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Degree Project in Biology

During the degree project you will gain deeper theoretical knowledge within part of the biological subject area and learn to work independently on a scientific question, usually within an ongoing research project.

The degree project is an independant assignment which results in a thesis. By most students considered to be the most interesting and rewarding part of their education, but also the most demanding as you put your previous knowledge and skills to work.

Recent degree projects

  • Temporal genomic change in the Scandinavian brown bear
  • Primate brain size correlates with life history and group size
  • POU/Oct transcription factor Nubbin in Drosophila immunity
  • Course structure

    The degree project consists of two parts, the project plan and the project work.

    When you start the course, you will begin by working on the project plan and time plan, allowing you to read up on the background as well as plan your work. The aim of the project plan is to make sure you understand the tasks involved before you begin the project work and that you gain experience in formulating a scientific hypothesis.

    The project work involves working on the tasks set out in your project plan. The aim is that you should be able to perform a scientific study and lead a scientific discussion within a part of the biological subject area.

    Note that the course is also offered in other scopes:

    Degree project in biology 45 credits

    Degree project in biology 60 credits

    Teaching format

    During the course you work indepedently under supervision. What you work on is dependent on the project you choose and is decided in agreement with your supervisor (see below in More Information).

    Assessment

    You present the project plan and the project work both orally and in writing. The written part for the project work should be in the form of a scientific report including a popular summary and an ethical and societal reflection. The oral examination is in the form of a seminar normally held at the research department, and is open to colleagues at the deparment, students as well as family and friends.

    Examiner

    The examiner depends on which subdiscipline your project best fits. The examiner and supervisor can not be the same person.

    See list of examiners for degree projects

  • Schedule

    The schedule will be available no later than one month before the start of the course. We do not recommend print-outs as changes can occur. At the start of the course, your department will advise where you can find your schedule during the course.

    The course does not have set start and end dates, but you should apply for the course the period that best fits when you plan to do the project. Which weeks you will work and what workhours you should keep is an agreement you make with your supervisor, these are then specified in the time plan which must be approved by the examiner. Degree project 30 ECTS credits should be equivalent to 18 full time work weeks, while 45 credits is equivalent to 27 weeks and 60 credits equate to 36 weeks.

     

  • Course literature

    Note that the course literature can be changed up to two months before the start of the course.

    The degree project does not have any set literature. As part of the project you will read literature assigned by your supervisor as well as identify relevant literature to read yourself.

  • Course reports

    Collated answers are for the full year (not only spring term)

  • More information

    Before you start your degree project, you must follow all these steps:

    • Apply as usual on Universityadmissions.se. Apply to the period that best matches your plans.
    • When the application has closed, you will receive a link to a form where you fill in the supervisor and research idea (a very brief description of the planned project). The deadline for submission is normally about one month after the application closes.
    • When the supervisor and research idea have been approved, you will be admitted (assuming that you are eligible) and you can register online.

    You can not start the traineeship until you have registered for the course! This is important because you are not insured by the university until you are registered.

    The supervisor and project

    It is your responsibility to find a suitable project and supervisor.

    The supervisor is responsible for the theoretical and practical supervision during the entire degree project. The supervisor should hold a doctorate within the relevant subject. There are often others, e.g., PhD-students that help you during your degree project, however, there is only one official supervisor.

    Reading about ongoing research projects on the department’s websites:

    Other ways of finding ideas for projects include:

    • discussing possible projects with the teachers on the courses you take
    • MyCareer listings

    External projects

    If the project and supervisor are tied to a work place other than Stockholm University, e.g., an authority, company or a university abroad, it counts as an external degree project. In these cases you must also have an internal supervisor who ensures that the project complies with the requirements we set and guides you in regards to our routines.

    Projects abroad

    Some projects require data collection abroad. In this case you should talk to your supervisor and BIG early on to make necessary arrangements to ensure that you are insured during the time abroad.

    After the course

    A completed degree project is a requirement for the Master's degree, 30 ECTS credits is enough to qualify for a Master's degree in Biology. At most you can include 60 ECTS credits of degree projects in your degree.

    A completed degree project is also a requirement for eligibility for postgraduate studies in biology at Stockholm University.

  • Contact

    Student office
    Study counsellor for advanced level