International Master of Science in Soils and Global Change (Physical Land Resources and Global Change)

Increased population pressure, industrialisation and intensive land use are causing depletion of natural resources and are limiting the performance of land with respect to its functions such as biomass production, carbon sequestration, water purification, etcetera. The additive effects of climate change and the above-mentioned aspects of global change influence the capacity of soils to regenerate and may even cause soil degradation. The future capacity of soils to support (human) life is at stake. Programmes have been developed to protect the environment and to increase ecosystem resilience. Numerous directives on soil response to external pressures have been developed and implemented. A wealth of scientific knowledge is available but dispersed due to the specialisation of research groups, which makes it difficult for students to follow a focused curriculum on soils and global change at any individual university.

Enrol

Master's Programme

2 year 120 credits

Faculty of Bioscience Engineering

English

download brochure

contact

About the programme

Programme summary

Find out more

Off to a good start

After graduation

First year

(version 2 - re-enrol only)

Course schedule 1st semester Course schedule 2nd semester

1 General Courses

Course	MT1	Semester	Language	Instructor	Crdt
Soil Chemistry	1	sem 1	en	Filip Tack	5

Soil Physics	1	sem 1	en	Wim Cornelis	5

Land Information Systems	1	sem 1	en	Frieke Vancoillie	5

Soil Genesis	1	sem 1	en	Peter Finke	5

Applied Statistics	1	sem 1	en	Aisling Daly	5

Pedology	1	sem 1	en	Peter Finke	5

2 Courses Related to the Main Subject

2.1 Module Natural Resources Management for resilience to global Change

2.1.1 Mandatory courses

Course	MT1	Semester	Language	Instructor	Crdt
Climate Change	1	sem 2	en	Dirk Verschuren	4

Soil Water Management	1	sem 2	en	Wim Cornelis	5

Soil Degradation	1	sem 2	en	Ann Verdoodt	5

Land Evaluation	1	sem 2	en	Ann Verdoodt	5

Summer School IMSOGLO	1	sem 2	en	Peter Finke	3

Field Work IMSOGLO	1			Peter Finke	3

2.1.2 Elective courses

Subscribe to 8 credit units from the following list.

Course	MT1	Semester	Language	Instructor	Crdt
Economics and Management of Natural Resources	1	sem 2	en	Stijn Speelman	4

Dare to Venture	1	sem 2	en	Johan Verrue	4

Seminar	1			Mieke Uyttendaele	3

Internship	1	sem 2	en	Steven Sleutel	5

Scientific Communication in English	1	sem 2	en	Geert Jacobs	5

Soil Prospection	1			Peter Finke	4

Second year

(version 2 - re-enrol only)

Course schedule 1st semester Course schedule 2nd semester

2 Courses Related to the Main Subject

2.2 Module Soil Physical Consequences of Global Change

2.2.1 Mandatory courses

Course	MT1	Semester	Language	Instructor	Crdt
Assessing Soil Erosion Risk	2	sem 1	en	Goswin Heckrath	5

Global Soil Threats and Ecosystem Services	2	sem 1	en	Bo V. Iversen	10

Carbon Cycling and Climate Change	2	sem 1	en	Mathias Andersen	10

2.2.2 Elective courses

Subscribe to 5 credit units from the following list.

Course	MT1	Semester	Language	Instructor	Crdt
Climate Through Earth’s History	2	sem 1	en	Marit-Solveig Seidenkrantz	5

Open Project Work in Soil Physics	2	sem 1	en		5

Bioactive Molecules in Agroecology	2	sem 1	en	Inge Fomsgaard	5

Soil Classification	2	sem 1	en	Mogens H. Greve	5

Arctic Soils	2	sem 1	en	Lis Wollesen de Jonge	5

2.3 Master dissertation

Course	Ref	MT1	Semester	Language	Instructor	Crdt
Master Dissertation Physical Land Resources and Global Change		2	sem 2	en		30

Full programme

(version 2 - re-enrol only)

Print

1 General Courses 30

Course	MT1	Semester	Language	Instructor	Crdt
Soil Chemistry	1	sem 1	en	Filip Tack	5

