Support and service

As a student, you will get a student e-mail address where important information from the University is sent. If you choose not to use this address, you will have to forward all incoming e-mails to your chosen address.

You can find all the programmes and course schedules in Studium. All programmes and courses have web pages where the course information can be found.

For most courses, you have to attend the roll-call at the first scheduled activity of the course, even if you have registered in Ladok. If you for some reason cannot attend, you must notify the course leader or the IBG course administration (info@ibg.uu.se) in advance, otherwise, another student may be admitted to the course in your place.

At all courses, you will be asked to present scientific results in writing. You will need to express yourself clearly and write according to scientific standards, whether the task is to produce scientific and popular articles, posters or reports on laboratory or field experiments.

If you need help with your writing (structure, language etc.) you can make an appointment with one of the advisors at the Language Workshop. The Language Workshop offers help with oral or written presentations and is available for all students at Uppsala University. This appointment is free of charge and help is available in both Swedish and English.

Visit the Language Workshop

The Student Health service has a team of specialists: psychologists, counsellors, therapists, a nurse and doctors, all with the focus on student related health issues. So, if life is tough, you have started missing exams or just need someone to talk to, they are here for you. Read more on their website.

Campus 1477 offers a variety of sports at Blåsenhus (close to EBC) and Science Park (close to Ångström, BMC and Polacksbacken). Students are entitled to a discount on most of the activities. For more information and schedules, see campus1477.se/en.

Some student nations also arrange sport activities, mostly ball sports: football (soccer), floorball, bandy, etc.

Full-time studies are meant to require at least 40 hours of work per week. Biology courses are often taken one at a time, but some programmes have courses that are studied in parallel. Most courses comprise a mix of lectures, laboratory work, excursions, independent project work and seminars. You are strongly recommended to take part in all course activities. Lectures aim to give an overview, present theories, and supplement the course literature. Participation in lectures is in general optional, but strongly recommended. Practical parts, such as laboratory experiments, seminars and excursions, are normally compulsory. For more information about specific courses please see the course syllabi and detailed course schedules.

Do not be afraid to ask questions to the teachers, it is part of their job to help you. The Swedish academic environment may strike international students as being very informal. Professors and staff members interact with students in an informal manner, for example using first names instead of titles and last names.

At Uppsala University there are guidelines for student working conditions that list the demands you can make on for example the physical and psychosocial work environment, syllabuses and schedules, student influence and teaching. At the Faculty of Science and Technology there is an equal treatment plan and other documents and regulations that link to the rules and rights.

Learn more about your rights at the University Central pages

The main parts of IBG’s premises are located at the Evolutionary Biology Centre (EBC) complex, with a smaller part at the Uppsala Biomedical Centre (BMC). In a few courses some of the teaching is located at the Ångström laboratory or the Information Technology Center (ITC). Computer rooms, seminar rooms, laboratories, lecture halls and kitchens for students are found at all campuses. The kitchens are equipped with refrigerators and microwave ovens. All campuses also have restaurants where you can buy coffee, sandwiches and lunch.

The IBG premises are open Mon–Fri 8:00 to 16:30. Entry at other times, including weekends, requires a campus card.

IBG has access to three field stations for research and education: Klubban, a marine biology research station located on the west coast of Sweden, Norr Malma (Erken), a limnology field station by lake Erken (60 km from Uppsala), and Ar at Campus Gotland. Some of the biology courses include a stay at a field station for some time.

Computer rooms for biology students are located at both EBC (Evolutionary Biology Centre) and BMC (Biomedical Centre). All computers are connected to the Internet and printers. The computers may be booked for courses, please check the booking schedules on the doors.

In order to use the IBG computers, you need a registration on an IBG course.

Do not save files on the computer desktop because they will be automatically erased.

IT for students

The Uppsala University library is located at several different campus areas, and the main focus of the respective library corresponds to the research and education at the campus. All library services can be found on www.ub.uu.se.

The Biology Library, situated at EBC, has biological literature and journals and also provides access to electronic journals.

The Biomedical Library, situated at BMC, has literature and journals on biomedicine, molecular biology, immunology, etc.

In addition to the University libraries, there are public libraries.

The course literature for most courses includes compendiums and other copied material that are provided at a cost. Some of this material, e.g. laboratory instructions, is compulsory. The material may change from year to year; therefore you cannot count on borrowing the material from previous course participants.

The course literature is listed in the course syllabus, but note that sometimes it can be changed at a late stage just before the course starts. Check the latest course schedule for updated information.

As a student in the course, you are expected to have access to the literature required for the course. Either you can buy it, or borrow it from the library. However, the library only has a few copies of each book, not enough for all students in a course. The biology library also has some reference copies which cannot be borrowed but can be read in the library.

IBG has some course literature in laboratory rooms, seminar rooms and field stations, for use during the education. These books cannot be borrowed.

Apart from printed literature, the course literature often also includes scientific articles, compendiums and other copied material. Your course leader will provide you with this material.

Work in the laboratory always requires that you wear a lab coat. Lab coats can be bought from the IBG for a small cost. To purchase a lab coat, contact the IBG laboratory assistants at the EBC or the BMC.