biology or Biotechnology or related programmes judged suitable by the Evaluation committee with at least 3 years duration. The following partial list reports Bachelors’ degrees that are not suitable for this MSc course: Biology Education/Teacher, Botany, Chemistry, Doctor of Physical Therapy/Physiotherapy, Engineering-related degrees, Food Hygiene, Laboratory sciences (Clinical Laboratory Sciences/Medical Laboratory Sciences/Medical Laboratory Technology), Midwifery, Nutrition/Nutritional Sciences, Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Chemistry/Pharmaceutical Production Technology. Degrees in Doctor of Veterinary Medicine may not be suitable for the admission. Other Bachelors’ Degree need to be evaluated to judge their suitability for the MSc program.
Students must have a good knowledge of basic biology topics with particular attention to Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Genetics, Microbiology, Molecular Biology.
Evidence that they have acquired a minimum number of ECTS or, in case of students outside the European Union, the equivalent number of hours of study in these areas: Biology (cytology, physiology, biochemistry, molecular biology, applied biology, pharmacology, genetics microbiology), Mathematics/Physics/Bioinformatics, Chemistry (general, organic, inorganic and pharmaceutical). An Evaluation committee will evaluate the coherence of the courses in the curriculum of each candidate. See this document for details.
Knowledge of English should correspond at least to a B2 level.
Students who graduated in a non-Italian university must take and pass the evaluation of their academic qualifications and admission exam (see section “Other requirements”).

The suitability of the Bachelor’s Degree for the enrollment in the MSc is evaluated by an appointed Committee. Students with suitable BSc must pass an admission exam that will take place via online.

Students graduated in Italy
This website is dedicated to students who graduated abroad. Students graduated in Italy must apply following the procedure described at this page .

The entry qualification documents are accepted in the following languages: English / French / Italian / Spanish.

In order to apply for the admission test for this Master Programme, international students must submit a scan of their transcript in English or Italian. Transcripts in Spanish or French are also accepted.

If the transcript provided by your home school is not in English, you will need to obtain official translations along with verified copies of the original.

In order to finalize your enrollment, you must submit the scanned version of your original documents.

Language requirements	English Knowledge of English should correspond to at least B2 level of the Common European Framework (CEF). The knowledge of the English language will be verified during the admission test. Certification of knowledge of English Language (IELTS, TOEFLS) is NOT* required to apply for this MSc.* Italian is not necessary for the course, as lectures and all related activities are in English. However, it would be advantageous to have some knowledge of Italian for your daily life in Italy. Embassies in specific non-EU countries might require English language knowledge certificates to accept pre-enrollment and VISA applications. Minimum required grades for the academic year 2019-2020 were: IELTS – 6, TOEFL – 78, TOLIMO – 600, FCE – 169.

Language requirements

English

Knowledge of English should correspond to at least B2 level of the Common European Framework (CEF). The knowledge of the English language will be verified during the admission test.

Certification of knowledge of English Language (IELTS, TOEFLS) is NOT required to apply for this MSc.

Italian is not necessary for the course, as lectures and all related activities are in English. However, it would be advantageous to have some knowledge of Italian for your daily life in Italy.

Embassies in specific non-EU countries might require English language knowledge certificates to accept pre-enrollment and VISA applications. Minimum required grades for the academic year 2019-2020 were: IELTS – 6, TOEFL – 78, TOLIMO – 600, FCE – 169.

