The application for admission to the Master's program is done electronically through our on-line admissions application. Before starting the admission process it is advisable to consult the following information and follow the instructions described in Admission step by step:
Specific access and admission requirements:
The specific requirements for access to the Master's Degree in Biodiversity are:
To be in possession of an official higher degree (Bachelor's Degree or equivalent) related to biological sciences (Biology, Environmental Sciences, Marine Sciences, Agricultural Engineering or Forestry Engineering), with an academic profile consistent with the field of organisms and systems.
Alternatively, applications from students with other related official higher degrees not included in the above list, such as Molecular Biology, Food Science and Technology, Medicine, or Veterinary Medicine, will also be considered, provided that they can prove additional training related to the study of Biodiversity.
Documentation to be attached to the application
Mandatory documents:
- DNI / Passport
- Academic transcript of grades of undergraduate studies (1)
- Curriculum Vitae
- Certificate of the average grade (2) [Required for students who have not done their access studies at the UAM].
- Proof of Spanish language proficiency at B2 level [Compulsory only for non-Spanish speaking students].
- Access Degree: If you have completed your studies at the time of applying for the master's degree, you must attach the degree certificate/diploma, bachelor's degree, or equivalent (or proof of having applied for the degree) in the application.
Optional Documents:
- A letter of recommendation from a researcher or professor with whom the student has had previous contact.
- A brief expression of interest where the student explains his/her professional goals in relation to the professional field for which the Master in Biodiversity qualifies.
- Accredit knowledge of English with a minimum level that allows the correct understanding of written scientific articles. This level corresponds to B1, which is the same level required for undergraduate degrees in the EHEA.
(1) The academic transcript must be translated if it is not in the Spanish language. It will not be necessary to translate documents if they are in English, French, Italian or Portuguese.
In the case of having taken Master’s/Doctoral studies, we recommend including them as additional documents to your application.
(2) If you have studied in Spain, you should attach a Certificate showing the average grade (on a scale of 0 to 10). If you have already studied at UAM, you will not need to submit this certificate.
If you have studied outside of Spain, you will need to submit the average grade equivalence issued by the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (see section “related links”).
Admission Criteria
Among the assessment criteria for admission to the Master's, the following are included:
- Relevance of the access degree (Bachelor's or equivalent) to the content of the Master's.
- Standardized academic record.
- Curriculum vitae, emphasizing the candidate's previous tasks related to research in Botany, Zoology, Ecology, Silviculture, or other directly related areas. It will be especially valued to have obtained grants or scholarships to carry out research tasks as well as having presentations at conferences and/or scientific publications.
- Other demonstrable activities in research groups of universities or other public or private centers.
If deemed appropriate, the Master's Coordination Committee may conduct personal interviews with candidates."
Weighting:
Admission Criteria
|
Weighting |
Evaluation of the academic record |
60% |
Scientific merits related to the field of the Master's degree and CV
|
15% |
Level of English
|
5% |
Other merits (professional goals, letter of recommendation) |
20% |
Recommendation for Elective Course Registration
To complete the 24 ECTS of elective courses, the student should enroll in six of the offered electives. The academic scheduling of the master's program is designed for the student to register for three electives in the first semester and three in the second semester. This way, the distribution of credits will be balanced between semesters.
Other requirements for students with non-EU qualifications
When you have been notified about your acceptance on the Master's Degree, and your acceptance is based on a university qualification issued by a higher education institution not belonging to the EHEA, you will need to legalize the qualification via diplomatic channels in order to formalize registration, or by means of a “Hague Convention Apostille”.
You can check these procedures in the pages on Legalization of foreign qualifications and Declaration of average grade.
If necessary, you may need to include an official translation into the Spanish language of this document.