Programme

Programme content

This 2-year programme contains 120 ECTS credit units and leads to the joint diploma of International Master of Science in Soils & Global Change.

Language of instruction: English.

The IMSOGLO master programme is coordinated by the International Training Centre of the Faculty of Bioscience Engineering at Ghent University.

This progamme has two specialization options of 90 ECTS, to be chosen after the 1st semester (30 ECTS).

Specialization “Soil biogeochemistry and global change” is organized by Ghent University, the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna and the University of Göttingen and leads to a joint MSc-diploma issued by these 3 universities.
Specialization “Physical land resources and global change” is organized by Ghent University and Aarhus University, and leads to a joint MSc-diploma issued by these 2 universities.

The full programme with courses can be seen below.

SEMESTER 1	SOIL FUNDAMENTALS	GHENT UNIVERSITY		30 ECTS
Type	Course	Instructor	Study hours	Credits (ECTS)
Mandatory	Pedology	Peter Finke	135	5
Mandatory	Soil Chemistry	Filip Tack	135	5
Mandatory	Soil Physics	Wim Cornelis	135	5
Mandatory	Land Information Systems	Ann Verdoodt	135	5
Mandatory	Soil Genesis	Peter Finke	135	5
Mandatory	Applied Statistics	Stijn Luca	125	5

SEMESTER 2		BOKU UNIVERSITY		30 ECTS
Type	Course	Instructor	Study hours	Credits (ECTS)
Mandatory	Ecosystem Dynamics and their effect on greenhouse gases	Sophie Zechmeister-Boltenstern	120	3
Mandatory	Soil Protection	Walter Wenzel	120	3
Mandatory	Sustainable land use in developing countries	Georg Gratzer	120	3
Mandatory	Globalisation and rural development	Martin Kniepert	120	3
Mandatory	Summer School (Vienna with JRC) or Field work (China)	/	/	3
Elective courses (pick four for 12 ECTS)

SEMESTER 2		GHENT UNIVERSITY		30 ECTS
Type	Course	Instructor	Study hours	Credits (ECTS)
Mandatory	Climate Change	Dirk Verschuren	120	4
Mandatory	Soil Water Management	Wim Cornelis	135	5
Mandatory	Soil Degradation	Ann Verdoodt	135	5
Mandatory	Land Evaluation	Ann Verdoodt	135	5
Mandatory	Summer School or Field work			3
Elective courses (pick two for 7 ECTS)

SEMESTER 3		GOTTINGEN UNIVERSITY		30 ECTS
Type	Course	Instructor	Study hours	Credits (ECTS)
Mandatory	Landscape Ecology and Landscape Development	Daniela Sauer	135	5
Mandatory	Management of tropical plant production systems	Reimund Rötter	150	6
Mandatory	Plant nutrition in the tropics and subtropics	Bernd Steingrobe	90	3
Mandatory	Soil Biogeochemistry in Agroecosystems (Lectures & Seminar)	Michaela Anna Dippold	120	4
Elective courses (pick two for 12 ECTS)

SEMESTER 3		AARHUS UNIVERSITY		30 ECTS
Type	Course	Instructor	Study hours	Credits (ECTS)
Mandatory	Assessing Soil Erosion Risk	Goswin Heckrath	130	5
Mandatory	Global soil threats and ecosystem services (in prep.)	Lis W. de Jonge	250	10
Mandatory	Carbon Cycling and Climate Change	Jorgen Eivind Olesen	250	10
Elective courses (pick one for 5 ECTS)