Master Ökologie, Evolution und Naturschutz (MÖEN)

Since the winter term 2019/2020 the master program Ökologie, Evolution und Naturschutz (MÖEN) has turned into an international master's program called Ecology, Evolution and Conservation (MEEC). Therefore, the information and regulations presented below apply only students who started their studies before the winter term 2019/2020 and are still studying the MÖEN program. All students who started after the winter term 2019/2020 please refer to the information on the other subsites which refer to the international master EEC.

The contact persons are the same for both study programs, so please refer to the subsite 'Contact' in case you want to make contact.

Study plan

The complete module catalogue for the master's programm Ökologie, Evolution und Naturschutz can be found here.

Regulations/Information

Study and admission regulations

The admission regulations for the master's programm Ökologie, Evolution und Naturschutz can be found here.

The study regulations for the master's programm Ökologie, Evolution und Naturschutz can be found here.

These regulations only apply to students who started their study before the winter term 2019/20!

Free attempt

With the free attempt examinations failed for the first time or unsatisfactorily passed at the first attempt can be considered as not taken at the request of the student if they are taken within the first two years of the master's studies, i.e. within the respective standard period of study (if vacation semesters are recognized).

Passed examinations may be repeated once to improve grades as part of the free attempt. However, the repetition must take place on the next offered examination date. The examination with the better result in each case is deemed to have been taken.

The use of this regulation, i.e. that the free attempt is used, must be reported in writing to the examination board within two weeks after the announcement of the respective examination result. Please use this form.

During the master studies two free attempts can be used.

Master thesis

The reviewers of the master thesis should not belong to the same working group. At least one of the reviewers must be a university teacher and at least one of the reviewers must be a member of a member of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences of the University of Potsdam.

The reviewers offically have to be appointed by the examination board of the study program which is expressed by their signature on the master topic assignment form. To offically register a master thesis topic and reviewers please fill out the master thesis topic assignment form, have it signed by your first and second supervisor of thesis and hand it in at the office of the cairperson of the examination board for final approval.

The total workload of the thesis corresponds to 30 credit points (900 hours), which normally have to be completed in a period of no more than 9 months. In justified exceptional cases, the deadline can be extended by a maximum of 3 months. The examination board decides on an extension of the deadline upon informal written application.
The thesis may be written in a working group of a university teacher involved in the Master's program or, after approval by the examination board, in a university or non-university research institute working in a field relevant to the Master's program. After submission of the written thesis, it has to be defended in a scientific disputation before an examination board (see defense of the master's thesis for details).

Master thesis defense

After submission of the written thesis, it has to be defended in a scientific disputation before an examination committee. As a rule, the examination committee consists of the supervisor or the second reviewer and at least two other scientists who have several years of experience in the field of research and who should normally hold a doctorate. The members of the examination committee are appointed by the examination board upon proposal of the candidate. A proposal for the composition of the examination committee is to be submitted to the examination board at least 14 days before the defense using this form.

The Master's defense is open to the public and comprises of an approximately 15-minute presentation, in which the research question and the central results of the thesis are presented, and a subsequent discussion of a maximum of 30 minutes in which the examination committee questions the candidate about the Master's thesis and its broader theoretical environment. The questioning must be recorded and the record must be signed by all members of the examination committee. The examination committee assigns a common grade, which includes the evaluation of all members of the examination board equally.