Master programme in Microbiome Science

Your steps in the admission procedure depend on whether you have completed your previous degree programme at the University of Vienna or another post-secondary educational institution. 

In the study profile of the master programme in Microbiome Science you can find out which previous degree programmes are eligible. 

 Degree programme with selection procedure

A selection procedure is conducted for admission to this master programme.

  • You can only submit your application for admission to the degree programme once per year, within the application period.  
  • The admission letter is only valid for the winter semester you have applied for and the following summer semester. 
  • The allocation of available study places ensues during the selection procedure. 40 study places are available per academic year. 

The application period for the academic year 2026/27: from 2 March to 7 April 2026.

 Degree programme instructed in English

The language of instruction in this degree programme is English. A proof of German language proficiency is not required.

Additional requirements

English language proficiency at level B2

To be admitted to an English or multilingual master programme at the University of Vienna, you have to provide a proof of English language proficiency. 

To apply for admission to this degree programme, you require a proof of English language proficiency at level B2. 

English curriculum vitae (CV)

Upload your English curriculum vitae in u:space at "Further documents and proofs" as document type "CV".

English letter of motivation

Upload your letter of motivation in u:space at "Further documents and proofs" as document type "Letter of motivation".

The document must be written in English and may not exceed 1,000 words. Please ensure that you number the pages and create the document in A4 format.

Do not forget to write your name and the total number of words in the header of the document!

Answer the following questions in your letter of motivation:

  • What is your personal motivation to apply for this programme? What do you expect to learn in doing this master programme, and which role does it play in your further academic, personal, and professional development?
  • In which ways do you think your prior experiences, qualifications, and skills will support your success in this programme?
  • Although you will have ample opportunity to choose a research topic for your thesis during your studies, please mention at least one research group associated with the program where you could imagine doing your master’s thesis. Explain what interests you about this lab’s research. Read at least one recent publication from this lab and outline an interesting follow-up experiment.

To assess your prior knowledge in the areas of mathematics and statistics, please answer the following questions. Please be honest in your self-assessment, as these questions are only intended to give us an insight into your level of knowledge. For each question, please also indicate in which course(s) you covered these topics.

  • Would you be able to determine the probability that two independent events happen?
  • Have you learned how to integrate a single variable?
  • Would you be able to compute the dot product between two vectors?
  • Do you know the meaning of a Z-score and how it relates to a P-value?

If you have any questions about the letter of motivation please contact msc.microbiome.cemess@univie.ac.at.