Soil Physics	1	sem 1	en	Wim Cornelis	5

Land Information Systems	1	sem 1	en	Frieke Vancoillie	5

Soil Genesis	1	sem 1	en	Peter Finke	5

Applied Statistics	1	sem 1	en	Aisling Daly	5

Pedology	1	sem 1	en	Peter Finke	5

2 Courses Related to the Main Subject 90

2.1 Module Natural Resources Management for resilience to global Change

30

2.1.1 Mandatory courses

Course	MT1	Semester	Language	Instructor	Crdt
Climate Change	1	sem 2	en	Dirk Verschuren	4

Soil Water Management	1	sem 2	en	Wim Cornelis	5

Soil Degradation	1	sem 2	en	Ann Verdoodt	5

Land Evaluation	1	sem 2	en	Ann Verdoodt	5

Summer School IMSOGLO	1	sem 2	en	Peter Finke	3

Field Work IMSOGLO	1			Peter Finke	3

2.1.2 Elective courses

8

Subscribe to 8 credit units from the following list.

Course	MT1	Semester	Language	Instructor	Crdt
Economics and Management of Natural Resources	1	sem 2	en	Stijn Speelman	4

Dare to Venture	1	sem 2	en	Johan Verrue	4

Seminar	1			Mieke Uyttendaele	3

Internship	1	sem 2	en	Steven Sleutel	5

Scientific Communication in English	1	sem 2	en	Geert Jacobs	5

Soil Prospection	1			Peter Finke	4

2.2 Module Soil Physical Consequences of Global Change

30

2.2.1 Mandatory courses

25

Course	MT1	Semester	Language	Instructor	Crdt
Assessing Soil Erosion Risk	2	sem 1	en	Goswin Heckrath	5

Global Soil Threats and Ecosystem Services	2	sem 1	en	Bo V. Iversen	10

Carbon Cycling and Climate Change	2	sem 1	en	Mathias Andersen	10

2.2.2 Elective courses

5

Subscribe to 5 credit units from the following list.

Course	MT1	Semester	Language	Instructor	Crdt
Climate Through Earth’s History	2	sem 1	en	Marit-Solveig Seidenkrantz	5

Open Project Work in Soil Physics	2	sem 1	en		5

Bioactive Molecules in Agroecology	2	sem 1	en	Inge Fomsgaard	5

Soil Classification	2	sem 1	en	Mogens H. Greve	5

Arctic Soils	2	sem 1	en	Lis Wollesen de Jonge	5

2.3 Master dissertation

30

Course	Ref	MT1	Semester	Language	Instructor	Crdt
Master Dissertation Physical Land Resources and Global Change		2	sem 2	en		30

Learning outcomes

Perform at an advanced level in soil physics, soil biogeochemistry, land information systems, meteorology and climatology

Understand the evolution of soil (agro-/forest/natural) ecosystems under natural conditions and human-impact, in relation to global change

Characterise soil, and can translate this to soil quality and assess the relations to natural and anthropogenic factors

Conduct field work (soil survey, soil profile description, soil sampling), interpret analytical data, classify the soil, and manage and interpret existing geospatial (soil) data

Plan and execute target orientated experiments or simulations independently and critically evaluate the collected data

Possess a holistic understanding of interactions and processes in the agro-ecosystem and natural ecosystems, using statistical tools and advanced (geospatial) information- and modelling techniques

Act from a researchers' perspective: creativity, accuracy, critical reflection, curiosity, justification of choices based on scientific criteria

Integrate and extend acquired knowledge towards innovative solutions, knowing the limits of own competences

Participate in and lead interdisciplinary groups for development of sustainable environmental solutions at local, regional and global scale

Possess qualifications for employment in private and public-sector companies and organisations where high level expertise in soil management is required

Communicate, orally and written, in words and in graphs, on the own discipline to experts and the general public

Describe and model the soil water cycle and its relation to soil degradation and soil management

Design soil water management strategies under a changing climate

Recognise soil threats and to identify promising ecosystem services for a field situation

Measure and model erosion risk, soil compaction and the other soil threats identified by the EU

Characterise the relation between the C-cycle and the climate at different scales

Apply land evaluation techniques to identify and choose between promising land management alternatives in a regional context