Other requirements	At least 2 reference(s) must be provided. Two reference letters are required. An official email address must be provided, i.e. please indicate the email of the referee that has been provided by his/her affiliation (University, Research Institute…). Generic email addresses that are not associated to an official affiliation (gmail.com, yahoo.com etc…) will not be considered. Referees will receive an email containing the link to fill out a dedicated form. Referees must in particular comment on the theoretical knowledge of the applicant, motivation at work, communication skills, technical ability, and flexibility giving a score from 0 to 5 (5 being the maximum score). A motivation letter must be added to your application. Students graduated in a non-Italian university International students (EU/extra-EU) holding a Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Biotechnology or related life science programme from a non-Italian University have to undergo the evaluation of their qualifications. Students whose BSc is deemed suitable for enrollment must pass an admission exam that will take place online. Students must submit the following documents: Scan of a VALID passport (preferably with at least two years until the expiration date) or ID card. Curriculum vitae in European Format in English. Scan of their transcript in English or Italian with exams taken, marks and credits. Final mark should also be included together with an explanation of the evaluation system. If applicants have more than one degree, they can send more than one transcript. Transcripts in Spanish or French are also accepted. Scan of the transcript of records and of the Bachelors’ degree (if available). The list of relevant exams in the Biology, Mathematics/Physics/Bioinformatics and Chemistry areas that you took during your previous study program. The document can be found here and must be submitted as pdf file. Two reference letters. Students must fill a specific section of the application form with the email addresses of the referees, the system will directly send a request to the referees. Letters directly sent by the candidate are not acceptable. A short motivation letter (no files must be attached, candidates must fill a dedicated section of the form). Students owning an English language proficiency certificate can attach it to the application. This document is optional. Embassies in specific non-EU countries might require English language knowledge certificates to accept pre-enrollment and VISA applications. Minimum required grades for the academic year 2019-2020 were: IELTS – 6, TOEFL – 78, TOLIMO – 600, FCE – 169. Curriculum. Students will have to chose for which curriculum to apply: Molecular Life Sciences (MLS) or Molecular and Digital Biology (MDB) [see below]. Students graduated in Italy Students graduated in Italy must follow the procedure described at this page for the MLS curriculum and this page for the MDB curriculum . Admission exam International students with suitable curriculum must take and pass an oral admission exam held in English. During the admission exam we will ask questions on basic Biology concepts in Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Genetics, Microbiology and Molecular Biology. If you wish to find out the exact number of seats available for non-eu students consult this link. . Specific requirements for Non-EU applicants: Students who want to enrol in an Italian University need an official recognition by an Italian authority in their home country of the equality of their qualification to the Italian one. Students from extra-European countries must request a student VISA to the Italian authority in their country. This procedure takes a long time. Students must contact the Italian authority in their country to receive precise information concerning procedures, deadlines and documentation required to obtain a VISA. Embassies in specific non-EU countries might require English language knowledge certificates to accept pre-enrollment and VISA applications. Minimum required grades for the academic year 2019-2020 were: IELTS – 6, TOEFL – 78, TOLIMO – 600, FCE – 169.

Other requirements

At least 2 reference(s) must be provided.

Two reference letters are required. An official email address must be provided, i.e. please indicate the email of the referee that has been provided by his/her affiliation (University, Research Institute…). Generic email addresses that are not associated to an official affiliation (gmail.com, yahoo.com etc…) will not be considered. Referees will receive an email containing the link to fill out a dedicated form.

Referees must in particular comment on the theoretical knowledge of the applicant, motivation at work, communication skills, technical ability, and flexibility giving a score from 0 to 5 (5 being the maximum score).

A motivation letter must be added to your application.

Students graduated in a non-Italian university
International students (EU/extra-EU) holding a Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Biotechnology or related life science programme from a non-Italian University have to undergo the evaluation of their qualifications. Students whose BSc is deemed suitable for enrollment must pass an admission exam that will take place online.
Students must submit the following documents:

Scan of a VALID passport (preferably with at least two years until the expiration date) or ID card.
Curriculum vitae in European Format in English.
Scan of their transcript in English or Italian with exams taken, marks and credits. Final mark should also be included together with an explanation of the evaluation system. If applicants have more than one degree, they can send more than one transcript. Transcripts in Spanish or French are also accepted.
Scan of the transcript of records and of the Bachelors’ degree (if available).
The list of relevant exams in the Biology, Mathematics/Physics/Bioinformatics and Chemistry areas that you took during your previous study program. The document can be found here and must be submitted as pdf file.
Two reference letters. Students must fill a specific section of the application form with the email addresses of the referees, the system will directly send a request to the referees. Letters directly sent by the candidate are not acceptable.
A short motivation letter (no files must be attached, candidates must fill a dedicated section of the form).

