International Master of Science in Soils and Global Change (Soil-Plant System Processes and Global Change)
Soil, or the pedosphere, forms the interface between the atmosphere (air), lithosphere (earth), hydrosphere (surface water and groundwater) and biosphere (living organisms), and is therefore central to ecosystem functioning and the delivery of essential ecosystem services. Increasing population pressure, industrialization, intensive land use, and climate change are progressively degrading soils and reducing their capacity to support key functions such as biomass production, carbon sequestration, and water regulation. This challenge is widely recognized as a priority by national and international authorities, including the UN and EU. In the EU, for example, an estimated 60–70% of soils are unhealthy and land degradation costs exceed €50 billion per year.
Addressing these challenges requires experts with a systemic understanding of soil processes and their interlinkages under global change, and the ability to develop and apply evidence-based sustainable solutions, needs that the International Erasmus Mundus Master of Science in Soils and Global Change (IMSOGLO) was specifically designed to address.
What
The Erasmus Mundus International Master in Soils and Global Change (IMSOGLO) is a research-driven, internationally oriented programme designed to educate the next generation of soil scientists. It equips students with the knowledge and skills to understand soil physical, chemical, and biological processes; to measure, monitor, map, and model soils and their processes across space and time; and to design and evaluate sustainable and climate-smart soil management strategies. Graduates are trained to work in multi-, inter-, and transdisciplinary settings, balancing scientific, societal, and stakeholder perspectives, and to contribute to policy-relevant research aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the EU Green Deal, the EU Mission A Soil Deal for Europe, and the EU Soil Monitoring Law.
IMSOGLO is jointly organized by a consortium of four leading European universities - Ghent University (Belgium), Aarhus University (Denmark), BOKU University Vienna (Austria) and University of Göttingen (Germany) - in collaboration with 11 associate partners worldwide. This partnership enables a high-quality, inclusive, and future-oriented learning environment that no single institution could offer independently.
IMSOGLO offers a coherent, flexible curriculum with two specializations that align with students’ backgrounds and aspirations. A well-balanced mix of mandatory courses and electives provides a strong foundation while allowing students to tailor their studies to individual interests. In addition to the master’s dissertation – for which students may choose a topic from a provided list or propose their own – the programme offers a broad set of electives linked to the selected specialization. Spanning agricultural, forest, natural, and urban ecosystems, IMSOGLO integrates theory, laboratory work, and practical application through a problem-solving, research-based approach. Graduates acquire the competences needed to pursue PhD studies or to enter professional careers in soil science and related fields.
For whom
The admission requirements may vary. Depending on your prior education, you can either enrol directly or there may be additional requirements.
Structure
IMSOGLO is a two-year, 120-ECTS programme.
After three weeks of preparatory onboarding sessions and a one-week primer event, all students start together at Ghent University in the first term (30 ECTS). They cover soil fundamentals to consolidate fundamental knowledge on soil science (soil biology, soil physics, soil chemistry, soil evolution), land information systems and statistics, providing a shared foundation for the chosen specialization.
For the remaining terms, students follow one of two mobility tracks: Ghent University (Belgium) and Aarhus University (Denmark) for the specialization Soil Ecosystem Services and Global Change, or BOKU University Vienna (Austria) and University of Göttingen (Germany) for the specialization Soil-Plant System Processes and Global Change.
The second term (30 ECTS), hosted at either Ghent University or at BOKU University Vienna depending on the chosen specialization, focuses on advanced topics and deepens disciplinary expertise while strengthening key professional competences (data science, scientific communication, open project work, internship). Between the first and second year, students from both specializations come together for the Living Lab Summer School, where they engage with experts and stakeholders. The joint format enables exchange across tracks and synchronizes specialization-specific knowledge and skills, as students collaboratively evaluate sustainable land management practices in relation to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the EU Green Deal targets.
In the third term (30 ECTS), students study at either Aarhus University or at University of Göttingen depending on the chosen specialization, taking further advanced courses and continuing developing professional skills. The term may include excursions in France or Greenland to witness the effects of global change on soils.
The fourth term (30 ECTS) is dedicated to the Master's dissertation. Students are supervised by experts from both partner universities within their specialization, and occasionally, by associated partners in Europe and worldwide.
Labour Market
An employability needs analysis identified a pressing shortage of graduates with expertise in the two-way interactions between global change and soils – how global change affects soils and soil functions, and how soils influence climate and broader environmental change. IMSOGLO is designed to address this gap by training such specialists. Surveys further indicate a strong demand for IMSOGLO graduates, particularly in academic research. As their careers progress, many graduates are expected to move increasingly into consultancy, administration, and education.
Quality Assurance
Unique Selling Points
- Worldwide unique expertise to characterize and understand soils in ecosystems under global change, grounded in a deep understanding of underlying physical, chemical and biological processes and their interactions.
- Truly international joint education delivered by at least two excellent European universities, where broad international experience in global change research and education is concentrated, culminating in a Joint Diploma signed by Ghent University and the partner universities delivering the chosen specialization.
- Living Lab Summer School on Soils and Global Change as a signature high-impact experience, applying academic knowledge to complex real-world land-use challenges while strengthening interdisciplinary and stakeholder-oriented competencies.
- “Learn soils everywhere” approach, integrating classroom, laboratory and fieldwork, providing authentic real-world learning contexts, strengthening theory-to-practice integration and building fieldwork, experimental, and integrative competencies.
- Strong career orientation and immediate employability, reinforced by soft-skill electives (work placement, business idea development, scientific communication) and training to participate in and lead interdisciplinary teams delivering sustainable solutions.
Strengths
- Intended learning outcomes are clearly articulated and discipline-specific, underpinning a distinct, research-based academic profile and consistently producing highly trained, capable graduates – with approximately 80% progressing to PhD studies, often at leading institutions worldwide.
- Careful curriculum design ensures coherent progression and minimal overlap across courses, a notable achievement for a joint programme with mandatory mobility.
- An intensive but manageable first-semester foundation establishes a shared conceptual framework, prepares students for later specialization, and fosters confidence and a strong sense of achievement.
- Comprehensive student support, resources, and governance: effective predeparture and onboarding; renowned yet highly approachable teaching staff; excellent facilities across partners; effective communication; and robust internal quality assurance with active student and alumni involvement and systematic follow-up.
- High satisfaction reported by the European Commission, graduating students, and alumni regarding programme content, organization, and teaching quality. Strong external recognition and validation: Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree status; excellent evaluation by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency in 2025 (good practice); and a very positive review from an international accreditation panel in 2026.
Challenges
- Demanding yet highly rewarding programme with a moderate-to-high workload. Around half of graduates perceive the study load as heavy, but generally justified by the quality of education and skills gained, and ultimately valued as worth the effort.
- Mandatory mobility adds an extra challenge: moving between European universities requires finding housing, adapting to new cultures, and navigating administrative procedures.
Accreditation
This study programme is accredited according to Art. II.151 of the Flemish Higher Education Code.
This information was last updated on 01/03/2026.
In case of questions or suggestions with regard to the publicly available information, please contact the study programme.