Biological Rhythms

This course focuses on biological timekeeping (chronobiology) in animals, covering time-scales from hours to years. It covers the eco-evolutionary and biomedical importance of innate timing processes, the formalisms necessary for their study and the physiological mechanisms through which biological timekeeping is achieved.  

Who can appy:

• UiT PhD students who wants to take a course that is not approved in their instruction component
• PhD student enrolled at another institution than UiT
• Applicants who have completed a Master degree
  

PhD students or holders of a Norwegian master´s degree of five years or 3+2 years (or equivalent) may be admitted. PhD students must upload a document from their university stating that there are registered PhD students. This group of applicants does not have to prove English proficiency and are exempt from semester fee.

PhD students at UiT register for the course through StudentWeb. The registration for spring semester starts in the middle of December, and for autumn semester in the middle of June.

Other applicants apply for admission through SøknadsWeb. Application code 9301.

Holders of a Master´s degree must upload a Master´s Diploma with Diploma Supplement / English translation of the diploma. Applicants from listed countries must document proficiency in English. To find out if this applies to you, see the following list: Proficiency in English must be documented - list of countries.
For more information on accepted English proficiency tests and scores, as well as exemptions from the English proficiency tests, please see the following document:  Proficiency in english - PhD level studies

PhD students enrolled at PhD programmes a UiT can contact Ingjerd Gauslaa Nilsen at the BFE-faculty  for questions regarding registration to the course. Singular course applicants must contact opptak@uit.no regarding questions to their application.

Knowledge and skills:

• The key principles and intellectual formalisms of chronobiology 
• The evolutionary origins and ecological importance of biological timekeeping, and its relevance in biomedical contexts 
• The mechanistic basis to biological timekeeping at levels from the genetics to the whole organism  

General skills:

• Understanding the process of generating scientific knowledge 
• Science communication, orally and in writing 
• Review and extraction of relevant information from scientific research papers 
• Critical analysis of scientific literature  
• Presentation of scientific content clearly and in logical order while using language appropriate for the audience and occasion 
• Proposing, discussing and evaluating hypotheses 

Language of instruction and examination

An essay (20%) and a 3-h final written exam (80%). Both elements to be graded scale of five marks from A to E for pass and F for fail. 

Coursework requirements:
One oral presentation on a prepared topic and participation in two practical activities including written reports- all must be approved in order to be able to sit the exam. 

Re-sit exam:
There will be a re-sit examination for students that did not pass the previous ordinary examination.