Insect Biotechnology and Bioresources Justus Liebig University Giessen

With more than one million scientifically described species, insects are the largest group of organisms on Earth. As an emerging interdisciplinary research area, insect biotechnology explores insects as well as insect-associated micro- and macro-organisms as emerging bioresources in the fields of medicine, crop protection, pharmaceuticals, industrial food and biotechnology.

During your studies, you will deal intensively with the systematics and ecology of insects and acquire specific scientific and technical knowledge. You will also learn about various methodical research approaches to investigate insects and their associated organisms as a new resource for food and luxury food, enzymes and bioactive natural products and finally to refine fully developed products.

The study programme is characterised by a strong emphasis on research and practical relevance as well as a high level of interdisciplinary approaches and projects.

The English Master‘s programme in Insect Biotechnology and Bioresources is offered by the Faculty 09 Agricultural Sciences, Nutritional Sciences, and Environmental Management in cooperation with the Faculty 08 Biology and Chemistry and the Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen – University of Applied Sciences.

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 programme 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
• Principles of Scientific Practice
• Entomology I
• Entomology II
• Food Technology
• Insect Biotechnology and Integrated Pest Management
• Bioresources for Natural Product Discovery
• Natural Product Chemistry

Profile Modules

Students tailor their individual profile by selecting six modules and the internship 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 "Insect Biotechnology and Bioresources" 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:

• Agrarwissenschaften (Agricultural Science)
• Biologie (Biology)
• Biotechnologie (Biotechnology)
• Chemie (Chemistry)
• Lebensmittelchemie (Food Chemistry)
• 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. For this degree programme the application includes a letter of motivation with 500 words (+/- 10%) outlining the candidate’s personal motivation and subject-specific knowledge. The criteria for the evaluation of the motivation letter are given in the examination regulations.

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.