MSc Interdisciplinary Neuroscience (INS) Goethe University Frankfurt

The programme offers highly research-oriented training that will provide students with a broad overview of the most relevant fields of neuroscience, including basic neuroscience, clinical neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience and computational neuroscience. This also includes relevant practical skills. The programme will confront students with various levels of complexity of neural functions from molecular biology to systems neuroscience. A major characteristic comprises the optional training in clinical neuroscience that will familiarise students with neuropathology and aspects of neurology and will provide them with hands-on information on current technical approaches applied in clinical research.

For more information, see: https://www.izn-frankfurt.de/master/program/

The curriculum starts with a short introduction of the programme followed by a six-week introductory module "Basic Methods in Neuroscience". Basic knowledge in cell- and molecular biology, neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, MATLAB and statistics as well as legal and ethical aspects of animal experimentation will be acquired. Afterwards, students choose three elective lab work modules, each lasting four to five weeks. Within the first year, the curriculum further includes lectures and journal clubs as well as a weekend seminar to foster the interaction among students and between students and faculty. The second year focuses on the future laboratory research with introductions to the analysis of scientific literature and methodology that can later be applied to the Master's thesis. The thesis must be completed within six months.

Further information

Bachelor's degree in a bioscience, biomedical, natural sciences or a psychological field (in this case with previous basic knowledge/experience in neuroscience)

Students in the final year of their Bachelor's or equivalent degree course are also eligible to apply, provided that the degree will be conferred prior to enrolment.

Further information

Goethe University charges an administrative fee of approx. 360 EUR per semester (less than 730 EUR per year). This includes a ticket for public transport and free entrance to public museums. The "magic ticket" entitles you to use buses, trams, and the underground in Frankfurt and the surrounding area. You can even use the regional trains to travel to various other cities, e.g. Marburg, Giessen, or Mainz.

The cost of living in Frankfurt depends on personal requirements and lifestyle. However, students should expect minimum expenses of approx. 940 EUR per month. This calculation is based on the following items: 800 EUR for rent, food, clothing, and study materials, around 81 EUR for compulsory health insurance that is almost comprehensive, and approx. 60 EUR for the semester contribution (including free public transport).

In Frankfurt, 44,000 companies and organisations have approx. 450,000 employees on their payrolls. In addition, Frankfurt is the financial centre of Germany, with 350 banks, including the European Central Bank, 150 foreign banks, and the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world. Furthermore, Frankfurt is home to various cultural and research institutions. These are key players in a flourishing economy, offering students and graduates interesting jobs and internships. During your studies, there are plenty of job opportunities at Goethe-Universität itself (e.g. as a tutor or research assistant), or you may look for jobs and internships elsewhere in the greater Frankfurt area. Some job opportunities are particularly interesting for students from abroad, e.g. at the airport and the trade fair. The "Studentenwerk" as well as the Career Services at Goethe-Universität can help you to find a suitable offer.

Goethe-Universität provides a well-developed career service and has a lot of interesting offers, some of which are even tailor-made for students from abroad.

Frankfurt am Main offers a wide variety of accommodations, from university dorms to privately rented apartments. The biggest providers of dorms are the Studierendenwerk (student services) and churches.
The 26 dormitories offer more than 2,887 different accommodation units starting from 203 EUR per month for a single room to up to 590 EUR for a family apartment of 45m².
For further information, click here.

As these rooms are in high demand, we strongly recommend that students contact such organisations as soon as they receive their letter of acceptance to the programme.