Specialisations - MSc Earth and Environment - EnvEuro
At Wageningen University, the EnvEuro specialisations build on our strong foundation in understanding physical, chemical, and ecological processes in soils, water, and the atmosphere. Each specialisation emphasises fundamental research, process understanding, observational techniques, and modelling approaches.
Water Resources
Are you interested in understanding the effects of climate change and other influences on the water balance of catchments? Want to understand the influence of water and solute distribution on vegetation and the spreading of pollutants? Or would you like to support optimal land management when dealing with hydrological extremes? This specialisation combines process understanding with advanced modelling and experimental approaches.
Key areas
- Physical processes in catchment hydrology
- Groundwater-surface water interactions
- River flow and morphology
- Water quality and solute transport
- Experimental methods in hydrology
- Advanced hydrological modelling
Representative courses
- Quantitative Ecohydrology
- Advanced Hydrogeology
- Water Quality
- River Flow and Morphology
- Catchment and Climate Hydrology
| Key areas | Representative courses |
|---|---|
| • Physical processess in catchment hydrology | • Quantitative Ecohydrology |
| • Groundwater-surface water interactions | • Advanced Hydrogeology |
Soil Resources and Land Use
This specialisation allows you to explore the spatial and temporal processes that are active in soils, landscapes and the wider earth system. You’ll develop understanding of soil patterns and landscape dynamics needed to contribute to sustainable land use types that preserve soil quality. The specialisation uses an integrative approach combining biophysical and human elements to gain insight in past, present and future system dynamics.
Key areas
- Soil formation and degradation processes
- Soil-landscape relationships
- Land-atmosphere interactions
- Impact of climate change on soil resources
- Erosion processes and modelling
Representative courses
- Biological Interactions in Soils
- Applications in Soil and Water Chemistry
- Erosion Processes and Modelling
- The Soil Carbon Dilemma
- Evaluating soils in the Anthropocene
Climate change
This specialisation allows you to specialise as an atmospheric scientist studying climate processes. You’ll contribute to further understanding of atmospheric processes and their relevance for weather and climate through courses in Weather and Climate Dynamics, Urban Meteorology and Air Quality, Atmospheric Chemistry, and Boundary-Layer Meteorology and Land-Atmosphere Interactions.
Key areas
- Boundary-layer processes and dynamics
- Atmospheric composition and air quality
- Cloud physics and climate interactions
- Land-atmosphere exchange processes
- Urban climate
- Advance modelling and observational techniques
Representative courses
- Urban Hydrometeorology
- Atmospheric Dynamics
- Clouds in Present and Changing Climate
- Earth System Modeling
- Atmospheric Composition and Air Quality
- Remote Sensing Atmospheric Composition
Ecosystems and Biodiversity
This specialisation allows you to develop an in-depth understanding of chemical and biological processes and their interactions in natural systems. You’ll study how these insights can contribute to developing effective strategies for the preservation and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Key focal points include carbon and nitrogen cycling, greenhouse gas balancing, and the fate and effects of environmental factors in ecosystems.
Key areas
- Ecosystem processes and functions
- Biogeochemical cycles
- Plant-soil-water interactions
- Aquatic ecology
- Process-based ecological modelling
Representative courses
- Complexity in Ecological Systems
- Models for Ecological Systems
- Water Quality
- Plant, Vegetation and Systems Ecology
- Practical Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality
Research facilities
Our specialisations are supported by state-of-the-art research facilities:
- Advanced meteorological and hydrological monitoring equipment
- Environmental chemistry laboratories
- Field experimental sites
- High-performance computing facilities for environmental modeling
For detailed information about specialisation options across all partner universities, visit EnvEuro.