Studium und Lehre
an der Medizinischen Fakultät
der Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen

Zurück zum Hauptmenü
Zum Menü der Einrichtung

The Master's Program Population-Based Medicine

The Master’s Program Population Based Medicine offers a challenging program at a competitive international level for which high individual effort and performance are required We strive to prepare students to respond to both challenges and opportunities to improve health within and across populations. Our goal is to train future population health experts with outstanding methodological knowledge and interdisciplinary expertise to address the full range of factors influencing health and disease. Population-Based Medicine works with big datasets and epidemiological and statistical methods to identify patterns in the diseases and health of large populations.

Selection interviews 2026
for the Masters’ program Population-Based Medicine will take place between 4th May and 11th May 2026.

Lern more
Junge Menschen spazieren über den Campus

Population-Based Medicine includes the designing, implementation and evaluation of intervention programs for health problems (e.g., lifestyle modification strategies and stress management), the development of prevention strategies at the population level (e.g., for diabetes, cardiovascular conditions, and cancer), as well as the development of policy recommendations, health education and outreach at community and population level (e.g., digital health technologies).

The Population-Based Medicine program in Tübingen is a 4-semester full-time program completely offered in English. One of the most important features of the program is a mandatory practicum in the third semester which can be completed in Germany or abroad. The master program is accredited and applies the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS).

Get more information in our booklet!

Current information

Selection interviews 2026

The selection interviews for the Masters’ program Population-Based Medicine will take place between 4th May and 11th May 2026 (on working days, that is, Monday to Friday). They may take place between 08.00 a.m. and 08.00 p.m., CEST. If you reached this stage of the selection process, you will receive an individual invitation with the exact time and date of your interview at least 3 working days (Monday to Friday) before the actual date. You will have to confirm the receipt of this email and your participation in the interview by replying to this email. If you don’t respond, you cannot be considered anymore in the selection process. Upon confirmation the online meeting link will be sent to you.

For international students
from visa countries

If you are an international applicant from a visa country, consider booking yourself a visa appointment right now since in some countries it takes exceptionally long to even get an appointment. We therefore recommend you to book a visa appointment for the end of May, since a decision regarding admission is expected to be made around mid-to end-May.

Our lecturers

Study in Tübingen - Population-Based Medicine M.Sc.

Increasing health levels and fostering well-being across whole populations is the goal of Population-Based Medicine. This specialized Master’s program at the University of Tübingen provides graduates with all the skills and knowledge to really make a difference in the health sector, be it health research, health economy, health policy or community outreach.

View on Youtube
Junge Studierende unterhalten sich - Videostartfolie

When you play the video, data is transferred to YouTube. For more information, please see our privacy policy.

key figures

4
semester full-time study
120
ECTS
20
study places
14
weeks practicum

Insights into the program

News

PBM visits Frankfurt

PBM students visit the Frankfurt Public Health Department

Learn more

First graduates

of our Master's program

Learn more

First Master's degree

in Population-Based Medicine in Tübingen!

Learn more

Ausland

Going abroad during your degree? Here's what you need to know!

The practicum/intership in the third semester oft he PBM program (a 14-week full-time practicum) is a well-suited opportunity to spend a semester abroad. Students can complete their practicum in an organization and country of their choice. Planning of the practicum should start early, students will be informed about all the necessary steps already in the first semester in a kick-off-meeting. A mentor will further support with the search for a practicum organization and a practicum project.

Students should apply directly at organizations of their choice. The program supports this with an individually issued “Letter to the organisation”. 

Students can complete the practicum at any public or private organisation working in issues related to population health which is willing to offer them an opportunity to work on a practicum project.

Students are required to work on a practicum project applying the knowledge and skills obtained in their studies so far. They need to define this project together with their supervisor at the practicum organization and with their mentor in the PBM program.

After having secured a practicum place and having defined the practicum project, students need to apply for approval of both the practicum and the praticum project with the Examination Office. The application for approval of the practicum should reach the Examination Office at least one month before the start of the practicum.

The Practicum is an obligatory module in the PBM program.

In case of approval of the practicum by the Examination Office, students receive an official confirmation together with their individual submission deadline for the practicum report. The practicum report ist he final examination of this module and should cover the results and experiences of the practicum and the practicum project.

