Application and admission - Earth and Environment

Additional to the general requirements to enrol in a master’s programme at Wageningen University & Research, we expect you to have a natural sciences background (physics, chemistry or biology), since this serves as basis of each specialisation. However, the balance between the specific natural sciences varies per specialisation. Apart from the natural sciences background, knowledge of the domain to be studied and a good working knowledge of mathematics and statistics as well as proficiency in the use of IT (information technology) are a prerequisite, since data capturing and analysis, modelling and programming are important skills used during the master’s programme.

Based on your prior education, we recognize four groups of students:

1. Students with a bachelor’s degree in Soil, Water, Atmosphere at Wageningen University are unconditionally admitted to the master Earth and Environment, because all the required knowledge is part of this bachelor programme.
2. Students with a university bachelor's degree in Earth Sciences, Geosciences or Physical Geography have appropriate skills and knowledge for admission to this programme, provided that also general requirements are met. They usually meet the specific requirements on domain knowledge, sciences, mathematics and statistics and information technology.
3. Students with a university bachelor's degree in Environmental Sciences, Land and Water Management, Biology (Ecology), Chemistry, Physics, Civil Engineering or similar may also have appropriate skills and knowledge for admission to this programme, depending on the specific academic records. Domain knowledge, sciences, mathematics and statistics and/or IT knowledge will be evaluated, and a premaster’s programme may be needed prior to admission.
4. Students of universities of applied sciences in the Netherlands usually have to complete a pre-master’s programme or have to take a minor in Wageningen University during the bachelor’s to be admissible to the MSc Earth and Environment. Please contact the programme: mee.msc@wur.nl

Admissibility of all prospective students from groups 2 to 4 is assessed individually based on the knowledge and skills acquired during prior education.

To facilitate this assessment, please follow these guidelines:

• Start the admission process as early as possible. You do not yet require your bachelor degree to start the process.
• In your statement of purpose, indicate which specialisation(s) you are most interested in and which additional courses you want to follow, to provide us with an impression of your expectations.
• If you fall in category 3 or 4 and are not sure if you meet the admission requirements, you can contact the programme (mee.msc@wur.nl) to discuss your eligibility for admission and the necessity and possibilities of a pre-master’s programme or a minor prior to admission.
• Be aware and adhere to the deadlines for applying for master and pre-master’s programmes.

In this way the admission committee is able to judge if:

• If you are directly admissible on condition of having completed your bachelor’s degree
• If you are admissible on condition of having completed your bachelor’s degree and on condition that you have successfully completed a predefined premaster programme or minor as part of your bachelor’s.