Do you want to get to know the Biological Sciences Faculty? What degrees do we offer?
The Universitat de València organises the “Conèixer la Universitat” programme with the aim of bringing the Universitat closer to high schools and showing future students its educational offer and services.
“Conèixer la Universitat” is an initiative of the Office of the Vice-Principal for Studies that is coordinated by the Information and Promotion Service (Sedi) and has the participation of the centres and services of the Universitat de València.
This degree aims at training professionals in the area of biology and providing students with a broad and general base of knowledge base, as well as with solid experimental training to ensure they acquire the skills demanded in the labour sector. Taking into consideration the scientific nature of biology studies, the attainment of a scientific attitude to the interpretation of our environment is considered a priority objective, so as to produce professionals with a broad perspective on the role of science in current society.
The Degree in Biology covers a broad area of life studies within the basic sciences and offers training for students to acquire skills and abilities in biological processes, in diversity and functioning of living organisms, as well as in communities and ecosystems. This training enables students to enter the world of business, management, research, teaching, and conservation of biological resources and also the health sector.
Biochemistry is the science that studies the chemical reactions and interactions that take place in living organisms. It includes the study of the structure of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids and other cell molecules. This degree aims at providing students with the conceptual tools and techniques needed to understand and use, from a molecular point of view, the transformation processes that living beings undergo to carry out their functions, as well as the integrated regulation of these processes. Students will apply this knowledge to understand and resolve problems related to human health and illness.
This degree provides training for professional practice in the field of biomedical sciences, both in the basic scientific field and in the health, hospital and pharmaceutical fields, in order to meet the demand and adapt to the progress that this discipline has undergone in recent years. Graduates in Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences can work in basic and/or biomedical research, in research centres, and in companies of the pharmaceutical and biotechnological industry. Also, as hospital specialists in clinical biochemistry, microbiology and parasitology, immunology, etc., both for the development of new drugs and for diagnosis and treatment methods.
Biotechnology is the set of disciplines aiming at studying living beings or parts of living beings to obtain goods and services through the use of genetic engineering techniques to modify genes and transfer them from one organism to another. This degree strives for ensuring students acquire the conceptual, manual and technical tools needed to improve current industrial processes and develop new ones, by applying what they have learnt about the transformations that living beings undergo and how these can be improved. Degree holders can draw on their knowledge in various areas such as chemistry, agriculture, health, etc.
The degree in Biotechnology is related to the training of professionals for the R+D+I sector due to its links with technological and innovative development in the field of biology and biomedical sciences. In addition to research and teaching, these studies enable for careers in public and private companies related to medicine, agriculture, non-food use of crops and other products (such as biodegradable plastics, vegetable oils or biofuels) and the environment, among others.
The Degree in Environmental Sciences offers a set of studies with a clear multidisciplinary content, which provide a training that will allow graduates to deal with environmental issues from diverse areas of knowledge. Degree holders know the theoretical and practical aspects of natural and social sciences, as well as the necessary tools to apply this knowledge in practical situations.
The curriculum is designed for training professionals with a multidisciplinary and global vision of environmental issues from different areas of knowledge. Courses provide training in the scientific, technical, social, economic and legal aspects of the environment. Taking sustainability as a point of departure, the degree trains professionals for the conservation and management of the natural environment, natural resources, territorial planning, environmental impact assessment, environmental management and quality in companies and administrations, environmental quality in relation to health, and environmental communication and education.
- Related degree: those with a Bachelor's degree in Geology, Biology or related degrees will have preferential access to the Master's Degree in Applied Palaeontology. In the second order, those with a degree in the branch of Sciences.
- Accreditation of B2 Spanish for nationals of non-Spanish speaking countries. Through a Diploma in Spanish as a Foreign Language at a level of B2, or, where appropriate, an oral and written test.
- Accreditation of B2 in English, according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, or, where appropriate, an oral and written test.
