What
The Master of Science in Bioscience Engineering: Environmental Science and Technology delivers engineers who are able to analyse scientific as well as social challenges in a critical, multi- and interdisciplinary manner, and work on sustainable and effective solutions. You will acquire a broad and in-depth knowledge of chemical, physical, (micro)biological and ecological environmental diagnostics in the compartments of water, air and soil. You will be taught both preventive and curative environmental technology. The study programme has a strong process-oriented and quantitative focus, both on the level of the ecosphere (i.e. natural systems) as well as the technosphere (i.e. industrial systems). Taken together, this results in a highly distinct engineering profile. By responding to renewed insights regarding (circular) management of natural resources, and by paying attention to the broad social, economic and legislative framework, the programme is characterized by a holistic approach to the study of environmental problems. As one of the pioneers in environmental technology programmes and due to its internationally renowned cutting-edge research, Ghent University is one Europe’s leading universities in this field.
For whom
The admission requirements may vary. Depending on your prior education, you can either enrol directly or there are additional requirements.
Structure
The Master’s programme is made up of three clusters:
Environmental analysis and diagnostics (e.g. analysis of organic micropollutants, applied marine ecology, environmental risk assessment). Processes and interactions within natural and industrial (eco)systems are studied from a wide range of perspectives. You are able to analyse in a critical and cross-disciplinary fashion the quality of our environment and our resources within a context of increasing pressure on natural resources and growing international concerns about ecological and/or human risks, and to assess the necessity and effectiveness of improvement measures.
Environmental technology and engineering (e.g. environmental technology: air, technology for recovery of raw materials, environmental installations in practice). In addition to biological and physicochemical purification technologies for the various environmental compartments, emphasis is placed on sustainable cycle technologies with a focus on the reuse of natural raw materials, life cycle analysis and clean technology, and the recovery of by-products. This Ghent University programme is hence clearly focusing on current social trends and internationally evolving insights regarding sustainable materials, energy and resource management, closing cycles, and valorising residual flows in the technosphere. Preventing and solving environmental problems does not only require an understanding and quantitative calculation of environmental-technical processes. It also requires a proper knowledge of, and insight into, the design, control and implementation of environmental-technical installations in practice.
Social contextualization (e.g. management for engineers, legal framework of environmental technology). The programme pays attention to the legislative and policy frameworks, and to socio-economic competencies that can be widely applied in a business environment and in the professional field of a bioengineer in environmental technology. The wide range of elective course units, a targeted work placement and the Master’s dissertation research ensure that you are able to both deepen and broaden your environmental and engineering knowledge and insights, as well as to acquire specific skills and attitudes.
The Faculty of Bioscience Engineering is highly international. As such it is a hub for coming into contact with students and cultures from all over the world. Additionally, there are several ways to gain an international experience: you can e.g. participate in an exchange programme or a summer school during the Master’s programme. A work placement abroad is also one of the possibilities. In addition, you can go abroad for a period of time as part of your Master’s dissertation. For programme-specific information, please visit www.ugent.be/bw/nl/voor-studenten/buitenland.
Labour Market
The study programme delivers polyvalent engineers and environmental experts. With their high-quality and multidisciplinary academic training, our graduates are well-prepared for taking up leading research, technological, commercial, policy or management positions in the labour market. Many graduates hold managerial positions in national and international research laboratories, government agencies, study and consultancy firms, and various branches of industry. Typical application areas are found in sectors in which fundamental and applied knowledge of environmental (risk) analysis, sustainable environmental management, and technology in the field of valorisation of residual flows (e.g. process gases, aqueous flows, solid household/industrial substances) and purification of environmental compartments (i.e. air, water, soil) are required. In short, the Master of Science in Bioscience Engineering: Environmental Technology is a unique and state-of-the art study programme that will undoubtedly lead to an exciting career.
Find out where our graduates work (Dutch only) and take a look at our alumni’s highly diverse profiles.
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
- Our focus is on interdisciplinary and multiperspectivistic knowledge creation. Our graduates distinguish themselves by a broad and in-depth knowledge of chemical, physical, (micro)biological and ecological environmental analysis on the one hand, and of the technologies to tackle environmental, and resource- and energy-related challenges. Throughout the programme, students acquire the necessary understanding, skills and attitudes in order to (1) assess environmental processes and risks objectively and quantitatively, (2) to do so by means of a critical and interdisciplinary approach, and (3) to design, operate, and put into practice innovative and sustainable environmental solutions and installations while keeping an open mind on the socio-economic context.
- Our programme stimulates quantitative and holistic thought: we stand for a quantitative and process-oriented approach to the ecosphere (natural systems) as well as the technosphere (industrial systems). This results in a very distinct engineering profile. Characteristic of our programme is the holistic and integrated approach in studying environmental problems. We achieve this by responding to innovative insights on closed life cycle management of natural resources and materials, life cycle analysis of products and processes, and by focusing on the broader socio-economic and legal frameworks.
