Compare the master's Biobased Sciences

Compare the programme in Wageningen

MSc Biobased Sciences is unique in the combination of the offered disciplines. The following programmes are related to MSc Biobased Sciences.

MSc Biotechnology: The specialisation 'Biorefinery and Conversion' in MSc Biobased Sciences and the specialisation 'Environmental and Biobased Technology' in Biotechnology have a lot in common. The difference lies in the focus: in MSc Biobased Sciences you become a bridge builder between your expertise and other disciplines like Biomass Production or Circular Economy, while in MSc Biotechnology you become a specialist in the engineering part of biobased biotechnology.

MSc Environmental Sciences shares the interdisciplinary approach with MSc Biobased Sciences. While MSc Biobased Sciences focuses on enabling a biobased and circular economy, MSc Environmental Sciences is oriented on avoiding the topics of pollution and degradation of the natural environment.

MSc Economics of Sustainablity: This advanced general economics MSc programme focuses on the interactions between economic actors and the natural environment. You are trained as a quantitative economist, where in MSc Biobased Sciences you combine your economic background with knowledge of plant production systems and engineering. You will learn how to work together with and understand specialists from these disciplines.

MSc Sustainable Business and Innovation: This advanced business MSc programme provides a multi‐disciplinary perspective on how firms, farms, markets and sectors can transform to be part of sustainable solutions. At MSc Biobased Sciences you can work on similar topics. However, in MSc Biobased Sciences engineering and development in life sciences are taken into account too.

MSc Resilient Farming and Food Systems and MSc Biobased Sciences are both oriented on the transition to a sustainable society. MSc Resilient Farming and Food Systems focuses on creating sustainable organic production systems and dives into the societal debate and biology of sustainable food production systems. MSc Biobased Sciences offers training in non-food production as well. In addition engineering and economical aspects are included in the programme.

MSc Biosystems Engineering: Another related MSc programme is Biosystems Engineering. Both study programmes have a multi-/interdisciplinary approach. Biobased Sciences has a broader scope on the transition from a fossil based society to a circular economy, while Biosystems Engineering focusses more on the technological aspects of the agricultural context.

MSc Plant Sciences: Plants form the basis of life as they convert sunlight into an inexhaustible source of food and renewable raw materials. Plants also have a stabilising effect in (agro) ecosystems, a landscape function and ornamental value. In a nutshell, we cannot do without plants.

Compare the programme with other universities

MSc Biobased Materials (Maastricht University) also focuses on the transfer from a fossil based to a biobased economy. In Maastricht the focus lies solely on the chemical part, where in Wageningen students also learn from other disciplines, such as plant sciences and process technology. Furthermore, in Wageningen students have the opportunity to perform an internship of 4 months.

MSc Environment and Resources Management (Vrije Universiteit) is also an interdisciplinary programme which focuses on global environmental problems and sustainability challenges. In one year you use your expertise from your BSc education to work together with students from other disciplines. At the two year programme MSc Biobased Sciences you have the opportunity to develop yourself further in your own expertise, while working together with others on the transition towards a Circular and Biobased Economy.

MSc Sustainable Energy Technology (TU Delft, TU Eindhoven and University Twente) focuses on the development of technology that can provide sustainable energy. MSc Biobased Sciences has a broader focus on several sustainability topics in the area of life sciences. At MSc Biobased Sciences sustainable energy production is combined with biorefinery and the production of biomaterials and bioproducts.

At MSc Biobased Sciences you will specialise in one of the three directions:

Specialisations Biobased Sciences

Interaction between those three specialisations is necessary to make the transition from a fossil based towards a biobased and circular economy. Within MSc Biobased Sciences you will be trained to enable this transition with an interdisciplinary approach. From your own expertise you will be able to understand and work together with experts from other disciplines to improve sustainability and circularity.

Wageningen University is the only place where these three directions are combined within one programme.

Micromaster programmes

Wageningen University and Research also offers Micromaster programmes in the area of Biobased Sciences. These programmes can be followed on their own or as preparation for MSc Biobased Sciences.

Business and Operations for a Circular Bio-Economy: This Micromasters programme focuses on determining if alternative (biobased) resources have the potential to become economically viable sustainable sources for the production of high value food and materials, feed and energy.

Economics and Policies for a Circular Bio-Economy: This MicroMasters programme will help you to understand the basic economics of a circular biobased economy. You will learn to carry out economic assessments of the benefits and costs of new biobased technologies, in a dynamic value chain, where feedback occurs between different actors such as between retailers and food processors.

Chemistry and Technology for Sustainability: This MicroMasters Programme focuses on the use of chemical and biotechnological approaches for the production of energy-carriers, polymers, chemical building blocks and materials from renewable resources and waste streams.