Marine and Lacustrine Science and Management – (M.Sc.)

Bodies of water, including oceans, large lakes, seas and estuaries, make up the largest part of the earth's surface. Well above 70% of the earth´s surface consists of water, which is essential for all life. Humans extract both directly and indirectly a major part of their food from the seas, photosynthesis in the oceans is responsible for approximately half of the global oxygen production, the oceans continue to yield unknown life forms at an astonishing rate. In spite of the importance of the water bodies of this earth, much of them remains unknown.

Unique programme
If you are interested in gaining more in-depth knowledge of this world, of the ecosystems associated with water, in a scientific manner, the Master of Marine and Lacustrine Science and Management offers you what you expect. This combination of disciplines makes the programme unique, not only in Flanders, but also in Europe. Students with most scientifically oriented bachelor diplomas can start the programme directly.

The programme provides insight into the diversity and complexity of the life and processes in the oceans, seas, lakes and estuaries and skills to study and manage them. In many cases, this diversity is endangered because the aquatic environment is increasingly coming under pressure-climate change, biodiversity erosion, increasing fishery requirements and overfishing, pollution, developments in aquaculture, coastal reclamation, etc.

Career opportunities

This multidisciplinary Master´s diploma is your admission ticket to a fascinating professional world and can be the start of an international career. As a scientist with a broad education, you are the right person for functions that require an integrated approach. The integration of knowledge from across various disciplines is valuable, and you can contribute significantly in various jobs that are concerned with marine and lacustrine domains, wherever they are in the world. The programme is broad and deep and can complement a wide range of scientific professions.

Needed: people with expertise in the area of sustainable utilization and management of marine and lacustrine ecosystems
Due to the increasing pressure on the natural marine and lacustrine ecosystems, there is an ever-increasing need for highly educated and trained people to collaborate, from their multidisciplinary expertise, on the sustainable utilization and management of these ecosystems. This offers many challenging prospects for the future.

As a Master with expertise and experience in marine and lacustrine science and management, you are a scientist who has the underlying foundation and the necessary capacities to contribute to the most up-to-date forms of education, pure and applied research and policy-supporting assignments.