Master of Science in Bioscience Engineering: Agricultural Sciences

Sustainability challenges for local and global agriculture are considerable. Agriculture, horticulture and animal husbandry are the foundation of food production and cultivation of plants and crops for non-food applications. The agriculture of the future, with its diversity of systems, will, however, need to become more sustainable in order to simultaneously provide the growing world population with quality food and meet socio-economic and ecological objectives. Insight into the interconnections between soil, plants and crops, animals, people and the environment is crucial in this regard. Furthermore, in a world of ever-growing uncertainty and complex decision-making processes, interdisciplinary interactions will increase to tie scientific and technological evolutions in agriculture to socio-economic developments and ecological objectives. Such a complex world calls for versatile engineers with the ability to integrate new developments into existing systems in a sustainable manner. Increasing technical complexity of processes and systems requires a combination of, on the one hand, specialization in one or more subdisciplines of agricultural science (e.g. plant production, crop protection, animal production, agricultural economics, agricultural technology), and on the other hand, a permanent multi- and interdisciplinary view of the discipline.

Are you interested in acquiring in-depth knowledge in a discipline of agriculture? Do you want to understand the interconnections between soil, plants, crops, animals, people and the environment better? Do you want to contribute to more sustainable agriculture and food production systems, and in so doing, also contribute to the UN Development Goals? If the answer to these questions is a resounding ‘yes’, then the Master of Science in Bioscience Engineering: Agricultural Sciences programme is the perfect choice for you!

Building on the Bachelor's curriculum, the common core of the Master’s curriculum provides in-depth and applied knowledge of the sustainable production of food and crops for non-food applications, about agrotechnics, agroecology and the agri-food chain. You gain more insight into plant cultivation and nutrient management, and you learn to recognize and control plant diseases, pests and weeds in a sustainable manner. We also teach you the basics of the physiology and nutrition of farm animals. You acquire basic knowledge of agricultural constructions, genetics and biotechnology, and agricultural monitoring systems. Via human nutrition, quality assurance and agricultural policy you get to know the agri-food chain better.

We deliver our learning contents by means of a transdisciplinary framework with an aim to integrate knowledge and skills from the various disciplines. Our aim is to train agricultural bioengineers with the ability to work in a problem-solving and project-based manner while taking into account social, economic, and ethical aspects. Such integration of knowledge is the special focus of the Integrated Sustainable Agriculture course unit, which contains a project on an innovative agricultural system.

By means of a wide range of electives, you can either broaden or deepen your knowledge. Specialization is possible in various aspects of plant or animal production (e.g. tropical or organic agriculture, greenhouse horticulture, 'vertical farming'), biological and integrated crop protection, agro-marketing, management and policy. Conducting a work placement in a non-academic context as a stepping stone to the professional field is also possible. Finally, you can apply your accrued knowledge and skills in the Master's dissertation, in the context of which you conduct your own research on a current theme within the broad discipline of agriculture.

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 experience abroad: you can e.g. participate in an exchange programme 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.

The increasingly international context and complexity of agriculture and horticulture goes hand in hand with an ever-growing need for broadly educated and thoroughly technically skilled bioengineers. Agricultural bioengineers are employable in various sectors related to the production of living matter, as a production engineer, in research and development, in commercial and management positions, in advisory and policy positions at home and abroad, and in development co-operation. A successful completion of the programme also results in a phytolicense, which is important when dealing with plant protection products in your later career. Typical sectors in which our engineers are employed are companies in the agricultural sector, bioindustries, research institutions and living labs, national and international agricultural organizations, government institutions.

Find out where our graduates work (Dutch only) and take a look at our alumni’s highly diverse profiles.