This discipline concerns the ecology of high-latitude coastal and oceanic systems. You will learn about polar marine ecosystems, what makes them special and how they function. You will discover how food webs in different Arctic marine habitats are structured, what it takes to use them sustainably, and how the physical environment influences species and their ecology.

Through a master in Arctic Marine Ecology, you will be introduced to a large variety of organisms, ranging from bacteria and plankton to benthos and top predators, such as fish and marine mammals. You can compare Arctic marine food webs across the entire Arctic, and you can study how organisms and ecosystems respond to climate change and environmental variation.

In this discipline, you will gain hands-on experience through sampling and data collection during research expeditions, as well as laboratory experiments and analyses. You will learn to use a suite of methods, which may include numerical modeling, novel observation and sampling technology or biochemical and molecular methods. You may design experiments to study behavior or physiology in the field or in temperature-controlled laboratories.

We collaborate extensively with UNIS and with other research institutions in Tromsø, such as the Norwegian Polar Institute, the Institute of Marine Research and Akvaplan-niva. You may carry out parts of your thesis at these institutions.

For more information about the research Arctic Marine System Ecology (AMSE) group see: AMSE research group

Recommended elective courses

Recommended elective courses which timeplans are coordinated with the compulsory courses BIO-3015 are the following:

• BIO-3505 Ecological Interactions - 10 ECTS (Marine ecological interactions)
• BIO-3516 Food-webs and Fisheries – 10 ECTS (Marine ecological interactions)
• BIO-3810 Individual Special Curriculum – 10 ECTS with a focus on sea ice habitats and biogeochemistry (Sea ice habitats & biogeochemistry)
• BIO-3009 Arctic Marine Pollution – 10 ECTS (Ecosystem disturbances)
• BIO-3020 Fundamentals of Ecotoxicology – 10 ECTS (Ecosystem disturbances)

Other relevant elective courses in the autumn:

• FSK-3012 Geographical Information Systems for Coastal and Marine Resource Management – 10 ECTS

Recommended elective courses in the spring:

• BIO-3029 Sea Ice Habitats and Biology – 5 ECTS (Sea ice habitats & biogeochemistry)
• BIO-3506 Top predators – 10 ECTS (every other year, Higher trophic levels)
• BIO-3518 From catchment to coast: Northern inland waters and global change – 10 ECTS

Other relevant elective courses in the spring:

• BIO-3512 Early life history of marine fishes (spring) – 10 ECTS
• BIO-3805/3810/3815/3820 Individual Special Curriculum - 5/10/15/20 ECTS

Relevant courses offered at UNIS

• AB-320 Arctic Marine Zooplankton (every other year) – 10 ECTS (Marine ecological interactions)
• AB-321 Ecology of Arctic Marine Benthos (every other year) – 10 ECTS (Marine ecological interactions)
• AB-330 Ecosystems in Ice Covered Waters (every other year) – 10 ECTS (Sea ice habitats & biogeochemistry)
• AB-323 Light Climate and Primary Productivity in the Arctic (May/June, every other year – 10 ECTS)
• AB-332 Arctic Marine Molecular Ecology – 10 ECTS

Candidates that have completed a master’s degree in biology in the discipline Arctic Marine Ecology will have advanced knowledge within a range of topics in Arctic marine system ecology (e.g. polar night ecology, biophysical interactions, sea ice ecology and biogeochemistry, coastal ecology). This entails a thorough understanding of how organisms respond to various biotic and abiotic factors, about primary and secondary production in marine, high-latitude ecosystems, how trophic interactions regulate the community and determine the functioning of marine food webs, or how biogeochemical cycles such as the carbon cycle, is closely interlinked with the ecosystem.

In addition to the overall skills acquired as Master of Science in biology and depending on the master’s degree project, the candidate may have the possibility to design scientific experiments, prepare and conduct ship-based expeditions and work with marine ecosystem models, critically reflecting on their benefits and limitations.

Students will also be able to critically evaluate information from a variety of sources and to transpose acquired knowledge and competency to issues relevant for society e.g., management of marine resources and pollution in marine systems.

The Master’s degree in Biology will allow you to qualify for different career paths and prepare you to step into a professional role or to apply for a PhD.

A Master of Science degree in Biology will prepare you for a wide range of jobs, in both public and private sectors, including research, resource and nature management, administration, consulting and the teaching profession.

The master thesis can play an important role to establish your domain of expertise and to showcase acquired technical and soft skills. Also, it can be very important in building scientific and professional network, that will be a support in your future job search.

Admission to the master’s program in Biology requires a bachelor’s degree (180 ECTS) or equivalent qualification, including a specialization in biological topics [i.e., biodiversity (zoology/botany), ecology, cell- and molecular biology, microbiology, physiology (animal/plant), biochemistry and bioinformatics] corresponding to a minimum of 80 ECTS.

Applicants with a degree in Agricultural, Fisheries and Aquaculture studies, Biomedical laboratory sciences ("Bioingeniør"), or Bachelor of Pharmacy, Medicine or Dentistry do not fulfil the admission requirements.

Applicants who hold a bachelor's degree or equivalent issued in Europe, Canada, USA, Australia and New Zealand: An average grade of C is the minimum requirement (see the link for information on the grading system).

Applicants who hold a bachelor's degree or equivalent issued in countries other than the above-mentioned region/countries: An average grade of B is the minimum requirement.

The average grade is calculated for the entire bachelor's degree.

More information on admission requirements:

General admission requirements-Master

Applicants from Norway or Nordic countries:

Application deadline: April 15th for admission to the autumn semester and November 1st for admission to the spring semester.

Online application is via Søknadsweb, study code 6022

International appplicants/Applicants from outside the Nordic countries:

Application deadline: December 1st for admission to the autumn semester. 

Online application, study code: 2078

How to apply for admission to UiT? Read more here

Several teaching and assessment methods are employed, including lectures, seminars, laboratory work, computer lab and field courses. These will vary from course to course.
Course examinations may be oral or written examinations, assessments of project work/ lab reports/field reports, often in combination.
Supervision of the project work that leads to the writing of the Master`s thesis will be given by faculty staff, sometimes in co-operation with an external supervisor.

The language of instruction and all syllabus material is English.

On successful completion of the degree programme, students may be qualified for admission to to a PhD-programme in Biology at the UiT or elsewhere.

Students can undertake periods of studying at The University Centre at Svalbard (UNIS), especially during their third and fourth semester. Each discipline highlights relevant courses at UNIS.

International exchange during an entire semester is not possible in the first year of studies to obligatory courses in all discipline.

Stays abroad can take place as part of a master project in the third and fourth semester. Please consult the program study adviser for more information.