Master of Science in Bioscience Engineering Technology: Agriculture and Horticulture (Horticulture)
The Master of Science in Bioscience Engineering Technology: Agriculture and Horticulture (Schoonmeersen Campus - Ghent) focuses on science and innovation in agriculture and horticulture. You learn to apply biological and technological knowledge to improve plant and animal production.
What
The Master of Science in Bioscience Engineering Technology: Agriculture and Horticulture (option Horticulture) is the ideal choice for those aspiring to a flourishing career in the horticulture or nature sectors, or in a sector that bridges both. Admission requires completion of the academic Bachelor's programme in Bioscience Engineering Technology (option Horticulture) or a professional Bachelor's programme followed by an academic bridging programme. Upon completion, you will be an Engineering Technology (in Dutch: ‘industrieel ingenieur') graduate with a specialisation in horticulture.
Agriculture and horticulture are being challenged to manage the environment and nature sustainably, and even to take on aspects of nature conservation. When nature reserves and urban greenery are managed skilfully, these ecosystems can provide a range of resources. This is why our programme includes a mix of course units that will enable you to bridge the sectors of horticultural production and nature conservation.
By choosing this study programme, you will immerse yourself in the various horticultural domains, including vegetable, floricultural, ornamental plant, and fruit cultivation. You will come to understand how nature and the environment interact with this sector. You will learn everything about agroecology and nature development. The curriculum also explores current horticultural challenges and the management of horticultural businesses. To illustrate the theoretical findings, we visit modern horticultural companies at home and abroad (including a multi-day horticultural trip). Through projects, workshops, guest speakers, and an elective work placement, you will learn how theory is put into practice.
The Master's programme culminates in a Master's dissertation, an original piece of research on a current topic in horticulture or nature conservation. We also encourage international experiences, for example, through a dissertation or work placement abroad. And we offer elective course units on tropical agriculture.
For whom
The admission requirements may vary. Depending on your prior education, you can either enrol directly or there may be additional requirements.
Labour Market
A Master's diploma in Bioscience Engineering Technology (Agriculture and Horticulture) opens many career opportunities! Opportunities are plentiful in the agricultural and horticultural sectors and the related green sector, whether in government employment or in the business world.
The agricultural and horticultural sectors are rapidly expanding and increasingly reliant on technology, knowledge, and creativity. This demand explains why engineers with this specific profile are highly sought after. Career opportunities include supply management, production, trade and processing, technical-commercial roles, information, foreign aid, research, and education. Alternatively, you could become a self-employed entrepreneur.
Moreover, there has been a growing emphasis on green practices and nature within the agricultural and horticultural sectors, encompassing trending topics such as management agreements, niche agriculture like agroforestry, and the exploitation of nature. Bioscience Engineering Technology graduates are uniquely positioned to work in specific domains within the agriculture or horticulture sectors, and/or to bridge the gaps between agriculture and nature and between agriculture and landscape conservation. You possess the knowledge and vision to further shape these developments, and you are versatile and qualified for employment across various sectors.
Are you curious about specific career options? Please refer to the inspiring stories shared by our alumni! They recount their exciting career opportunities as Engineering Technology graduates (in Dutch: ‘industrieel ingenieur’). Let their stories inspire you and help you discover the opportunities that are open to you!
Quality Assurance
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.
More information:
Unique Selling Points
- Multidisciplinarity: we train highly qualified engineers who can take on a variety of assignments and positions, mainly in the primary production chain. This production chain starts with the development, production and supply of genetically modified starting materials (seeds, vegetatively propagated plants, young animals, ...), means of production (substrates, fertilisers, cattle feed) and means of investment (machinery, greenhouses, stables). The primary production chain links are plant breeding and animal husbandry.
- Integration of theory and practice: among our research and experimentation facilities are a testing farm, an in vitro and a phytopathological lab. These facilities allow our students to gain practical and research experience during their Master’s dissertation. They also stimulate their problem-solving capacities and offer an environment for working together in dynamic teams. The application-oriented engineers they will become will have to position themselves as ‘translators’ from concept to product.
- Multiperspectivism: our students learn to approach problems from different angles and place them in a broader perspective. This is why we also encourage our students to gain international experience and to get in touch with international students or lecturers. The Master’s dissertation and the work placement are linked to topical issues raised by companies or sectors. Incorporating the perspective of the professional field thus comes naturally. Company visits also contribute to this.
- Student talent development: apart from lectures and practicals, our teaching methods include project teaching, company visits, work placements, workshops and other active methods. These ensure that students can show their talents and develop them further.
- Knowledge creation: our wide range of well-considered course units and electives guarantees a gradual accrual of knowledge and skills.
Strengths
- A permanent quality culture: the Programme Committee manages the information flow and consultations between faculty services, lecturers and students. It also monitors the quality and profile of the study programme. During its monthly meetings, the Programme Committee can promptly address potential issues and important considerations.
- Dedicated team of lecturers: our study programme features a dedicated team of lecturers from various fields, integrating their passion for teaching with a commitment to globally focused research.
- Solid study track counselling: students can get personal advice from our well-organised study track counselling to compile their curriculum via an academic bridging programme or a personalised study track.
- Student involvement: in addition to the traditional channels for representation and quality assurance, including the Programme Committee (programme level) and Quality Assurance Committee (faculty level), students have set up a Participation Committee (PACO). Student representatives place relevant issues on the Programme Committee’s agenda.
- Approachability: we highly value direct and intensive interaction between our lecturers and students.
Challenges
- Internationalisation: we want to encourage our students more to embark on study-abroad initiatives. We want to send out more Erasmus students and offer better guidance on compiling suitable modules. We organise an annual international study trip to explore the international dimensions of our discipline. Our lecturers are active members of various international partnerships. Our students can use these contacts for Master’s dissertation or work placement purposes, and to conduct these abroad. We also explore Internationalisation@Home opportunities further.
- Reconciling production and environment: as a study programme, we explicitly take on the challenge of reconciling production and the environment. We offer our students a thorough understanding of production processes and their environmental context, and of course units that straddle both. As a result, they become liaisons between production and the environment. We prepare our Master's students to bridge the gap between these sectors and to reduce polarisation between them. Students learn to understand how production affects the environment and vice versa, and how to handle this relationship more sustainably.
- Feedback: sometimes there is still insufficient feedback on papers and reports. More so than before, we invest in feedback on assignments. This implies that lecturers and students consult each other more on the timing/deadline of these assignments and what is expected of the students.
Accreditation
This study programme is accredited by the Accreditation Organisation 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 25/11/2025. In case of questions or suggestions with regard to the publicly available information, please contact the study programme.