Student stories and testimonials

Our students and graduates tell about their studies, student life, and why they chose the Master's Programme in Genetics and Molecular Biosciences (GMB) at the University of Helsinki.
“The pace of the programme exceeded my expectations"

In her studies, Sagarika Dawka has delved deep into the cellular level of human disease to prepare herself for a career as a scientist conducting cancer research.

She was pleasantly surprised about the quick progression to practical work giving an opportunity already at the beginning of her studies to gain hands-on experience.

The structure of the programme was also a positive surprise. Before choosing their specialisation, students acquire knowledge and skills in modern genetics and molecular biosciences. This way, they can make an informed decision.

What our students say about their studies

In this video, our students talk about why they chose the programme, what they like about their studies and how they experience the study environment.

5 reasons to choose the GMB programme

In the UH student blog, one of our former students explains the reasons for choosing the Master's Programme in Genetics and Molecular Biosciences.

The top 5 reasons are: 

  1. The high quality of education in Finland
  2. Research-oriented studies
  3. The possibility to choose your specialisation (study track) after you've gained knowledge about the topics
  4. Flexibility to choose from a wide range of courses
  5. Emphasis on practical skills 
You gain hands-on experience through various lab courses and mini-research projects.
Student testimonial: Iftekhar Mahmud Chowdhury

I am Iftekhar Mahmud Chowdhury from Bangladesh. I pursued my Master’s Degree in Biotechnology (specialization: Molecular Biotechnology) at the University of Helsinki in 2015-2018. The teaching curriculum of my MSc degree was so well-structured that it allowed a wide choice of theoretical and practical courses. Especially the 10-credit Research Project provided a foundation for laboratory work leading into the Master’s thesis project.

The University of Helsinki conducts high-throughput research. It was one of the primary reasons why it was my top choice for my Masters Degree. I always wanted to pursue a research-oriented career and the curriculum provides me with a lot of practical experience and multidisciplinary theoretical/laboratory-based courses. This is an asset when it comes to applying for post-graduate studies or a research-based career. The graduates from the University of Helsinki achieve a lot of success, both in corporations and academia due to the strong academic culture combined with practical knowledge.

Finland can easily become a home away from home. Since most of the citizens speak English, communication is quite easy and the helpful nature of the Finns makes integration simpler. Finland is an amazing country to live in and I would like to welcome new students to this magical country.

The University of Helsinki was my top choice because of the high-throughput research.
UH student experiences from other fields

The University of Helsinki offers multidisciplinary study options across 11 faculties. Studying and cooperation across the fields are highly encouraged.

Would you like to know what students from other degree programmes and academic disciplines think about their studies and life in Helsinki?

More about the programme

As a student in the GMB programme, you benefit from the expertise of numerous inspiring scholars with solid teaching experience and broad researcher credentials.