At Ghent University, we strive to educate people who dare to think about the challenges of tomorrow. For that purpose, we provide education that is embedded in six strategic objectives: Think Broadly, Keep Researching, Cultivate Talent, Contribute, Extend Horizons, Opt for Quality.
Ghent University continuously focuses on quality assurance and quality culture. The Ghent University's quality assurance system offers information on each study programme’s unique selling points, and on its strengths and weaknesses with regard to quality assurance.

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Ghent University's Education Objectives

Quality Assurance at Ghent University

1. Unique study programme. Our curriculum integrates the disciplines of geography and geomatics, which makes us a unique study programme in the Flemish higher education landscape, and a leading example for study programmes abroad. We offer an in-depth exploration of the interaction between man and nature in a spatial context. We do so with specific attention to the sustainability topic and to the most recent technological developments.
2. Interdisciplinary and international focus.Our curriculum is founded on a broad scientific education with contributions from various disciplines in the natural and social sciences. This broad foundation contains theoretical concepts as well as real-life examples in the field of geography and geomatics. We also put professional and technical knowledge and skills into practice. We encourage our students to explore the environment from multiple perspectives, to gain international experience, and to take up social commitment.
3. Excellent research. We introduce our students to our long-standing tradition of high-quality international research by actively involving them in ongoing research throughout the curriculum. The many projects and foreign excursions, as well as the Bachelor’s and Master’s dissertations testify to our research-based education. Our students gradually develop their research skills, and learn to apply them in an autonomous manner.
4. Terrain and work field. The actual terrain, and society at large, take centre stage in a geographer’s and geomatician’s (professional) life. We bring our students into contact with that terrain in various ways, and we introduce them to the role of geographers/geomaticians in society by means of guest lectures, work placements, fieldwork, (foreign) excursions, “measurement camps” and Master’s dissertations.
5. Broad employment opportunities. Our graduates are highly sought after in various sectors on the job market, both in private companies as well as in government agencies. Many of those jobs have an international dimension. Prospective employers can be found, among others, in the spatial planning, environment, heritage, mobility, foreign aid, surveying, geo-ICT, dredging, and education sectors.

 

1. Vision and curriculum. A recent curricular reform has led to an integration of the two central components of our discipline, i.e. geography and geomatics. We were able to realize and implement these curricular improvements thanks to a highly committed team with a well-considered vision. The new curriculum leaves room for a choice of in-depth and broadening electives,or for a professional focus (e.g. the Master of Science in Teaching), depending on our students’ personal interests.
2. Broad curriculum. The Geography and Geomatics programme is so much more, and much more diverse than the secondary school subject ‘Geography’. Given our emphasis on research-oriented, scientific, social and technological aspects of geography and geomatics, we expect our students to have a broad field of interest and sufficient prior knowledge of mathematics and the sciences. We collaborate regularly with secondary school teachers of geography to keep (them) abreast of new developments.
3. Active learning.Small student groups allow us to use many active teaching methods, both on campus and online. In a low-threshold and step-by-step way, we guide our students in thinking and acting/daring to think and act independently, critically and creatively (together).
4. Assessment. We apply a varied set of assessment methods that evolves together with our students’ growing independence.
5. After graduation. Our study programme boasts an active alumni association, allowing our graduates to come into contact, and/or stay in touch with other alumni during a wide variety of activities.

 

1. Study Yield. Based on feedback from students, we will continue to monitor the workload together with our students and we will continue to focus on clear communication about mutual expectations. By means of (among other things) interim feedback sessions and counselling, a coordination of deadlines and organizational improvements, we will continue to work on a set of optimal preconditions so that students have every opportunity to graduate as planned, within five academic years.
2. Talent development and internationalization. We already make use of the strong links with the professional field through a mandatory (international) work placement and the Master’s dissertation. We will continue to stimulate the outgoing mobility of students by offering them a range of high-quality partnerships with foreign universities.
3. Sustainable entrepreneurship. Encouraging students to engage in sustainable entrepreneurship is currently less explicit and systematic. We want to further stimulate the entrepreneurial spirit of our students through a strong emphasis on the work placement and strong(er) ties with the professional field.

 

This study programme is accredited by the Accreditation Organization of the Netherlands and Flanders (Dutch: NVAO). Accreditation was extended following the positive outcome of the institutional review in 2022. Programme quality was validated by a quality review, i.e. a screening of the Education Monitor by the Education Quality Board. The Quality Assurance Resolution (in Dutch) can be found here.

This information was last updated on 01/02/2023.
In case of questions or suggestions with regard to the publicly available information, please contact the study programme.

De overgang van bachelor naar master was iets waar ik al een tijdje naar uitkeek. Ik denk dat iedereen gedurende de bachelor wel eens een vak had dat maar niet wilde lukken of dat je eigenlijk niet zo interessant vond. De master is helemaal anders opgebouwd: je kiest twee majoren uit het aanbod van vijf, dus er zullen zeker genoeg geografische vakken zijn die volledig aansluiten bij je interesse. Tijdens die lessen leerde ik hoe de basiskennis uit de bachelor gebruikt kan worden voor toepassingen in het werkveld. Daarnaast vond ik het heel interessant dat er ook nog veel ruimte was voor keuzevakken uit het hele aanbod van de UGent (en zelfs daarbuiten als je dat wil!). Zo kon ik me verder verdiepen in de verschillende facetten van ruimtelijke planning en verkeerskunde. Naast het feit dat je van deze master inhoudelijk helemaal je eigen ding kan maken, brengt het ook een heel andere aanpak met zich mee. Grote lespakketten kwamen in mijn geval minder vaak voor en werden vervangen door grote taken en groepswerken. Het zorgde ervoor dat mijn planning mijn beste vriend werd. Je krijgt volledig zelf de touwtjes in handen om de balans te vinden tussen studeren, taken en je vrije tijd. Op die manier kunnen de masterjaren wel eens hele mooie en boeiende jaren worden!

Na een bacheloropleiding waar je een heel brede basis krijgt, kan je in de master 2 majoren kiezen die volledig aansluiten bij je interesses. Ik koos voor de combo GIS en stadsgeografie, maar in mijn minor heb ik ook wat keuzevakken in de landschapskunde en landmeetkunde genomen. Het 'studeren' wordt ook iets meer 'werken' in de masteropleiding, je moet meer projecten uitwerken en je hebt meer inbreng in wat je doet, je kiest bijvoorbeeld zelf je internationaal project, verzint een casus voor een GIS-analyse of bepaalt waarover je je thesis gaat schrijven. Dat ligt mij meer, ik ben niet goed in klakkeloos vanbuiten blokken en wel in creatief denken. Ik spreek regelmatig met buitenlandse studenten geografie, en daaruit wordt het wel duidelijk hoe verschillend de opleiding geografie in elke universiteit in elkaar zit. Bij ons ligt er relatief meer focus op informatica, landmeetkunde en GIS (waardoor het bij ons dan ook Geografie en Geomatica heet) en ik denk ook dat de discipline landschapskunde bij ons wat meer uitgewerkt is. Ik ben alleszins blij dat ik deze veelzijdige studie heb gekozen, ik zou het niet anders willen!