Quantitative Biology Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf

The international Bachelor in Quantitative Biology is a new degree programme offered jointly by Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf and the University of Cologne. It integrates the study of biology and its experiments with methods of mathematical modelling, data science, and bioinformatics. The resulting curriculum is strictly oriented toward the needs of modern biological and medical research.

In contrast to traditional biology curricula, the modules in the first two years are not divided between botany, zoology, microbiology, etc. Instead, you will acquire understanding of the basic principles in biology, which lead sometimes to very similar results or sometimes to very different results in distinct organisms. The study programme equips you with profound knowledge of biology, including the mastery of important experimental, mathematical, statistical, and computational methods. The integrative design of the teaching modules embeds the necessary quantitative skills in biological contexts. Courses are taught in English, and almost all modules include practical courses or exercises, to help you internalise the course contents in an applied setting. Our central aim is to empower you to combine biological with quantitative-analytical thinking, so that you will be optimally positioned for a career in modern research.

In the first five semesters, interdisciplinary modules provide a deep understanding of biological mechanisms, phenomena, and concepts, combined with the relevant physical and chemical foundations. Besides teaching fundamental experimental techniques, we put particular emphasis on mathematical modelling, biostatistics, and bioinformatics. The four-year variant (quantBio+), which you can select in semester four, is designed to give you more freedom to plan stays abroad and offers room for additional, intensive research experience in academia and industry.

University of Cologne

The application period is from 1 May to 15 July every year.

1. You register at the Hochschulstart online portal. You will receive a BID (application identification number) and a BAN (application authentication number).

2. With your BID and BAN, you can now apply via the online portal of Heinrich Heine University.

General university entrance qualification (high school diploma)

A semester fee of approx. 350 EUR is required upon registration/enrolment as a student or doctoral researcher. This fee covers transport by bus, tram, and regional trains within North Rhine-Westphalia for the entire semester as well as the use of student facilities at discounted prices.

Students or doctoral researchers should calculate monthly expenses amounting to at least 1,000 EUR in order to live in a modest way, including costs for housing, food, health insurance, semester fees, study materials, etc.

A limited number of campus jobs are available. Students from non-EU countries are permitted to work 240 half days or 120 full days per calendar year without a work permit.

On-campus student accommodation is available, as is private accommodation near campus. For further information, please check http://www.stw-d.de or send an e-mail to info@stw-d.de.
Doctoral students can contact the tutor service of the Junior Scientist & International Researcher Centre (JUNO) for information and support concerning accommodation in Düsseldorf (www.juno.hhu.de/en/tutorservice).

Depending on the type of accommodation, the monthly rent in Düsseldorf usually ranges from around 500 EUR to 600 EUR for a basic apartment or a room in a shared apartment ("Wohngemeinschaft").