Agrobiotechnology Justus Liebig University Giessen

Biotechnology has produced a new and leading technology that is helping to determine the direction of global economic development and international competitiveness. Since the early 1990s, there has been rapid progress in the biotechnology sector, driven mainly by the results of genomic research and, more recently, by rapid developments in cell biology (cell factories) and technological advances. Growth in these areas is expected to continue to accelerate. For the good of our future, the energies resulting from the explosion of knowledge taking place in these fundamental domains must be harnessed to the development of technologies that will benefit society as a whole.

Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU) offers an international Master's degree programme in Agrobiotechnology in order to meet the growing worldwide importance of biotechnology, not least in university education, for plant and animal production as well as for nutritional sciences. JLU was the first German university to take up the global challenge of establishing an internationally oriented course of studies that provides the highest level of academic training for entry into the biotechnology and agricultural sectors of the global economy. The overall goal of the Master’s programme in Agrobiotechnology at JLU is to prepare scientists in both the traditional “pure” disciplines and in the fields of agriculture and nutrition for leadership roles at the forefront of the agriculture and food sector.

One important educational goal is to provide students with practical methods and expertise based on a broad scientific foundation. In order to achieve this goal, the following factors are crucial:

• research-oriented study
• solving problems in current farming practice
• the acquisition of international expertise and the promotion of creativity and innovation
• attention to the need to identify and assess the impact of technological processes

The study programme is organised in modules (courses). Each module comprises four semester hours per week and is completed with a final examination. The final grade of the study programme is calculated from the achieved module grades.

The course consists of eight mandatory modules (core modules), six optional modules (profile modules), a work placement (or two more profile modules) and the Master's thesis.

Having completed the core modules, the students are well equipped with a solid scientific education and ready to deepen their knowledge in specific research areas. By individually choosing their profile modules from a diverse range of study areas, students shape their individual competence profiles.

Core Modules (mandatory):

• Applied Statistics
• Plant Protection and Bioengineering
• Molecular Phytopathology
• Biochemistry Lab Course Biochemistry
• Biotechnology and Genomics
• Microbial Food Biotechnology
• Animal Nutrition and Feed Science
• Principles of Scientific Practice

Profile Modules

Students tailor their individual profile by selecting six modules and the work placement or eight modules from the entire profile module catalogue of the faculty. For example, you can choose profile modules from the following subject areas:

• Plant Breeding
• Phytopathology
• General and Soil Microbiology
• Insect Biotechnology in Plant Protection
• Microbiology of Recycling Processes
• Agricultural and Food Market Analysis
• Insect Biotechnology
• Natural Product Research
• Landscape, Water and Biogeochemical Cycles
• Landscape Ecology and Landscape Planning
• Agricultural, Food and Environmental Policy
• Agronomy and Crop Physiology
• Biometry and Population Genetics
• Crop Biomass and Bioresources
• Bioprocess Engineering and Pharmaceutical Technology
• Political Science

Recommended programme schedule:

The international "Agrobiotechnology" Master's degree programme offers a voluntary work placement that enables our students to gain an initial insight into the various areas of professional activity in which they hope to pursue in the future. The work placement also enables them to collect hands-on professional experience and establish contacts with potential employers. The work placement can be conducted in various areas such as the chemical industry, agricultural corporations, the food industry, government agencies or NGOs. The variety of contacts that our faculty possesses allows us to provide expert support to students seeking a work placement.

In general, students can apply for this Master's programme if they hold a Bachelor's degree with a duration of at least three years (180 Credits) or a comparable degree. The Bachelor's degree must be completed in a closely related scientific field. For example:

• Agrarbiologie (Agricultural Biology)
• Agrarwissenschaften (Agricultural Science)
• Biologie (Biology)
• Biotechnologie (Biotechnology)
• Nachwachsende Rohstoffe und Bioressourcen (Crop Biomass and Bioresources)

Applications with a Bachelor’s degree in another scientific field or with a Bachelor’s degree from abroad will be examined individually as to whether the study requirements are fulfilled. A specialist commission at JLU will then finally decide on the admission. Any information on the status of acceptance without having completed the application process is not possible.

Detailed information about the application process is provided here: https://www.uni-giessen.de/en/faculties/f09/studies/general.

403 EUR (summer semester 2026, varies slightly with each semester)

The current semester contribution can be found here: https://www.uni-giessen.de/en/org/admin/departments/b/5/studoffice/sc.

• Partial scholarships for international students at JLU in the closing phase of their degree: Partial scholarships are possible for three to six months and range between 300 to 450 EUR per month. More: https://www.uni-giessen.de/en/international-pages/study/grants/closingphase

• DAAD scholarships for more equity and opportunity: Possible funding duration of one to six months, ranging from 300 to 450 EUR per month for students who face special challenges during their studies (a disability, a chronic illness, a refugee background, single parenting and those caring for close relatives in Germany). More: https://www.uni-giessen.de/en/international-pages/study/grants/equalopportunities

Career Service and special opportunities for international students: www.uni-giessen.de/en/faculties/research-centers/zfbk/career_services/

The cost of accommodation in Giessen ranges between 400 and 500 EUR/month on average. Students usually live in halls of residence provided by the Student Union (Studierendenwerk Giessen) or in shared flats from the private housing market.

Accommodation in the halls of residence is available between 240 and 420 EUR per month. The rooms are fully furnished and equipped with gas, electricity, warm water and internet. Students may apply for a spot in the halls of residence or search for private accommodation, ideally three to four months before starting their studies.

More information via www.uni-giessen.de/en/international-pages/study/around-gi/accommodation/where-to-live-in-giessen

Founded in 1607, Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU), Germany, is a comprehensive university with a longstanding tradition which attracts around 25,000 students. JLU offers the full range of traditional and modern subjects with top-level teaching and research — extending from classical natural sciences, law and economics, social and educational sciences, linguistics and cultural studies to a unique selection of life science subjects such as human and veterinary medicine, agricultural, environmental and nutritional sciences and food chemistry. The leading personae who carried out research and taught at JLU include a number of Nobel Prize winners, such as Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen (Nobel Prize for Physics in 1901) and Wangari Maathai (Nobel Peace Prize in 2004). Since 2006, research at JLU has received continuous funding from the Excellence Initiative schemes and the Excellence Strategy of the German Federal Republic and Federal States.

With around 94,000 inhabitants, Giessen has one of the highest student densities throughout Germany. Four higher education institutions with altogether 40,000 students provide a unique university-town atmosphere. The city offers plenty of leisure options for students, such as canoeing on the Lahn river, walks and picnics in its multiple green areas, cinemas with student concession tickets, the municipal theatre with a programme consisting of plays, opera and ballet as well as swimming pools and sports facilities, and a variety of pubs, restaurants and night life venues. The great thing about Giessen is that it's an easy place to navigate and, when the mood takes you, to escape into the picturesque surrounding countryside or the metropolis of Frankfurt am Main, which is about 60 kilometres away.