Master of Bioscience Engineering: Agro- and Ecosystems Engineering

Master of Bioscience Engineering: Agro- and Ecosystems Engineering 

Agro- and ecosystems offer a wide range of essential goods and services such as food, water, energy and biodiversity. This programme is dedicated to train the next generation of experts in the sustainable management and functioning of natural and agro-ecosystems, not only from a biophysical perspective but also from a wider socio-economic perspective.

About the programme

The Master of Agro- and Ecosystems Engineering (ACE) provides in-depth knowledge of the functioning and management of natural and production-oriented ecosystems. You complement the interdisciplinary core programme with a major specialisation in one out of four different domains: (i) plant production systems, (ii) agricultural and resource economics, (iii) soil and water systems and (iv) forest, nature and landscape systems.

Structure

• The major plant production systems specialises in crop production, production forestry systems (achieved through a semester in Chile) and hortology (achieved through a semester in South Africa).
• The major agricultural and resource economics focuses on the economic and policy-related aspects of natural and production-oriented ecosystems.
• The  major soil and water systems offers you an in-depth understanding of the abiotic aspects of natural and production-oriented ecosystems.
• The major forest, nature and landscape systems offers you a thorough knowledge of the biotic aspects of natural and production-oriented ecosystems and teaches you how to optimally manage these systems on a landscape scale.

Strengths

1. The programme is internationally oriented, focused on training international and local students able to tackle climate- and environmental problems in global agro- and ecosystems.
2. A core component of the programme is an integrated field project abroad, in a temperate or tropical environment. Here students are not only challenged regarding their scientific knowledge and technical skills, they also develop transferable skills like interactive and multicultural learning in team, project management, efficient communication and economic assessment.
3. All students can opt for an own initiative exchange semester and/or an international internship and/or an international thesis research project at other partner universities. Students of the major Plant Production Systems are encouraged to make use of specific opportunities for international outgoing mobility: an exchange semester Hortology at Stellenbosch University in South Africa or an exchange semester Production Forestry Systems at the Universidad de la Frontera in Chile.

Career perspectives

The interdisciplinary nature of ACE ensures that you are prepared to enter any of the various professional fields related to biological production systems and ecosystem management, with particular emphasis on plant production, natural resource economics and policy, sustainable environmental management, and applications of earth observation and geomatics. 

Abundant employment opportunities exist in public sector organisations, both nationally and internationally, NGOs and private companies. You will be qualified to fill technical-, research- and/or policy/ management-oriented positions. Finally, this MSc programme provides excellent preparation for undertaking PhD research. 

In Belgium, graduates of the ACE programme are entitled to use the professional title of 'Bio-ingenieur' ('Bioscience Engineer').