People are exposed to ionising radiation for a variety of reasons. The sources of ionising radiation are diverse and can be both natural and artificial, for example in diagnostic or therapeutic medical applications. For the general population, radiation exposure from X-ray diagnostic procedures such as computer tomography is the highest and has steadily increased over the past decades. The number of people who have been treated for cancer by therapeutic doses of ionising radiation is also growing continuously.
Radiation biology explores both the biological basis of the therapeutic use of radiation - especially in cancer - and the risks associated with the use of ionising radiation in medicine and technology, making it a highly interdisciplinary subject.
The Master's program is taught in English and has a duration of two years. The following specializations are taught:
- Cell and molecular biology
- Pathophysiology
- Tumor biology and carcinogenesis
- Cytogenetics
- Immunology
- Radiation physics
- Radiation medicine and imaging (radiation oncology, nuclear medicine and radiology)
- Epidemiology
- Radiation protection
- Ethics
The Master's program in Radiation Biology is characterised by its connection to the research and clinical areas of the University Hospital rechts der Isar and the resulting high research focus of the teaching.
Our graduates act primarily as translational researchers in the field of radiation biology at the interface between research and clinical practice. They are an important driving force for further developments in preclinical research of innovative methods in nuclear medicine, radiology and radiation oncology.
Here you can find information and requirements to apply for the Master program Radiation Biology at the School of Medicine. In order to apply for this program at TUM, you need to open a TUMonline account.
Check out the Info Page on the TUM Website about the degree program Radiation Biology as well as the Application Info Portal and the Step by Step Guide on how to apply for a Master’s Degree Program.
Dates and deadlines in the application process
Application periods
1 January to 31 May (to start in the winter semester 1 October)
Application deadlines
The online application in TUMonline has to be completed by the deadline, including all necessary documents.
Who can apply? – Academic Requirements
The master's program in Radiation Biology is primarily open to excellent graduates from German and foreign universities with a qualifying Bachelor of Science or an equivalent degree recognized in Germany in the field of physics, biology, medicine, chemistry, environmental sciences or related disciplines.
Basic scientific skills in mathematics, physics and biology are a prerequisite for successful studies. Furthermore, basic subject competences in either the natural sciences such as biology and physics or also medicine as well as all combined subjects that can be subordinated to these are required. Skills in scientific and method-oriented interdisciplinary work are also required, as well as a strong interest in radiation biology research and interdisciplinary learning. Applicants need to be highly motivated and disciplined for practical work in scientific laboratories and in terms of self-study.
Applicants must pass an aptitude test, which takes into account the applicant's professional and scientific qualifications, grade, motivation for the master's program in Radiation Biology, and other qualifications. Applicants with sufficient professional qualifications will have prior knowledge of several areas, depending on their bachelor's degree:
- Fundamentals of human biology
- Fundamentals of molecular biology
- Fundamentals of physics, especially biophysics, medical physics as well as nuclear and particle physics, experimental physics
- Basics of mathematics, especially analysis, algebra as well as statistics
- Fundamentals of chemistry, especially biochemistry
- Laboratory or practical experience, in particular sterile work, cell and molecular biology methods
Legal information on the eligibility procedure is described in the academic and examination regulations. The program is conducted in English. Due to this and the strong focus on research, excellent English skills (TUM accepted language certificates) are required to be able to prove oneself in international competition as well as in everyday laboratory and publication work.
Selection procedure schedule
First stage
Results of the first stage of the aptitude assessment are published approximately six to eight weeks after the application deadline.
Second stage
Applicants who are not directly admitted in the first stage of the aptitude assessment will be invited for an interview. The invitation will be sent to the individual applicants following the announcement of the results of the first stage.
Required documents
Which specific documents are necessary for application will be specified during the online process in TUMonline. We highly recommend to check the Step by Step Guide on how to apply for a Master’s Degree Program.
The TUM admission office will check all application regarding the required document and send out notices if something is missing. After the formal review of the applications the selection committee evaluates the application for admission.
Certified copies must only be submitted for enrollment after admission.
It is important that all documents relevant to admission are uploaded, otherwise the application will be considered incomplete. This also applies to TUM-internal applications!
The following list gives some additional information on some of these documents:
Academic records of Bachelor's degree (or equivalent)
For curricular analysis, proof of your academic records must be submitted. The curricular analysis is carried out based on competences.
Applicants with sufficient professional qualifications will have prior knowledge of several areas, depending on their bachelor's degree:
- Fundamentals of human biology
- Fundamentals of molecular biology
- Fundamentals of physics, especially biophysics, medical physics as well as nuclear and particle physics, experimental physics
- Basics of mathematics, especially analysis, algebra as well as statistics
- Fundamentals of chemistry, especially biochemistry
- Laboratory or practical experience, in particular sterile work, cell and molecular biology methods
Letter of Motivation
The Letter of Motivation must be written in English and should not exceed 500 words. It is important to explain why the applicant is suitable for this specific Msc program and what reasons led to the choice to apply (interests, future plans, references to the curriculum). Generic statements about a general interest in the subject are not sufficient.
Essay
The scientific essay should deal with one of the mentioned topics and have a length of at least 1000 and no more than 2000 words. It must be written in English. The essay must be written independently and without the help of others and must be based on relevant and scientific literature. Thoughts taken from other sources must be cited appropriately.
Here are the topics for the application period 2024:
- What are the pros and cons of particle radiotherapy?
- Evaluate if nuclear energy is clean and sustainable.
- What is the role of the immune system in radiotherapy of cancer?
Aptitude Assessment
The procedure is divided in two stages:
1. In the first stage, the admission board rates the submitted documents on a scale from 0 to 80 points, where 80 points is the best possible result and the following scheme is applied:
- The qualifications' score comes from the review of above-mentioned competences. The maximum points are 40.
- Final grade on the degree: for every one-tenth of the grade above 3.0 (German grading system), one point is added (max. 20 points). Negative points are not awarded. If at time of application a grade report with more than 130 CP is available, the best possible grades with a total of 130 CP are used. For international degrees, the grades will be converted.
- The letter of motivation is graded on a scale from 0 to 10 by two members of the board. The average of these two values is added in full points.
- The essay is graded on a scal from 0 to 10 by two members of the board. The average of these two values is added in full points.
The total points will be the sum of the four components.
Applicants reaching at least 60 points have passed the selection procedure.
Applicants reaching less than 40 points will not be accepted.
2. If the total points are between 40 and 60, the applicants reach the second stage, in which they will be invited to an interview (duration of 20 to 30 minutes). Based on this, our admission board decides if the applicant would be able to successfully complete our Master's degree program. The interview will help also to discuss the applicant's motivation, scientific background knowledge and its own personal assessment. The dates for the interview will be announced individually to the applicants.
Cooperation Partners
Institut für Strahlenmedizin (IRM)
Helmholtz Zentrum München
Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Gesundheit und Umwelt (GmbH)
Institut für Strahlenmedizin (IRM)
Ingolstädter Landstr. 1
85764 Neuherberg
Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz BfS
Ingolstädter Landstraße 1
85764 Neuherberg
Institut für Radiobiologie der Bundeswehr
Neuherbergstr. 11
80937 Munich
