Is Molecular Biology for you?
Want to know if the master in Molecular Biology programme is a good fit for you? See the information and activities below to find out.
What does this programme involve?
Join an outstanding programme uniting the expertise of three Belgian universities: VUB, KU Leuven and the University of Antwerp. The programme content is designed by multidisciplinary scientific teams and taught by leading researchers with proven scientific credentials. Develop the skills and mentality necessary to drive science forward in this exciting field, as a result of our careful blending of theory and practice.
Who better to tell you what this programme is like than the students who've participated?
- Christopher Kinyanjui Kariuki | PhD student
”During the master’s programme, the theoretical breadth of knowledge delivered was perfectly matched with the practical sessions that we undertook. The professors and technical staff were spot on with their delivery of information and their engaging manner during lectures and practicals. This, combined with the hard-working and accessible secretariat, made the IPMB course one of the best educational decisions I've ever made. I still have fond memories of our trips to the different laboratories in the Flanders region to get to know more about the scientific community and to network for our master’s thesis projects, which, thanks to our course organisers, included a wonderful experience of the Flemish cultural history of the various towns where the laboratories were situated. It is essentially these and other numerous experiences during the master’s course that enabled me to confidently undertake my current PhD topic on characterising various surface proteins from the malaria parasite under the Cellular and Molecular Immunology (CMIM) laboratory. IPMB gave me the necessary impetus and experience to embark on this journey into the molecular way of learning about the biological sciences. My scientific saga is still unfolding…”
- Evangelina Bolli | Alumna and PhD student
"During the practical training, I discovered a very attractive speciality: the field of cancer immunology. I did my master dissertation on this research topic. It was a difficult year. However, carrying out research gave me so much knowledge and experience that I just kept trying until I achieved interesting results. After finishing the programme, my only wish was to become a PhD student studying the topic of macrophages, the top regulators of immune responses that induce cancer growth and metastasis. The depletion of these protumoral macrophages could be a novel cancer therapy. What I learned is that if you really want something, you should work for it. Nothing is impossible. All you need is perseverance and the odd bit of luck."
Why study at the VUB?
Studying at VUB gives you more than a diploma. You learn to view the world with an open mind and without prejudice. You hone your critical thinking, and you learn to express your opinion. You commit not just to study, but to participate in meaningful social projects that make the world a better place. In short, this is where you shape your identity. Who you are today and want to be tomorrow.
Spread the study load
Create your own studypath
Within the VUB, we want to maximize our commitment to personal development and give as many students as possible the opportunity to continue their studies and develop themselves. Depending on your personal situation, it may be more difficult to devote full time to your studies. For example, you combine your studies with a job, you do top-level sports, ...   
At VUB you study at your own pace. With a flexible study pathway you make room for your personal situation (elite sports, dyslexia, disability, etc.). More information?
Study and examination flexibility
Reflex status
Do you have a physical disability, learning disability or chronic illness, or are you starting a business or finding it harder to study because of your personal situation? If so, you qualify for Reflex Status.
With this you can ask for a flexible approach to your studies and exams, to maximise your chances of success. You may need access to course materials, for example, or more time to sit an exam, a translator or interpreter, staggered examinations, and so on.
Elite sports and studying
Elite sports and study
Keen to combine your elite sporting career with a programme at VUB? It makes sense, as it strengthens your position in the jobs market after your sporting career ends.
Our Elite Sports & Study department helps you work out a personal study pathway and guides you through to the end.
Studying with a disability
Studying with a functional impairment
Do you have a disability (for example, a learning disability, chronic medical condition, psychiatric or sensory disability)? If so, you qualify for a flexible approach to your studies and exams through Reflex Status, to maximise your chances of success. You may need access to course materials, for example, or more time to sit an exam, a translator or interpreter, staggered examinations, and so on.
Find out more about Reflex Status
For extra support there are other student services to draw on at VUB. For example, a wheelchair-adapted room, study guidance and a personal study-pathway, mental healthcare, medical care, etc.
Study Guidance
Study Guidance
An experienced team of student psychologists, student counsellors and study-pathway supervisors are there to give you personal study advice, guidance and training. At every phase in your study career.
- Individual - Advice on your choice of programme, stress and anxiety training, help with exam planning, help for students with dyslexia...
- Group (workshops, courses) - Choosing a subject for your bachelor's or master's thesis, learning to present, dealing with stress and anxiety...
- Tools - An example of good weekly planning, tips and tricks for a good study method, a step plan to help you choose the right programme...
Combining your studies with a job
The Master in Molecular Biology is a daytime only programme. Therefore, there is no option to combine this study with a fulltime job.