Ghent University, Belgium
Master of Science in Physical Land Resources for Sustainable Land Management
Pogramme Content
A country's physical land resources are a fundamental pillar of support for human life and welfare. Worldwide, population pressures and severe degradation, pollution and desertification problems are threatening this - for several countries relatively scarce - natural resource, and cause competition between agricultural or industrial purposes, urban planning and nature conservation.
To guarantee a proper use and management of this basic commodity for a nation, well trained specialists with a thorough knowledge of the properties and characteristics of this natural resource, and a solid insight in factors and measures that may alter its actual state and value are warranted and call for a high standard scientific and practical education.
Main subject: Land and Groundwater Management
This major aims at training researchers, academics, government staff and expert consultants in the inventory and detailed characterization of land capacity, and of groundwater in particular.
Graduates should be able to understand the development and evolution of groundwater under natural conditions or following human interference using field, map, laboratory and remote sensing data. They should have the scientific knowledge to use and manage land and water in a sustainable way, and to optimize land and groundwater use under different natural and environmental conditions.
Main subject: Urban Land Management
This major aims at training researchers, academics, government staff and expert consultants in the inventory and detailed characterization of land capacity, and of urban land in particular.
Graduates should be able to understand urban hydrology and hydraulics, and the problem of sustainable mobility and logistics, using field, map, laboratory and remote sensing data. They should have the scientific knowledge to use and manage urban land and water in a sustainable way, and to optimize urban land use under different natural and environmental conditions.
Learning Outcomes
The Master of Science in Physical Land Resources aims at delivering experts with a broad, advanced up-to-date knowledge in the field of physical land resources, and groundwater and urban land in particular, that are capable to integrate this knowledge with the acquired techniques, skills and attitudes, and to apply them in their professional life.
Special consideration is given to analyzing problems in developing countries.
Programme Structure
The Master of Science degree programme in Physical Land Resources is a two year, full time course. The first year provides a fundamental basis in physical land resources, including supporting methodological courses.
The second year offers specialised courses in one of both main subjects: either Land and Groundwater Management or Urban Land Management. The students have to prepare a master dissertation in the second year. Successful completion of the programme leads to the award of an Master of Science degree in Physical Land Resources.
The course curriculum of the first year, and of the main subject in Land and Groundwater Management of the second year is organised at Ghent University, whereas all courses of the main subject in Urban Land Management of the second year are lectured at "Vrije Universiteit Brussel". There is one common course in the second year: "Integrated Project", assuring coherence between both majors. The academic year starts the last week of September. However, students are advised to arrive in Ghent in the first week of September to follow the preparatory summer course.
A wide variety of teaching methods are used in the PLR programme. All course units, except for "Internship" and "Master Dissertation" include lectures. Lectures are fundamental to provide students with the necessary basic knowledge in order to acquire the requested competences.
Besides lectures the following teaching methods are very frequently used: practical classes, PC-room classes and coached exercises. Teaching methods like guided self-study, group work and micro-teaching are occasionally used.
Field work and excursions are evidently an important component of the Physical Land Resources programme.
Admission requirements
The applicant must be proficient in the language of the course or training programme, i.e. English. The English language proficiency can be met by providing a certificate (validity of 5 years) of one of the following tests: (TOEFL/IELTS predictive tests and TOEIC will not be accepted)
- TOEFL IBT 80
- TOEFL PBT 550
- ACADEMIC IELTS 6,5 overall score with a min. of 6 for writing
- CEFR B2 Issued by a European university language centre
- ESOL CAMBRIDGE English CAE (Advanced)
Language of instruction is not accepted anymore, except:
- applicants who have a diploma (Secondary Education, Academic Bachelor Degree, Master Degree) issued by an institution officially recognized by the Flemish Government.
- applicants who are nationals from or have obtained a bachelor and/or master degree in a higher education institute with English as mode of instruction in USA,
Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland or Canada, and in the latter case a certificate that the mode of instruction was English has to be submitted.
Applicants that do not meet the language requirements can request an exception by adding a motivated letter to the application file.
About the Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University
The faculty of Bioscience Engineering is one of the 11 faculties of Ghent University.
The faculty is strongly dedicated to
international education, welcoming an average of 350 international students from 100 different nationalities each academic year, on a total amount of almost 3000 students. The focal research topic of the faculty is
the living matter in all its diversity.
The research domains are clustered around Natural Capital, Sustainable Primary Production, Food and Health, Green Chemistry, Bio-Economy, Clean Environmental Technology, Biotechnology and Data-Analysis. Our research excellence is the basis of top-quality education and
high international rankings.
The faculty of Bioscience Engineering of UGent is top 12-ranked for Agricultural Sciences (QS Ranking, NTU Ranking, Shangai Ranking) and positioned 51 for Life Sciences according to the Times Higher Education Ranking.
Alumni of our international master programmes get a broad range of career options as entrepreneurs, policy makers and research experts.
The faculty is located in the
city of Ghent: a charming, medieval, multi-cultural city with 300.000 inhabitants and home to 77.000 students. 45,000 of those are students of Ghent University, of which our faculty is part.
The city centre of Ghent is a low emission zone with car-free parts and Ghent is a worldwide forerunner in the promotion of sustainable food.
Other courses offered by Ghent University
Master of Science in Environmental Science and Technology
Master of Science in Nutrition and Rural Development
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