BIOS5217 – Advanced mycology
Course description
Schedule, syllabus and examination date
Course content
The course provides knowledge on evolution and ecology in the fungal kingdom with regards to ongoing research. The curriculum is largely based on scientific articles that will highlight current research questions and methods in the field. The students will choose a project where they investigate a relevant topic and hand in a paper formatted as a research proposal. Knowledge on genetic and morphological diversity within important taxonomic and ecological groups will be covered in the field course.
Learning outcome
After taking the course you will be able to:
- Explain modern research methods and important research topics in mycology
- Discuss and evaluate research literature in mycology
- Explain why and where classification in the fungal kingdom is problematic
- Describe the evolution of ecological plasticity in fungi
- Understand the significance of DNA-based methods such as metabarcoding and genomics for mycology
- Explain how ecological strategies are reflected in fungal genomes
- Describe the life cycle of fungi and understand conceptual challenges related to fungal individuals, populations and species
- Be familiar with species identification tools based on morphology
- Plan and write a basic research proposal
Admission to the course
Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.
PhD-candidates must apply for BIOS9217.
The courses BIOS5217 and BIOS9217 have joint admission. There is a total of 20 seats in these subjects. Applicants are ranked by the following criteria:
1. PhD candidates and master students at the MN faculty who have the course as part of the approved curriculum.
2. Other PhD candidates and visiting PhD candidates.
3. Students with admission to single courses on master’s level and exchange students
4. Applicants are ranked by credits in each group; all applicants within 1st rank before applicants in 2nd etc. If admission is limited to a fixed number of participants, admission will be decided by drawing lots for students who are ranked equally
Formal prerequisite knowledge
The following courses must be passed before start of laboratory course and field course:
Recommended previous knowledge
BIOS1150 – Biodiversity and BIOS3250 – Fungal biology/BIOS4250 – Fungal biology
Or elementary knowledge of mycology.
Overlapping courses
- 10 credits overlap with BIOS9217 – Advanced mycology.
- 3 credits overlap with BIO4260 – Evolution and Systematics of Organismal Groups: The Fungal Kingdom (continued).
- 3 credits overlap with BIO9260 – Evolution and Systematics of Organismal Groups: The Fungal Kingdom (continued).
Teaching
- Lectures
- Group work (literature seminars; mandatory)
- Submission of a draft research proposal, 2000-3000 words
- Field course with submission of a field report (Mandatory)
?
The course is taught over two weeks at the end of the spring semester, and a 4-day field course with lab work and a subsequent field report in August. Work on the research proposal will begin in the spring, with the submission deadline after the field course.
Mandatory activities must be approved to pass the course.
Attendance at the first lecture is mandatory. This also applies to those on the waiting list. You will lose your spot on the course if you do not notify the study department at studyinfo@ibv.uio.no before the lecture starts if you are unable to attend the first lecture.
Since the course involves laboratory and/or fieldwork, you should consider having travel and personal insurance. Read more about how you are insured as a student.
The course will only be offered if 5 or more students enroll.
Cost of taking the course
There will be a four days field course in August. The fee for field course is 150 NOK per day.
Examination
Attendance at mandatory teaching activities and approval of a written assignment (draft research proposal), group work, and a field report is required to pass the course.
A mandatory field course with the submission of a report will be assessed as approved/not approved.
Mandatory instruction, the written assignment (draft research proposal), and the field course report must all be approved in order to pass the course.
Examination attempts?
It will also be counted as one of the three attempts to sit the exam for this course if you sit the exam for one of the following courses: BIO9260 – Evolution and Systematics of Organismal Groups: The Fungal Kingdom (continued), BIO4260 – Evolution and Systematics of Organismal Groups: The Fungal Kingdom (continued) and BIOS9217 – Advanced mycology.
Examination support material
Written exam: No examination support material is allowed.
Field course report:?All examination support material is allowed.
Language of examination
You may submit your response in Norwegian, Swedish or Danish.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F?is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
Resit an examination
This course offers both postponed and resit of examination. Read more:
More about examinations at UiO
- Use of sources and citations
- Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
- Withdrawal from an exam
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Explanation of grades and appeals
- Resitting an exam
- Cheating/attempted cheating
You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.