Students owning an English language proficiency certificate can attach it to the application. This document is optional. Embassies in specific non-EU countries might require English language knowledge certificates to accept pre-enrollment and VISA applications. Minimum required grades for the academic year 2019-2020 were: IELTS – 6, TOEFL – 78, TOLIMO – 600, FCE – 169.

Curriculum. Students will have to chose for which curriculum to apply: Molecular Life Sciences (MLS) or Molecular and Digital Biology (MDB) [see below].

Students graduated in Italy
Students graduated in Italy must follow the procedure described at this page for the MLS curriculum and this page for the MDB curriculum .

Admission exam
International students with suitable curriculum must take and pass an oral admission exam held in English. During the admission exam we will ask questions on basic Biology concepts in Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Genetics, Microbiology and Molecular Biology.

If you wish to find out the exact number of seats available for non-eu students consult this link.
.

Specific requirements for Non-EU applicants:

Students who want to enrol in an Italian University need an official recognition by an Italian authority in their home country of the equality of their qualification to the Italian one.

Students from extra-European countries must request a student VISA to the Italian authority in their country. This procedure takes a long time. Students must contact the Italian authority in their country to receive precise information concerning procedures, deadlines and documentation required to obtain a VISA. Embassies in specific non-EU countries might require English language knowledge certificates to accept pre-enrollment and VISA applications. Minimum required grades for the academic year 2019-2020 were: IELTS – 6, TOEFL – 78, TOLIMO – 600, FCE – 169.

More information	molecularbiologyandgenetics.cdl.unipv.it

The Department of Biology and Biotechnology offers a Course for a Master Degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics. This 2-year second level degree (Biology class) is an intensive, full-time graduate program entirely taught in English and designed for graduates at the BA level who are seeking a qualification in advanced areas of Biology, with special attention to Molecular Biology, Genetics, and Biochemistry. Graduates will acquire a strong theoretical and methodological background relevant to both basic and applied aspects of these disciplines.

For details please refer to this page

The Master Degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics offers two tracks:

Molecular Life Sciences (MLS): designed around the needs and requirements of students who want to acquire a strong theoretical and methodological background relevant to both basic and applied aspects of Biology, with special attention to Genetics, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Cell Biology and Microbiology. This curriculum is characterized by a strong practical component (hands-on) constituted by an internship in a research laboratory carried out under the supervision of a faculty member.
Molecular and Digital Biology (MDB): focused on the analysis and integration of biological data generated by applying the high-throughput approaches that characterize modern “omics” techniques. This curriculum has been activated in response to the development of high-throughput technologies dedicated to genome analyses and to the growing request of Biologists specialised in their application and the analysis.

Other sources of information on the program:

YouTube

Please find the study plan on this page

A Molecular Biology and Genetics Master degree may offer a successful introduction to different types of jobs throughout society. Graduates will find work opportunities in a wide range of fields and institutions, including a possible continuation of the study towards a qualified Ph. D. degree for a career in the academic or research organization world, or employment in the health sector, in biotech companies, in agribusiness research, in the communication media, as well as for teaching in the private or public sectors.

Apply now! Academic year 2025/26

This course has reached full capacity and it will not accept additional applications for the fourth call, therefore this call is dedicated to EU and NON-EU applicants residing in Italy ONLY.

15 Sept 2025

Apply now! Academic year 2025/26

1 Sept 2025

5th call dedicated to EU and NON-EU applicants residing in Italy ONLY.

15 Sept 2025

Save to my wishlist

Apply now! Academic year 2025/26

This course has reached full capacity and it will not accept additional applications for the fourth call, therefore this call is dedicated to EU and NON-EU applicants residing in Italy ONLY.

15 Sept 2025

Apply now! Academic year 2025/26

1 Sept 2025

5th call dedicated to EU and NON-EU applicants residing in Italy ONLY.

15 Sept 2025

Save to my wishlist

Molecular Biology and Genetics

Overview

Programme structure

Career opportunities