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BIO5000 - Introductory Course for Masterstudents

Course content

The course is a review of important and necessary tools and working methods that MSc students at the Department of Biology are faced with. Key topics include research ethics, the history of natural sciences and problems linked to writing a master's thesis. Scientific staff, guest lecturers and former MSc students will give talks and lectures on their experiences and provide useful information on being an MSc student. It is strongly recommended that students take this course in the first semester of their MSc.

Learning outcomes

The course aims to give new MSc students at the Department of Biology the necessary information and training to make the transition to a master degree as smooth as possible. The course will contain some practical information, but it is primarily the master thesis and challenges faced by students in the research process that are the main focuses. Topics such as scientific communication, presentation of research results, safety regulations and ethics are covered. An introduction to important tools, such as the EndNote reference tool, is also given. This course is mandatory for all new MSc students .

Admission

Students at UiO must apply for courses in StudentWeb.

International applicants, if you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures for international applicants.

Prerequisites

Formal prerequisites

Participants must be accepted to the master programme prior to taking BIO5000. You have to attend to the course MNLAB0020 prior or meanwhile you attend to this course.

Teaching

The course will be held over five days in the beginning of each semester. Participation, an exam and a hand in and presentation of the MSc project description in the following semester are compulsory.

Exam information

To pass the course you have to participate in lectures, pass a 1-hour multiple choice exam and hand in and present the project description for your master thesis in the following semester.

Assessment and grading

Students are awarded either a passing or a failing grade. Read more about the grading system .

Explanations and appeals

Students can request an explanation of their grades, and can also appeal against their grades or make a complaint about formal examination errors. Read more about explanations and appeals

Possibility of make-up exams and re-takes

You can usually resit an exam, but the conditions depend on whether you had a valid reason for absence from the regular exam. Read more about resitting an exam .

Withdrawing from exams and limits on re-takes

A student can sit for this exam up to 3 times. If a student wishes to withdraw from the exam, s/he must do this in StudentWeb at least two weeks prior to the first day of the exam. Failure to do so will be counted as one of the three opportunities to sit for the exam.

Exam options for students with special needs

Students may apply for access to alternative exam resources or exam forms on the basis of chronic illness and/or special needs that create a marked disadvantage to other students in the exam situation. Mothers who are breastfeeding may apply for extra time to complete the exam.

Evaluation of this course

Feedback from our students is essential to us in our efforts to ensure and further improve the high quality of our programmes and courses. As a student at the University of Oslo you will therefore be asked to participate in various types of evaluation of our courses, facilities and services. All courses are subject to continuous evaluation. At regular intervals we also ask students on a particular course to participate in a more comprehensive, in-depth evaluation of this course, a so called "periodic evaluation".

Periodic evaluation Autumn 2011.

Other information

Up until Spring 2010 this course was given as a 2 credits course over three days.

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