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. Multiperspectivism: Geology does not stop at national borders and is by definition an international discipline. Our study programme strongly focuses on problem-solving thinking based on interdisciplinarity, and aims to stimulate a critical attitude towards geological thinking. Throughout the curriculum, we train our students to apply their acquired knowledge in the field, we encourage them to think about scientific new angles, and cultivate an attitude of lifelong learning.
2. Curriculum: the renewed curriculum aims to consolidate a broad scientific training by gradually building up the basic knowledge and skills of geology during the Bachelor’s. The ensuing Master’s curriculum (120 ECTS-credits) are centered around two axes that reflect the research expertise, namely geology of basins and orogens (folding region of the earth’s crust), and groundwater and mineral resources.
3. Curricular freedom: sufficient room is created in the Master’s curriculum (30 ECTS-credits) for further in-depth study (elective course units), a work placement (professional development), internationalization (Erasmus+) or the Master’s Programme of Teaching.
4. Integration of theory and practice: in the Master’s curriculum, students are able to choose a long professional work placement at a company or scientific institute at home or abroad, during which they goes through all stages of the professional field with special attention to problem-solving and applied thinking skills. Our graduates quickly find work.
5. Four-dimensional thinking (space-time) is a unique aspect of the Geology programme. The contemporary geologist is a conscious scientist with the ability to offer efficient solutions for long-term sustainable natural resource management.

 

1. Motivated team of lecturers: we aim to apply the latest findings of geological research in the education we provide. During the master years, research-based education is strongly covered in the course units of the majors ‘Groundwater and Mineral Resources’ and ‘Basins and Orogens’.
2. Relationship with the professional field: at the students behest, a professional work placement in a company or scientific institute was integrated into the master’s curriculum, bringing them into contact with real-life situations. Within the regular course units, the relationship with the professional field comes to the fore by inviting alumni as guest lecturers or by means of partnerships (including the Flanders Marine Institute, Geological Survey of Belgium).
3. Approachability: we are a relatively small study programme, which means that we can uphold low-threshold and efficient consultation and coordination between students and lecturers.
4. Teaching methods: we take care to ensure that the variety of teaching and assessment methods prepare students for the challenges of the future, the geological professional field, and problem-solving thinking, all the while paying sufficient attention to both oral and written communication.
5. Fieldwork work placements: the field is and remains the geologist’s primary area of activity. Our study programme focuses strongly on (international) fieldwork work placements, during which students have to apply their acquired spatial geological insights in a dynamic geological dimension.

 

1. Monitoring study results for generation students. We will pay more attention to communication about the expectations and the exact content of first-year course units.
2. We monitor a balanced workload in the Bachelor’s and Master’s programme via assignment rota that include scheduled feedback sessions. After all, our programme consists of a variety of teaching methods in which students receive interim assignments (reports of field work placements or excursions, writing papers, discussing case studies, etc.).
3. The social relevance of geology should be emphasized more.

 

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 2017. Programme quality was validated by a quality review (peer-learning visit) in 2018. A screening of the Education Monitor by Ghent University’s Education Quality Board is planned in the years 2021-2024.

This information was last updated on 01/06/2021.
In case of questions or suggestions with regard to the publicly available information, please contact the study programme.

Voorhistorisch leven boeide mij al van kindsbeen af, en de opleiding Geologie is een van de weinige opleidingen waar paleontologie wordt gedoceerd. Voor mij een logische keuze dus om Geologie te studeren. De opleiding was echter veel breder dan dat, met een diepgaande vorming in zowel biologie, chemie als fysica. Iedereen die afstudeert als geoloog, heeft niet alleen een grote kennis van de Aarde, maar is in feite een allround-wetenschapper.

Geologie is een soort synergie tussen de verschillende wetenschapsdomeinen, toegepast op de wereld rondom ons. Dat heeft me altijd gefascineerd. In de huidige dynamische en globale samenleving houdt geologie zich meer dan ooit bezig met duurzaamheid. Geologen werken onder meer aan een goed beheer en exploitatie van grondstoffen, het milieu, de atmosfeer en veiligheid. Tijdens de opleiding word je gevormd tot wetenschapper met een brede basis en proef je van alle mogelijke disciplines in de geologie. Deze multidisciplinariteit stelt mij nu in staat om complexe onderzoeksvragen aan te pakken in verschillende sectoren. Ik merk dat ik mij makkelijk kan integreren in nieuwe professionele omgevingen. En door die brede wetenschappelijke basis heb ik voldoende achtergrond om als zelfstandige te ondernemen.

Ik ben begonnen aan mijn opleiding geologie vanuit mijn interesse voor de werking van onze planeet. Die interesse was heel breed: van de druk die we als mens op onze planeet uitoefenen over de evolutie van fauna en flora tot het waarom van platentektoniek. In de bacheloropleiding wordt hierover een grondige basis gelegd. De volledige opleiding heeft me een zeer gedegen kennis gegeven over de processen die zich afspelen op onze planeet en dat schept veel mogelijkheden op de arbeidsmarkt.