The following criteria will be taken into account:
1.- Affinity of the undergraduate studies taken with the Master's degree (between 40% and 50%).
2.- Average academic record (between 30% and 40%).
3.- Motivation of the student (up to 10% of the admission mark).
4.- Others: Knowledge of languages, previous work experience, complementary training in the area of study of the Master's degree, etc. (up to 10% of the admission mark).
It is recommended to have taken a degree in sciences (Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Physics, Pharmacy, Veterinary Sciences or equivalent) a degree in Psychology or degrees of Medicine.
At the beginning of the first semester, every Student will complete a course 0 to even their knowledge out. Students coming from degrees in Biology, Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Biotechnology, Physics, Pharmacy, Medicine, Veterinary, Chemistry and related degrees will attend Mentoring of Foundations of Psychobiology. Students coming from the degree in Psychology and alike will course Mentoring of Foundations of Cell Biology. These tutorials are part of the compulsory subjects of the first semester.
ADMISSION CRITERIA
1. ACADEMIC RECORD (40 points)
In this section, the average mark of the academic record of the degree will be assessed. The suitability of the student's training to the recommended profile will also be considered; to this end, the following weighted rating coefficients will be applied according to the affinity of the degree.
Degree |
Weighting factor |
Degree in: Biology, Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Biotechnology, Psychology, Physics, Pharmacy, Medicine, Veterinary Science and equivalents |
X 4 |
Degree in: Chemistry, Physical and Sports Education and equivalents Degree in: Speech Therapy, Physiotherapy, Nursing, Optics and Optometry and equivalents |
X 2 |
The admission of graduates from other degrees will be assessed by the Master’s Degree Academic Committee in each case
2. LETTER OF MOTIVATION JUSTIFYING THE INTEREST IN STUDYING THE MASTER’S DEGREE (30 points)
Aspects related to motivation in the subject areas of the Master’s Degree as well as future professional objectives will be taken into account.
3. CURRICULUM (30 points)
Publications, participation in courses and conferences, PhDs, equivalent Master’s degrees, MIR in neurology or similar and practical experience in Neurosciences will be taken into account.
Each item, as long as it is always documented, will be weighted according to its affinity with the contents of the Master’s Degree with a weighting factor of 0.2, 0.5 or 1.
The appropriated students’ profile for the University Master’s Degree in Research and Development in Biotechnology and Biomedicine corresponds to graduated people that have finished previous undergraduate degrees (or licenciaturas) in the field of Biotechnology or Molecular Biology and that want to complete their training by carrying out a master’s degree with a vocational or research-based approach on these fields and with a high experimental content.
Thus, holders of one of the following undergraduate degrees can access to the Master’s: Degree (or Licenciatura) in Biotechnology, Biochemistry, Biomedicine or qualifications that correspond to other biological or medicine sciences related to the valuation of the Master’s Degree Academic Committee.
The following criteria will be taken into account:
1.- Average grade of the academic record and the suitability of the students’ training to the recommended profile (degree). Up to 50 points. A correspondence coefficient will be applied between 0’6 and 1 according to the degree:
Coefficient |
1 |
0.8 |
0.6 |
Degree |
Biochemistry, Biomedicine, Biotechnology and related |
Biology, Pharmacy, Medicine and related |
Food Science and Technology, Human Nutrition and Dietetics Environmental Sciences, Nursing, Dentistry, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and related |
2.- English language skills (B2 level), previous practical experience, complementary training in the field of study of the Master’s Degree, etc. (30 points).
Attach supporting documentation.
3.- If appropriate, a personal interview or an interview by videoconference will be appointed to a maximum of 10 candidates, in each admission stage, who are not among the 25 first positions for the selection of the 7 vacancies. The valuation of this interview will be of 20 points that will be added to the points obtained in the prior sections for the selection of 7 candidates (the 25 candidates that are in the first positions will add these 20 points automatically). The issues to be assessed in the interview are:
- Future Career Goals (33%)
- Motivation in the Master’s degree subject area (33%)
- Clarity when expressing ideas (33%)
A B2 level of Spanish as a Foreign Language. When necessary, an oral and written tests will be required.