- Our programme implements a varied set of active teaching methods. We actively stimulate the integration of theoretical knowledge into specific applications and practical issues by means of guest speakers, company visits, lab exercises, tutorials, PC exercises, case studies and group assignments (in collaboration with the professional field). Our Master’s dissertations can either have an industrial, research, and/or social focus, and consist of an individual research assignment conducted within the bounds of a larger research project.
- We invest in our our students’ talent development by giving them a large degree of curricular freedom: our students can tailor their own curriculum according to their own interests. While a broad set of common core subjects informs our programme’s profile, the curriculum also leaves room for either a broadening or deepening of one’s knowledge, skills and attitudes by means of a wide choice of electives, (international) work placement, international exchange, entrepreneurship, and (free) choice of Master’s dissertation topics. By welcoming a diverse student population into specific course units and activities, we create an international learning environment. In short, our graduates are versatile and specialist bioengineers. They can manage a variety of tasks, and know how to prioritize.
- Independent thought and maximal labour market opportunities: we train our students to become critical and polyvalent professionals with the ability to function independently in numerous sectors and industrial positions, in research and development, in civil society and government agencies, and in foreign aid. Throughout the curriculum, we stimulate attitudes of lifelong learning and academically founded reasoning.
Strengths
- Solid preparation and a well-structured curriculum: the Master’s programme in Bioscience Engineering: Environmental Technology is a continuation of the eponymous Bachelor’s programme. It has a clearly and logically structured curriculum based on well-defined learning pathways. Beginning Master’s students, in other words, have the right profile to enter the programme. Together with solid student counselling, this contributes to high learning efficiency and progression throughout the Master’s programme.
- Our programme boasts a dedicated team of lecturers and other staff members from various disciplines. Our internationally renowned lecturers combine their research expertise with a passion for passing on knowledge, and student appreciation for the approachability of our lecturers is high. By virtue of our programme’s pioneering position in environmental technology and our internationally renowned state-of-the art research, Ghent University is one of Europe’s leading universities in the discipline (cf. QS World University Ranking - subject Environmental Sciences).
- Involvement and Transparent Assessment: students place great store by, and strongly appreciate our lecturers’ approachability. We use a varied set of assessment methods, and actively involve our students in the organization of assessments (e.g. drawing up exam schedules). We use specific contact moments and annually updated course sheets to inform our students clearly and transparently about assessments. Our programme can boast high student and alumni satisfaction, both in general terms and specifically related to assessment (methods). This is corroborated by good study duration and employability scores.
- Solid Faculty Education Support Services: our Faculty Education Support Services consist of a support team for Programme Committees. The team keeps continuous quality assurance going and highlights its importance to lecturers. Participation of lecturers and students in our monthly Programme Committee meetings is high. The faculty stimulates a permanent quality culture by organising faculty-wide thematic quality assurance-related workshops, exchanges of good practices amongst lecturers, … .
- Wide range of employment opportunities and recognition as a Type A Environmental Co-ordinator: many of our alumni hold managerial positions in a wide range of industrial sectors, (inter)national research labs, study centres and consultancy agencies, government agencies, and academia. Typical areas of application are found in sectors requiring fundamental and applied knowledge of environmental (risk) analyses, sustainable environmental management and technology aimed at valorization of waste flows (process gasses, aqueous flows, solid household and industrial materials) and purification of environmental compartments (air, water, soil). Alumni with a minor Environmental Coordinator can apply to the Flemish Government – Environmental Department (in Dutch) for recognition as a Type A Environmental Co-ordinator.
Challenges
- Optimising the Master’s dissertation process: the Master’s dissertation is an integration course unit par excellence, and is of course the culmination of every Master’s programme. We place great store by the Master's dissertation. So naturally, we want to optimise the entire process, including our communication on choosing a dissertation topic, on the writing process and on the assessment. In so doing, we want to give our students the opportunity to conduct their Master's dissertation research in the best possible circumstances. Our aim is to invest further and more explicitly in scientific/academic conduct, communication and integrity. That way we want to hone our students’ information management and communication skills in a scientific-academic, technical-commercial or policy-related professional context.
- Premium-quality feed-forward and feedback our students consider receiving intermittent feedback a great added value to their learning process. Our programme wishes to strengthen the advantages of intermittent feedback further by focusing on assessment for learning. We want to achieve this by communicating clearly and in a timely manner on the objectives, criteria and content-related expectations, by following up and adjusting assignments while they are being executed, and by providing clear and constructive feedback.
- Structural consultations with the professional field: our programme has many contacts with the environmental technology sector (via the Faculty Council for Strategic Advice, individual contacts and collaborations, information days and job fairs, guest speakers, excursions, company visits, work placements, summer schools, …). These need to be inventoried and structured further. We entertain the idea of periodically inviting professional field representatives as a sounding board for our programme.
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 01/03/2025.
In case of questions or suggestions with regard to the publicly available information, please contact the study programme.