This university course imparts knowledge, competences and practical skills that will qualify graduates of the course to work in the multidisciplinary field of biobanking.

The course will provide the following skills and competences enabling the students to:

• organise and implement a biobank at the national and international levels
• implement principles of the organisational, quality and risk managements and represent a biobank
• apply knowledge to implement infrastructure of a biobank (incl. IT) and budgeting
• implement sample management and ELSI aspects (ethical, legal and societal issues of biobanking) of a biobank
• use knowledge in epidemiology, biostatistics and selected areas of research

The increasing number of requests to use biological samples for medical research and the growing spectrum of potential methods for different analyses and applications confront biobanks with demanding requirements on quality of samples and data and further development of biobanking processes.

The following professional fields may be considered for graduates of the MSc Biobanking:

• National and international biobanks
• Medical Research
• Basic research
• Analytical centres
• Pharmaceutical industry
• Diagnostic companies

Graduates with a completed (at least bachelor) degree in the field of:

• Medical engineering
• Natural sciences
• Medicine
• Pharmacy

Degree from

• a subject-relevant Bachelor's study, or
• a subject-relevant Diploma study, or
• a subject-relevant Bachelor’s study of an advanced technical college (minimum 180 ECTS), or
• a subject-relevant Diploma study of an advanced technical college (minimum 180 ECTS), or
• a Diploma study of an equivalent programme at a recognized nationally or internationally accepted tertiary education institution (in accordance to the Austrian University Law §64 Abs 5 UG idgF).

The course is held in English. Therefore a good command of English is required.

The university course:

• is a part-time postgraduate programme offered as a distance learning course,
• is designed to be completed alongside full-time work,
• is completed within the four semesters of the study,
• comprises 12 modules, and
• the Master’s thesis needs to be written.

• Introduction and Basic Knowledge Biobanking
• Ethics and Law
• Collection and Management of Samples
• Risk Management and Biobanking
• Biobanking IT
• Sustainability, Budgeting and Business Planning
• Epidemiology
• Quality Management and Quality Control
• Management and Communication
• Strategy and Development
• Research
• Elective module
• Master thesis

Students of the MSc distance learning course „Biobanking“ will be awarded the academic degree Master of Science (M.Sc.) after successfully completing all required modules and a positive evaluation of the Master’s thesis.

€ 12.900,--

Registration for the university course starting in winter semester 2019/20 will be possible until 28.06.2019.

Dates MSc Biobanking 2018-2020

The face to face courses will be held on the following dates (subject to change without notice)

Winter semester 2018/2019:

• Face to face course 1: 01.10. - 05.10.2018
• Module 1: Introduction and Basic Knowledge Biobanking

Summer semester 2019:

• Face to face course 2: 04.03. - 08.03.2019 
• Module 3: Collection and Management of Samples (Hands-on)

Winter semester 2019/2020:

• Face to face course 3: 07.10. - 16.10.2019
• Module 9: Management and Communication and Module 11: Research I (Hands-on)

Summer semester 2020:

• Face to face course 4: 14.09. - 18.09.2019
• Module 12: Designing and Implementation of Clinical Studies (Hands-on) OR Research II (Hands-on) and presentation of the master thesis including a graduation ceremony

Location: Medical University of Graz, Austria