Human Biology – Principles of Health and Disease Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München

The outstanding Faculties of Biology and Medicine at LMU offer a first-rate programme leading to a Master of Science in Human Biology. The Master's programme Human Biology – Principles of Health and Disease is an interdisciplinary, research- and competency-oriented programme that provides a deep understanding of how health and disease work.

The Master's programme Human Biology – Principles of Health and Disease is taught in English to a maximum of 30 highly motivated and engaged students. It offers a state-of-the-art education at a modern research location in a wide variety of biomedical core subjects, such as “Autoimmunity and Immunotherapy”, “Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases”, “Genomics and Stem Cells”, “Molecular Microbiology”, "Molecular Oncology" and “Neurosciences”. The curriculum offers numerous compulsory or elective modules and interdisciplinary courses. The students will be educated and supported by a mentoring programme with excellent, experienced and internationally-known professors in order to become outstanding researchers.

In addition to the faculties of Biology and Medicine at LMU, students will have the possibility to carry out a research project with one of our numerous collaboration partners at home and abroad (including both research institutes and industry).

The standard duration of the Master’s programme is four semesters, including the completion of a Master’s thesis. The programme comprises a total of 120 ECTS credits, with students typically earning approximately 30 credits per semester. The curriculum is organised into a modular system that encompasses thematically related areas of research, integrating lectures, seminars, and practical courses. A key focus is placed on learning within the context of current research projects. Modules can be individually selected and combined based on each student’s academic goals and interests.

First Semester – Foundational Training:
The first semester is designed to build on and deepen the knowledge acquired during the Bachelor’s programme. Students gain fundamental practical skills that prepare them for the more specialised courses in later semesters.

Second and Third Semesters – Advanced Training in Core Topics:
During the second and third semesters, students focus on their chosen areas of interest and begin their academic specialisation.

Required components include lectures, seminars, hands-on practical courses, and research-based practicals.

Research internships can also be carried out in collaboration with industry partners or at partner institutes in Munich or abroad. Regular guest lectures give students opportunities to network and connect with potential future employers.

In addition to the core curriculum, students can broaden their expertise by selecting from a range of interdisciplinary courses.

Fourth Semester – Master’s Thesis Module:
The programme concludes with a 24-week research project culminating in the writing and defence of a Master’s thesis. This final phase allows students to demonstrate their ability to conduct independent, responsible scientific research. The Master’s module also includes supplementary elements such as a research seminar and colloquia, supporting the development of presentation and discussion skills in a scholarly context.

The required research internships can also be completed in industry or at our cooperation partners in Munich or abroad.

The next application round for the Master of Science programme in Human Biology – Principles of Health and Disease starting in the winter semester 2027/28 will take place in 2027.

• You have successfully completed a Bachelor's degree programme with at least 180 ECTS credits or equivalent in Biology, Human Biology or a related subject (e.g. Biomedical Science, Bioinformatics, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Medicine, Physics, or Biophysics). If you have not yet completed a Bachelor's programme in one of the above-mentioned subjects, you should expect to do so within the next months.
• Your Bachelor's curriculum should include a final research project (Bachelor's thesis) with a written thesis credited with at least 10 ECTS credits. If your Bachelor's programme does not require a thesis, you are still eligible to apply if you have completed or will complete an equivalent course or internship. A course or an internship will be considered as equivalent, if it concerns a long-term research project (of at least eight weeks / 300 hours) combined with a written report according to good scientific writing standards. The project details of the equivalent course or internship should be described in the online application form.

97 EUR per semester

Here’s a basic outline of what you should budget for monthly living costs in Munich:

• Rooms in private housing including utilities: 600 to 1,000 EUR
• Rooms in university housing including utilities: 400 to 600 EUR
• Food, health insurance, leisure activities: 500 EUR
• "Deutschlandticket für Studierende" (public transportation): 43 EUR per month

And there’s good news! With a valid student identity card, you’ll have access to steep price reductions for Munich’s many cultural events (like theatre, concerts, museums, and more), as well as at the many on-campus student cafeterias and cafés.