The Master’s is addressed to students who have completed undergraduate degrees (or licenciatura, former Spanish undergraduate degree) in the area of experimental sciences and related technologies and who wish to complete their education through undertaking a Master’s with a strong research background.
It is recommended for the profile to have an undergraduate degree (or licenciatura) in Biology, Biotechnology, Biochemistry or Pharmacy, or other qualifications related to other experimental sciences or technologies.
The Master’s Degree doesn’t present general bridging courses. However, one of the optional subjects offered: Foundations on gene expression (3 credits) should be taken compulsorily by those students who according to the Academic Coordinating Committee and after analysing their academic record, need additional training in Molecular Biology.
The selection of students will be based on scientific and academic criteria taking into account:
-The appropriate education of the student in relation with the recommended profile
-The curriculum vitae (with documentary proof of the merits claimed) (10%-20%). If it’s deemed necessary, a personal interview may be made about the merits claimed in the curriculum vitae.
The following students can be admitted to the Master’s degree in Aquaculture: Students from Spanish universities or from universities which belong to the European Higher Education Area who hold a Licenciatura, Ingeniería or Undergraduate Degree in related studies such as Biology, Environmental Sciences, Marine Sciences, Pharmacy, Ingeniería Técnica Agrícola (3-year degree in Agricultural Engineering), Ingeniería Técnica Forestal (3-year degree in Forest Engineering) and Veterinary Medicine. Students outside the European Higher Education Area who prove the adequacy of their studies may also be admitted.
Admissions will be evaluated individually, taking into account the CV and the academic record of the applicant.
In relation to the degree of affinity to the Master’s degree of the degree of origin, the following degrees are considered to be similar to the Master’s: Licenciatura in Biological Sciences, Veterinary Medicine, Environmental Sciences, Marine Sciences, Pharmacy, Ingeniería Técnica Agrícola (3-year degree in Agricultural Engineering), Ingeniería de Montes (5-year degree in Forest Engineering) and Ingeniería Técnica Forestal (3-year degree in Forest Engineering), and all the new undergraduate degrees replacing the old ones.
Here is the scale to evaluate applications used by the Academic Coordination Committees at each university.
Training (degree of origin and others): up to 5 points
Average grade of the academic record: up to 4 points (1-pass, 2 - B, 3 – A, 4 - distinction)
Proven track record in aquaculture: up to 3 points
Proven research experience: up to 4 points
Proven languages knowledge: up to 0,5 points
Letter of motivation/interview: up to 2 points
The recommended applicant profile is a student that holds a degree in a licenciatura or related graduate studies such as Biology, Marine Science, Environmental Sciences, Biotechnology, Pharmacy, Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Agricultural Engineering, Ingeniería Técnica Agrícola (three year degree in Agricultural Engineering), Ingeniería Técnica Forestal (three year degree in Forestry Engineering), Chemistry or Veterinary Science.
Students will be admitted based on the evaluation of their reports.
The following scale will be considered:
The criteria listed above will be assessed by the corresponding committee.
Of the total of places:
30% of the places are saved, each academic year, for holders of a degree in Biological Sciences. 30% of the places are saved, each academic year, for holders of a degree in Environmental Sciences, Marine Science, Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Pharmacy, Veterinary Science, Agricultural Engineering and Forestry Engineering.
The profile of the student of the Master’s Degree in Biodiversity: Conservation and Evolution corresponds to those students that have completed his/her Undergraduate studies (or Licenciatura) in the area of experimental sciences and related technologies and who wish to complete their training with a Master’s Degree with vocational or research orientation in these areas, and a high level of experimentation.