A practicum abroad can be funded by the Eramus+ Traineeship program (more information, application details and deadlines can be found here and here) or the PROMOS program (for details see here). Both scholarships are also open for international students, however, a practicum in their home country is excluded. Further links: Auslandsbafög (national students), scholardatabase (practicum) by the DAAD, link list of the University of Tübingen for funding of studying abroad.

An optional study abroad program is available for every degree program. You should begin planning approximately one to one and a half years before departure.

Please apply by the Department of Studies and Teaching (Dr. Elena Lebherz) by the deadline with the following application documents:

  • Letter of motivation (in English, max. 1 page)
  • Curriculum vitae (in English, in tabular form)
  • Proof of extracurricular activities (optional)
  • Transcript of records (including average grade)
  • The selection process is based on the student's grades.
It will also be taken into account that the selected candidate will represent the Faculty of Medicine abroad and play a significant role in shaping the future of their successors.

Application Deadline for the next academic year is the 31st  of January.

Additionally, to the ERASMUS-Exchange CIVIS offers a wide range of exchange opportunities, like Summer and Winter Schools, BIPS, COILS etc. 

 


Please find more Information about the Current CIVIS Exchange Opportunities 

The List of the CIVIS- and Erasmus-Partners could be found here.

Contact

Program Director

Prof. Dr. Norbert Schmitz

Head of Department Population-Based Medicine

E-Mail-Adresse: norbert.schmitz@med.uni-tuebingen.de

Contact person

Dr. Tanja Seifried-Dübon

Program Coordinator

E-Mail-Adresse: pbm.studium@med.uni-tuebingen.de

Telefonnummer: 07071 29-87111

Study PBM @Tübingen!

Further information

How to apply and further information

Frequently Asked Questions

A simple approach to bridging population-based medicine and public health: population-based medicine is the basic science of public health, much as biomedical research is the basic science of clinical medicine. Population-based medicine provides the basic understanding of how health is produced, while public health aims to apply that understanding toward building and promoting health in populations. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30207758/

Epidemiology provides essential knowledge to design, implement, and assess approaches to effectively prevent disease and improve health in populations. Epidemiological methods are the cornerstones of population health and population-based medicine, which consider the broader picture by integrating concepts, methods and evidence from behavioral, environmental, biological, social, economic, cultural, and psychological science.

You need a Bachelor’s Degree (or an equivalent degree of at least 6 semesters) in Health Sciences or a comparable subject. Examples for potentially comparable subjects are:

  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology
  • Medicine
  • Dentistry
  • Nursing
  • Midwifery
  • Nutrition
  • Pharmacy
  • Health Economics
  • Health Policy
  • Biostatistics
  • Psychology
  • Sports
  • Sociology
  • Cognitive Sciences
  • ...


Make sure to include a Transcript of Records or similar documents which describe the contents of your Bachelor’s Degree in order to allow for assessment of the comparability of the field. A final decision can only be made based on your complete application.

Yes, good knowledge in statistics and research methods is expected and these topics will be discussed during the selection interview.

There are 20 study places in Population-Based Medicine per year.

The program starts in the winter semester (courses start mid-October).

The deadline for your application is 15th April. Applications received after this date cannot be considered in the selection process.

All courses and examinations will be held in English. You need English skills at the B2 level (CEFR). A corresponding certificate must be submitted with the application.

Although you won’t need German in your courses, German skills are useful for managing your everyday life in Tübingen or in case you would like to complete your practicum in a German organization. Consider taking German lessons at the Centre for German as a foreign language.

In the first two semesters, courses will be held according to a fixed schedule.  In the third semester you will complete your mandatory practicum and attend an online practicum seminar. In the fourth semester you will attend a Master’s colloquium and write your thesis. The detailed schedule can be found in the module handbook which is available here.

A good opportunity to spend time abroad during your master studies is the practicum/internship in the third semester. Start looking for potential practicum organizations early and use a practicum/internship abroad for getting to know yet another health system.

With a degree in Population-Based Medicine you can work in a variety of public and private organizations in the health sector (e.g., hospitals, consulting agencies), as well as NGOs. You will also be ready for pursuing PhD studies.