Evolutionary Biology Leiden University

Overview

In the master's programme Evolutionary Biology you identify evolutionary changes over time and study the origin and maintenance of biological variation all over the tree of life.

The mechanisms that drive the adaptation of organisms and their features are investigated at all biological levels. Thus, the specialisation includes genomics, functional developmental genetics, paleobiology, behavioral biology and evolutionary ecology. The important contribution of Naturalis to the programme makes this specialisation particularly attractive.

If you are interested in gaining state-of-the-art knowledge of all aspects of evolutionary biology, this master's specialisation is the right choice. You will be prepared for a PhD programme or research positions at universities or institutes.

Career prospects

Approximately half of the graduates choose a career in scientific research, many as PhD students. Universities, research institutes and Medical Centres are the major employers. Others work at consultancies or in the public domain as policy-makers, science communicators or teachers. Graduates also occupy management positions or have project responsibility in a wide variety of (non-)commercial sectors, from biotechnological and pharmaceutical companies to software development.

Accreditation

Accredited by NVAO, the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders.