General Information and Procedures

Admission

The Specialised Master of Science in Infection Biology is a 90 ECTS1 Bologna-compatible degree, requiring three semesters for completion. The Specialised Master of Science in Epidemiology is a 120 ECTS Bologna-compatible degree, requiring four semesters for completion. All lectures and courses are conducted in English. To be eligible for Master level studies at Swiss TPH, students must have the pre-requisites requested by the University of Basel according to the Bologna system for graduate studies. A Bachelor Degree with at least 180 ECTS credit points is required, of which at least 150 ECTS must have been acquired from the corresponding field of study (eligible BSc degrees are listed below).

Since autumn 2016, the program may host a few guest students from the MSc in Global Health offered by University of Geneva. This program offers students the option to take one semester in partner programs such as the MSc in Epidemiology for those who like to focus on epidemiology. These guest students do not complete their degree in Basel, but University of Geneva accepts the credits taken in Basel towards the MSc in Global Health.

Admission requirements for the Specialised Master of Infection Biology A Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, Biochemistry, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine or Pharmaceutical Sciences with a minimum average degree score of 5.0 (according to the Swiss grading System, not rounded)2 and basic knowledge in infection biology / microbiology (at least four ECTS). Alternatively, students who pass the GRE® General Test in the area of «Quantitative Reasoning» or pass the GRE® Subject Test «Biology» with a score in the top 35th percentile will also be considered for admission (www. ets.org/gre).

Admission requirements for the Specialised Master of Epidemiology A Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, Medicine, Dental and Veterinary Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing Sciences, Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Nutrition, Applied Biomedical Sciences, Sports Sciences, Biochemistry, Psychology, Sociology, Geography, Environmental Sciences, Mathematics, Computer Science and Economics, with a minimum average degree score of 5.0 (according to the Swiss grading system, not rounded) and basic knowledge of mathematics / biostatistics (at least four ECTS). Students with degrees in other disciplines will be considered on a case by case basis. Alternatively, students that pass the GRE® General Test in the area of “Quantitative Reasoning” with a score in the top 35th percentile will also be considered for admission (www.ets.org/gre).

Detailed guidelines regarding admission requirements are explained in the corresponding Studienordnungen and Wegleitungen (in German) and Infosheets (in English), which can be found at www.unibas. ch/en/Studies/Degree-Programs.

Applications for Master studies are made online on the University of Basel website www.unibas.ch, following the links: “Studies” -> “Application and Admission” -> “Application” -> “Master program” -> “Online application”.

1 The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) was developed by the European Commission in order to provide general and accepted procedures for the recognition of study qualifications gained by students on courses outside their home country. 2 grades 1 - 6, 1 being the lowest, 6 the highest grade, 4 - 6 are passing grades

The application AND authenticated copies of degrees and transcripts must be uploaded on the application platform of the University of Basel. Documents sent by post and scanned copies sent via e-mail will not be accepted. A letter of motivation explaining what you plan to study and why you wish to do your Master studies at Swiss TPH is also required. The application will be reviewed by the University of Basel and Swiss TPH and assessed according to the admission criteria.

Additional information on conditions of admission can be obtained online: www.unibas.ch/en/Student-Administration-Office-Enquiry.html.

The application window for both Specialised Master Programs is from 1 February to 30 April (the University of Basel is very strict and does not accept any delayed applications). There is a special deadline for University of Basel Bachelor students (around mid-August).

Late application (for holders of a recognised bachelor’s degree of a Swiss university, university of applied sciences or university of teacher education) is possible until 31 July - acceptance is not guaranteed.

Timeframe Our Master programs usually last for three semesters (Infection Biology) or four semesters (Epidemiology) and can only be started in the autumn semester, beginning in mid-September. During the first semester, students in Infection Biology focus on lectures and course work. In this period, the students will also choose a MSc research topic that they will conduct during the following spring and autumn terms followed by write-up of the MSc thesis. This timeframe is extended by an additional semester for the MSc Epidemiology. An oral MSc examination completes the degree requirements. In special cases, it is possible to prolong thesis completion until the end of the next semester. An extension beyond four / five semesters will only be considered in the case of documented exceptional circumstances.

First steps It is recommended that you organise suitable accommodation as soon as you are accepted into the Master program, as it is quite difficult to find affordable accommodation in Basel and nearby on short notice. You should also check whether or not you have adequate insurance coverage. Health insurance is mandatory in Switzerland and it is the student’s responsibility to arrange for the appropriate insurance coverage (e.g., www.swisscare.ch). It is also your own responsibility to organise your journey to Basel and apply for a visa (see page 25), if necessary.

At the beginning of the program, students must provide personal information (Student Data Sheet). A photo will also be taken after arriving at Swiss TPH. After registering at Swiss TPH, students must undertake a medical examination, which is done free of charge by the Swiss TPH medical services department. In addition, all students have to complete a security test to show that they have read and understood the safety rules at the Institute.

Lecture selection Once registered at the University and in possession of an official student card, it is still necessary to register for every lecture separately. This allows for the accurate calculation of ECTS credit points, which are awarded after completing all the lecture requirements. While it is possible to attend the same lecture twice, ECTS credit points can only be obtained once. Students have to register for lectures online via “Student Services” https://services.unibas.ch from the beginning of August until mid-October and from the beginning of February to mid-March.

To use Student Services, you must have a University of Basel (Unibas) e-mail account and relevant password. Log in at https://services.unibas.ch - a detailed guideline in English for using Student Services can be found there. 1. Log in to the Student Services account. 2. Choose “Belegen” (i.e., “register”). 3. Switch to the “Vorlesungsverzeichnis” view and add your lectures to the list. 4. Register the selected list with “Student Services”. 5. Check your selected lectures at any time with the “Belegen” service. You may change, add, or drop lectures freely up until the end of the registration-period.

Choosing a thesis topic A list of available Master thesis research topics will be distributed to all students. It is not possible to receive Master thesis topics in advance since all students should have the same chance of working on a specific science project. Once the student found his/her favourite Master project, he/she should contact the responsible supervisor for further discussions. As soon as the arrangement between student and supervisor is finalized, students will receive a contract outlining procedures, and the rights and responsibilities of the student and supervisor. Please note that the contract must include the supervisor’s academic title.

All students will be given a laptop for their research work and thesis write-up during their study time at Swiss TPH. The laptop remains the property of Swiss TPH and must be returned to the IT department after completing your Master degree. Please be aware: laptops that are returned damaged or not returned at all, will involve personal charges, to be paid by the registered individual, of up to CHF 2,500 for compensation. Treat the rental laptop as if it was your own property please!

Study goals Master in Infection Biology Students acquire solid theoretical and practical knowledge of infection biology with emphasis on pathogens causing poverty-related infectious diseases. They are able to plan and conduct their own research project, to work in a research team and to analyse, interpret and present their findings orally as well as in written form.

Master in Epidemiology Students develop solid theoretical and methodological knowledge of key concepts in epidemiology and applied biostatistics. They acquire the ability to design and execute basic field studies, collect and analyse data, report results in written and oral form as well as collaborate in multidisciplinary teams.

For further information please read the degree profiles on our website: • Degree Profile Master in Infection Biology • Degree Profile Master in Epidemiology

Social competences Students should develop a sense of responsibility in relation to their scientific activities. They should recognise ethical considerations in research and in the application of research results. Students will learn that addressing interdisciplinary questions requires teamwork among specialists of diverse disciplines and these skills will be practiced in seminars and during the completion of the Master thesis.

Credit point system The requirements for Master studies are based on the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS). One ECTS corresponds to 25-30 hours of student work. For example, if one ECTS is assigned

To obtain a Specialised Master of Science in Infection Biology degree students need to collect 90 ECTS credit points (30 ECTS lectures / courses, 50 ECTS MSc thesis, 10 ECTS final exam).

For the Specialised Master of Science in Epidemiology degree students need to collect 120 ECTS credit points (60 ECTS lectures / courses, 50 ECTS MSc thesis, 10 ECTS final exam). ECTS credit points collected from lectures and courses are given for completing them with a “pass” grade. The criteria for achieving a pass grade are specific to each course, and may involve completion of assignments and / or written or oral examinations. A failed lecture can be repeated. Note that half-ECTS (0.5; 1.5 etc.) are not awarded.

For the Specialised Master in Infection Biology, the thesis research project focuses on laboratory work and is usually carried out at Swiss TPH under the supervision of a teaching staff member.

For the Specialised Master in Epidemiology, thesis research focuses on epidemiological field studies, bibliographic research, analysis of existing epidemiological databases or on epidemiological modelling. A Swiss TPH teaching staff member supervises this work. For projects involving field work overseas, external experts usually provide additional on-site supervision.

Members of the Swiss TPH academic teaching staff who are affiliated with the Science Faculty of the University of Basel as Group I or II members (see Teaching Staff List, Appendix p.75) are formally responsible as supervisors (Beurteiler/in) for the Master students and their work. They can delegate supervisory work to other members of the teaching staff or to project leaders at Swiss TPH, but remain responsible towards the faculty. Supervisors advise students throughout their studies, oversee and grade the Master thesis and assess students in the final Master degree examination.

MSc courses (total 30 / 60 ECTS) Each semester, Swiss TPH publishes a list of available lectures and courses, indicating the number of ECTS awarded by each. These lists are updated each autumn semester. See pages 67 and 69

For the Master in Infection Biology curriculum, students must acquire 30 ECTS credit point through lectures and courses. Of these, 18 ECTS are acquired from a list of mandatory lectures and courses at Swiss TPH. Students are free to choose the remaining lectures as they see fit, but these additional lectures should be agreed upon with the thesis supervisor and have to be approved by Till Voss.

For the Master in Epidemiology, 60 ECTS credit points from lectures and courses are required, of which 45 are mandatory. In order to pass your MSc studies in Epidemiology you need: • Exactly 15 CP from module (a) “Foundation in Epidemiology” • Exactly 15 CP from module (b) “Biostatistics and Computing” • At least 10 CP from module (c) “Global & Public Health” - with the possibility to take additional CP by visiting the Monday seminar more than once. • At least 5 CP from module (d) “Transferable Skills and Competences”, of which two courses totalling 2 CP are compulsory (Good scientific conduct in health sciences and Application to an ethics committee). • 15 CP from module (e) “Advances in Epidemiology, Statistics and Global & Public Health”

Surplus credit points from non-compulsory lectures out of “Global & Public Health” (c) as well as “Transferable Skills and Competences” (d) may be counted towards “Advances in Epidemiology, Statistics and Global & Public Health” (e). But the reverse is of course not possible. With regard to transferring CP from (c) or (d), please note that you cannot split credit points between modules, if lectures award more than one credit point. In other words, if you want to shift a course with 2 CP from (d) to (e), you should make

sure that the remaining courses in (d) still total the 5 required CP. In module (e) credit points from other study programmes of the University Basel may be used in agreement with your Swiss TPH supervisor and approval by Christian Lengeler.

If you plan to attend lectures at other universities in Switzerland or abroad (in agreement with your supervisor), you must request permission from the teaching commission (walter.salzburger@unibas.ch, cc to Christian Lengeler resp. Till Voss, and Pascal Gschwind) BEFORE you take that course. Credit points from other universities will only be granted if at least 3 CP.

Please make sure that you register for all the mandatory lectures of your particular Master course. If you fail to do so, the University of Basel will not be able to issue your final degree and you will have to register for another semester.

Students are advised to take most of their lectures before they embark on their thesis work - especially if field work abroad is required.

Master thesis (50 ECTS) The Master thesis (see Appendix pages 71 & 73), including preparation for the final examination, usually takes one year to complete and is carried out under the supervision of one (or more) Swiss TPH lecturer(s) habilitated at the Faculty of Science (see Appendix page 75). 50 ECTS are granted for an accepted Master thesis. The thesis topic must have been approved by one of the Faculty Representatives at Swiss TPH.

Late completion (after the end of the second thesis semester) is considered a ‘failure to complete’ unless supervisors have given the student formal permission to extend the submission date.

The thesis is evaluated and graded by the Faculty Representative, together with the supervisor of the Master project (if different from the Faculty Representative), on a scale from 1 (worst) to 6 (best). If the resulting grade is a fail (less than 4) or a 6, an additional person from the Faculty of the University of Basel, who is not directly involved in the project, will be asked to give an independent expert assessment of the thesis.

Final examination (10 ECTS) The final examination is an oral test covering (1) the topic of the thesis, including the relevant scientific literature, and (2) the topic of infection biology /epidemiology more generally. The examination lasts 60 minutes. Examiners include the main thesis supervisor and a second person from the Swiss TPH teaching staff serving as a chairperson. One of these two persons should also be the Faculty Representative. An additional examiner can be invited at the discretion of the student and / or the supervisor.

The oral final exam can only be taken when the thesis has been accepted and 30 (IB)/60 (Epi) CPs from specialised studies have been accumulated. The examination can be held at any time during the final semester. The examination is graded on a scale from 1 (worst) to 6 (best). The student earns 10 ECTS if s/he re-ceives a passing grade (score of 4 or more) at the oral exam. The general structure of the oral examination is as follows:

1. A short (max 10 minutes) summary of the MSc thesis work that was done, to start off the examination. No formal presentation (Powerpoint, etc.) is required.

2. Approximately 20-30 minutes examination on the thesis and the specific field of investigation, including the relevant scientific literature.

3. Approximately 20-30 minutes section on general concepts of Infection Biology or Epidemiology to test general knowledge in the two subjects (according to MSc course taken).

Specialised Master degrees in Infection Biology or Epidemiology The degree is completed once the following ECTS credit points have been acquired: • 50 ECTS from thesis work; • 30 / 60 ECTS from lecture work, including all compulsory lectures and courses; and • 10 ECTS from the final oral examination.

The final thesis grade is calculated by averaging the grade of the final examination (weight 1/3) and the grade of the written thesis (weight 2/3). The written certification of the MSc degree details the topic of the MSc thesis as well as the various grades.

After the final oral exam, the cover page of the Master thesis as well as the marked grading sheet and the other exam forms (all signed by the supervisor and chairperson) must IMMEDIATELY be taken by the student to the Swiss TPH student administration office. An electronic copy of the final Master thesis must be given within 2 - 3 weeks after the exam to the student administration office and to the Swiss TPH library (including the ‘Declaration of consent’), as well as to other appropriate recipients (persons involved in the work, etc.).

Salaries and scholarships Swiss TPH (or the University of Basel) does not pay MSc students a salary nor are any scholarships offered, as funding for MSc studies is generally unavailable.

Study fees of currently CHF 850 per term (“Semestergebühren”) have to be paid by the student, as do health insurance costs and living expenses. Study fees at the University of Basel are the same for Swiss and international students. From the 2nd semester of registration onwards, a 10 CHF membership fee for the SKUBA (University of Basel student union) is charged as well, the first semester is free.

Program contacts and course guidance The following people are responsible for the Swiss TPH Master programmes at the University of Basel:

Prof. Till Voss Specialised Master in Infection Biology till.voss@swisstph.ch (Deputy: Prof. Pascal Mäser, pascal.maeser@swisstph.ch)

Prof. Christian Lengeler Specialised Master in Epidemiology christian.lengeler@swisstph.ch (Deputy: Prof. Martin Röösli, martin.roosli@swisstph.ch )

Pascal Gschwind Administrative Course Coordinator pascal.gschwind@swisstph.ch