Part-time jobs could be offered in the various working groups.

There is no financial aid system offered by LMU Munich.

Students can apply for different scholarships, that are competitive funding opportunities: e.g. Deutschlandstipendium, SIST LMU Study scholarship (only international students), or the SIST LMU Study completion scholarship (only international students).

Please visit the following link for further information:
Scholarships – LMU Munich

The Master's programme Human Biology – Principles of Health and Disease is accompanied by a comprehensive mentoring programme. From enrolment until graduation, students will be supported by several people, depending on their specific needs.

Each student will be assigned a professor as a mentor who will foster the development of both the personal and individual scientific profile. Professors involved in this Master’s programme are at the cutting-edge of their respective fields and have an international profile. During regular conversations between student and mentor, mentors will support students’ scientific and personal career development.
The Study Dean, the Student Council, the Examination Office and the Study Coordinator and the Career Service from LMU "Student and Arbeitsmarkt" also provide valuable assistance to students during their studies.

For further information, please visit the following link: https://www.lmu.de/en/workspace-for-students/student-life/housing/.

LMU Munich is recognised as one of the top-ranked universities in Europe. Research and teaching at the university's 18 faculties are committed to the highest international standards of excellence. Students can choose from over 200 degree programmes ranging from the humanities and social sciences to economics and law as well as medicine and natural sciences. A growing number of Master's and doctoral programmes are taught in English.

LMU Munich forms part of a unique network of research institutions, foundations, and corporations in and around the city. Its campuses and a lively international student community constitute an integral part of the urban landscape. Home to approximately 1.5 million people, Munich is not only an important hub for higher education, research, technology, and the media. With its renowned museums, galleries, theatres, and festivals, the capital of Bavaria also ranks among the major European cultural centres. Its proximity to the surrounding lakes and the Bavarian Alps adds to Munich's inimitable appeal.

Together, the Faculty of Biology and the Faculty of Medicine of LMU represent a thriving research network. Biologists and medical doctors at LMU work together successfully on numerous important international and interdisciplinary projects, supported research clusters and programmes. Their outstanding research output is internationally recognised, and it gives significant impulse to the basic research in biomedical sciences.

The successful research is confirmed by a number of international rankings, including the Times Higher Education Ranking (2025), in which LMU is ranked 38th worldwide in the field of biological research.

The Master's programme Human Biology – Principles of Health and Disease is characterised by excellent facilities for contemporary research in Munich and just outside of Munich at the modern High Tech Campus in Martinsried, where the main part of the programme will be held. At the High Tech Campus, next to the Faculty of Biology (Biocenter) and the Faculty of Medicine (Biomedical Center and the University Hospital), further high-profile institutions are situated. These are the Max-Planck-Institute of Biological Intelligence and Neurobiology, the Helmholtz Zentrum Munich (Institute of Epigenetics and Stem Cells, Comprehensive Pneumology Center), the Gene Center and the Research Center for Molecular Biosystems, the Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research and the Institute for Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology (IBE). In parallel, the knowledge of these institutes acquires feeds into real-world biotechnological and medical applications, for example, through start-up companies that are also based at the HighTechCampus. For example, the "Fördergesellschaft IZB mbH", is home to over 60 biotech companies with over 650 employees.

Further significant institutes of the Faculty of Medicine – which are also involved in the Master’s programme – are situated at the Medical Campus in downtown Munich. They include: the Institute for Cardiovascular Prevention (IPEK), the Max von Pettekofer Institute and the Institute of Pathology and the Walther Straub Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology.

Another unique feature of Munich is that it is the home of all six types of German Centers for Health Research established by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF). Their translational research topics focus on a variety of diseases, including cancer and diabetes as well as cardiovascular, lung, infectious and neurodegenerative disorders. The Faculty of Medicine is involved in the research of all these centres. All five topics of the current Master’s programme are represented within the focus areas of the Centers for Health Research.
The existing cooperative network with all these institutions provides our students with a unique, rich and modern research environment.