The Master's programme in Behavior, Evolution and Conservation
(BEC) is for students who wish to deepen their knowledge in ecology, evolutionary biology and conservation biology, while developing relevant technical and quantitative skills. The programme offers a broad
selection of courses
on subjects ranging from evolutionary genetics and molecular mechanisms of evolution, through social behavior and interspecific interactions, to applied ecology and conservation biology. The technical and quantitative skills are fostered through dedicated courses in molecular methods applied to ecology, statistics, bioinformatics, programming, GIS, spatial modeling, and scientific writing. Several field courses prepare students for research in the field. A course on mountain ecosystems integrates many of these concepts and techniques in the context of the local Alpine environment. Finally, three
interdisciplinary specialisations
within the program provide links to economics, geosciences, and computational biology.
A strong emphasis is placed on students'
personal research projects
which account for 50% of the credits towards the degree. Researchers associated with the master's programme assure an opportunity for a large diversity of projects that may involve field work, laboratory experiments, genomics, bioinformatics or modeling, in a broad range of animals, plants and microbe systems. Most of the teachers and researchers associated with the Master BEC are at the
Department of Ecology and Evolution
(DEE); other involved departments include the
Department of Computational Biology
, the
Center for Integrative Genomics
(CIG), the
Department of Fundamental Microbiology
(DMF) as well as external institutions, such as the
Zoological Museum of Lausanne
, the
Lausanne Botanical Garden
, or the environmental research and education center
Maison de la Rivière
.
The language of the Master's program is English. While preexisting knowledge of French is thus not required, learning some French would make living in Lausanne much easier.
The Master's degree in Behavior, Evolution and Conservation prepares students for classical scientific careers, as well as for those where communication skills are essential, or where the ability to develop, manage and plan projects are key. Typical examples of career opportunities are in academic research, museums, conservation NGOs, federal research stations and offices, public services for environmental protection, and private applied ecology agencies. The strong statistical skills developed in the Master are also sought after, e.g., in public health, whereas the orientation towards biodiversity provides a good basis for students who want to become biology teachers.