Marine and Lacustrine Science and Management

The 2-year master programme in “Master of Marine and Lacustrine Science and Management” (Oceans & Lakes) addresses students with a background in Sciences.
Oceans & Lakes is an inter-university programme organized by the Faculty of Sciences of Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB, Free University of Brussels), Universiteit Antwerpen (UAntwerpen, Antwerp University) and Universiteit Gent (UGent, Ghent University). The students are provided with a strong fundamental and applied knowledge and prepared for an active role in the scientific research and management of marine and lacustrine systems.

The programme adopts a multidisciplinary approach integrating physical, chemical geological, ecological and societal aspects and including nature conservation and sustainable development.

Core courses

From the courses listed below, students must obtain 36 ECTS

• Oceanography (4 ECTS)
• Estuarine and Coastal Systems (5 ECTS)
• River and lake ecology (5 ECTS)
• Limnology (5 ECTS)
• Law and Ethics on Conservation of Aquatic Systems (3 ECTS)
• In-situ and Remote Sensing Tools in Aquatic Sciences (5 ECTS)
• Environmental Modelling (3 ECTS)
• Seminars: Case Studies on Biodiversity Management  (3 ECTS)
• Integrated Marine Coastal Ecology Field Course ( 3ECTS)

Choice 1 Field Courses

Different field courses will be organized from which the student must choose two (3 credits).
From the courses listed below, students must obtain 3 ECTS.

• Integrated Field Course at Sea (3 ECTS)
• Integrated Limnological Field Course (3 ECTS)

Broadening courses

From the courses listed below, students must obtain 12 ECTS

• Governance and Policy in Development and Cooperation Part I (3 ECTS) and Part II (3 ECTS)
• Internship (6 ECTS)

Supporting courses (choose at least 9 credits)

• Data and Information Management (3 ECTS)
• Introduction to GIS (3 ECTS)
• Introduction to Marine and Lacustrine Geology (only in 1Ma) (3 ECTS)
• Introduction to Marine and Lacustrine Biology (only in 1Ma) (3 ECTS)
• Biogeochemistry (3 ECTS)
• Advanced Applied Statistics (3 ECTS)
• Mathematics & Basic Statistics (only in 1Ma) (3 ECTS)

 Major (27 + 3* credits):

One major to choose out of 4 specialisations, consisting of 27 ECTS-credits compulsory courses and 3 ECTS-credits

1. Biodiversity and Ecology

• Evolution and Biogeography of Aquatic Organism (3 ECTS)
• Biodiversity of Aquatic Food Webs (3 ECTS)
• Ecology of Coastal Seas (3 ECTS)
• Marine Extreme Systems (3 ECTS)
• Lacustrine Systems (3 ECTS)
• Aquatic Microbial Ecology (6 ECTS)
• Integrated Field Work (6 ECTS)

2. Conservation Biology and Ecosystem Management

• Management of Aquatic Resources: Fisheries (3 ECTS)
• Integrated Coastal Zone Management:  Mangroves, Sea-grass Beds and Coral reefs (3 ECTS)
• Tropical Marine Ecology and Restoration (3 ECTS)
• Conservation Genetics of Aquatic Populations (3 ECTS)
• Environmental Impact Assessment (3 ECTS)
• Law of the Sea and Protection of Oceans (3 ECTS)
• Marine Biodiversity and Ecology (6 ECTS)
• Integrated Practicals on Conservation and Management (3 ECTS)

3. Environmental Impact and Remediation

• Environmental Impact Assessment (3 ECTS)
• Aquatic Ecotoxicology and Environmental Monitoring (6 ECTS)
• Ecosystem Based Adaptation to Global Change (6 ECTS)
• Topics on Anthropogenic Impact in Aquatic Ecosystems (3 ECTS)
• Evolutionary and Ecological Physiology (6 ECTS)
• Integrated Practicals (3 ECTS)

4. Marine and Lacustrine Geosciences

• Advanced Sedimentology (6 ECTS)
• Paleobiology of Micro-organisms (6 ECTS)
• Ocean Drilling for Science and Energy (3 ECTS)
• Stable Isotope Geology (6 ECTS)
• Paleoclimatology and Climate Change (6 ECTS)

*3 credits to be selected from one of the Belgian Universities, upon programme agreement

• Master thesis (30 credits) 

Requirements

• Applicants must have a Bachelor's degree of minimum 3 years with good overall scores (at least upper second class or equivalent) from a university or recognised equivalent.
• Enrollment fee of Ghent University for academic year 2016-2017 is 890 € for EER-students and students from OESO-DAC-list (developing countries), all other students pay an enrollment fee of 5330 €
• A curriculum vitae
• A diploma of secondary or higher education where English was the language of instruction
• Having successfully completed at least one school year of secondary education where English was the language of instruction
• Having successfully completed course units in higher education with a minimum total of 54 study credits where English was the language of instruction
• Having successfully completed ASO secondary education in Belgium
• Having successfully completed one of the following language tests

1. TOEFL: 213 computer-based, 80 internet-based
2. IELTS: minimum level academic module 6,5
3. Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English (CAE), grade B
4. Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE), grade C

Scholarships

• VLIR-UOS scholarships
• Ghent University Master grants
• OFID Scholarship Award for International Students