Thus, the recommended profile is that of a student that holds any of the following degrees: Degree (or Licenciatura) in Biology, or other degrees such as Environmental Sciences, Forestry Engineering, Agronomics, Veterinary Science or corresponding degrees to other experimental sciences and related technologies.
Student selection will be carried out according to scientific and academic reasons based in:
- The suitability of the student career to the recommended profile (40-50%).
- The academic record (30-40%).
- The curriculum vitae handed out (with documentary proof of the claimed merits) (10-20%).
In case of it being convenient, a personal interview on the claimed merits in the curriculum will be carried out.
The profile of the student of the Master's Degree in Molecular Approaches on Health Sciences corresponds to students that have completed their undergraduate studies (or a Licenciatura) in the field of health and experimental sciences, and related technologies and who wish to complete their training through the accompishment of a Master's Degree with a strong research profile. It is recommended that the student has received a Degree (or Licenciatura) in Biology, Biotechnology, Biochemistry, Medicine or Pharmaceutical Sciences, or related degrees in the University of Valencia or any other Spanish and European universities, or in the rest of the world.
If a selection of students is ever needed, it will be carried out by the Academic Coordinating Committee out on scientific and academic basis following the criteria of:
- The training adjustment of the student to the required profile (40-50%).
- The academic curriculum (30-40%).
-The curriculum vitae handed out (with documental justification of the claimed merits) (10-20%). In case of it being convenient, a personal interview on the claimed merits in the curriculum will be carried out.
The specific requirements for admission to the master's degree are as follows:
- Degree in the area of life sciences, including Biological Sciences, Biotechnology, Biochemistry, Biomedicine, Medicine, Pharmacy, or similar qualifications.
- In order to be admitted to this master's degree, in addition to holding a university degree that allows access to the master's degree, students from non-Spanish-speaking countries or from foreign education systems where the language of instruction is not Spanish, must accredit a B2 level of knowledge of Spanish, as defined in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) classification.
1. Academic record (40 points). In this section, the average academic record of the degree and the suitability of the student's training to the recommended profile will be assessed. The following atingency coefficient (between 0.6 and 1.0 depending on the qualification) shall apply:
a. Degree in biochemistry, biomedicine, biology, biology, biotechnology and related sciences, 1
b. Grado en farmacia, medicina, veterinaria y ciencias afines, 1
c. Degree in food technology, nutrition and dietetics, environmental sciences, 0.8
d. Degree in forestry engineering, agronomy, and related engineering, 0,7
e. Degree in chemistry, chemical engineering and related fields, 0,6
f. Degree in nursing, physiotherapy and related sciences, 0,6
2. Complementary training in the area of study of the Master (20 points)
3. English language proficiency - Level B2 (10 points)
4. If necessary, a letter of motivation or a personal or video-conference interview will be requested from a maximum of 10 candidates, in the admission phase, who are not among the top 25 (30 points). The evaluation of this section will be added to those obtained in the previous sections (the first 25 will automatically receive the maximum score). The aspects to be assessed in this section will be:
- Motivation in the thematic areas of the Master's degree (33%)
- Future career goals (33%)
- Clarity of presentation and structuring of ideas (33%)
The recommended applicant profile is a student that holds a degree in a licenciatura or related graduate studies such as Biology, Marine Science, Environmental Sciences, Biotechnology, Pharmacy, Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Agricultural Engineering, Ingeniería Técnica Agrícola (three year degree in Agricultural Engineering), Ingeniería Técnica Forestal (three year degree in Forestry Engineering), Chemistry or Veterinary Science.
The admission is personalised, taking into account the curriculum and the academic record of the applicant to the master's degree. A proficiency certificate in Spanish equivalent to a C1 level is required for applicants from countries with a native language different from Spanish.
The selection criteria to be applied are the following:
·Affinity between the previous studies coursed and the master's degree (20% of the total of the evaluation)
·Average grade of the academic record (80% of the total of the evaluation)