The MSc in Chemical Biology is an outstanding degree at the cutting edge of research and teaching in Europe. World-leading professors, outstanding facilities and support and a holistic approach have made studying within the SNE Chemical Biology network highly enjoyable. I came in from a purely chemistry background and as daunting as biology can be sometimes, these studies have guided me into the realm of chemical biology at a superb level, and are perfect for anyone with an interest in tool development! Definitely worth checking out.
I found that the MSc program could provide me with exactly the opportunity I had begun looking for – an environment of groundbreaking research that would allow me to pursue my academic interests. During the Master, I was very happy to experience the rotating laboratory placements and current state-of-the-art discussions that the SNE Chemical Biology had us undergo in our first semester. I would say that thus far this is the strongest point of the Master’s program, in that it required us as MSc students to go outside of our practical knowledge comfort zones by asking us to choose laboratories in fields that we were not necessarily familiar in.
The MSc has an attractive programme aiming to offer students the opportunity to gain diverse theoretical knowledge of chemical biology and provide practical training. There were huge differences between my BSc and Chem Biol MSc studies, such as different subjects, languages, culture backgrounds and educational ways. The most challenging problem was to fill up my knowledge gaps, since I only had a chemistry background. But an internship in two biological labs for two months before starting my MSc study helped me to adapt to this new situation.
As the professors of the master programme were really good and inspiring during their BSc courses, I decided to take the Chem Biol MSc. This Master is strongly directed to academic research and has a strong practical character. We had a full semester with discussions and presentations: very intensive but really great!
Initially it was the panel of the SNE Chemical Biology Professors in Geneva that motivated me. Their lectures were some of the most exciting of the faculty of science. Also, the multidisciplinary character of this MSc was unique. Intending to do a PhD, the 1-year master thesis was very attractive. Some strong points of this Master are the emphasis on current lab techniques, the one-week lab internships and being a small number of committed students with different backgrounds.