Soils and Global Change (IMSOGLO)

Alarming effects of global change on soils observed throughout the world emphasize the need to train more people worldwide to understand how soils react to global change and to be able to develop prevention and remediation strategies and increase soil resilience.Increased population pressure, industrialisation and intensive land use are causing depletion of natural resources and are limiting the performance of land with respect to its functions such as biomass production, carbon sequestration, water purification, etcetera.

The future capacity of soils to support (human) life is at stake, and this has been realised by national and international organisations and governmental bodies, such as the EU. Programmes have been developed to protect the environment and to increase ecosystem resilience. Numerous directives have been developed and implemented that build on scientific knowledge on soil response to external pressures. This scientific knowledge is available in European universities, but rather dispersed due to the specialisation of the research groups and their size, which makes it difficult for students to follow a focused curriculum on soils and global change at any individual university.

Partner universities

The International Master of Science in Soils and Global Change (IMSOGLO) programme aims to teach the knowledge, tools, technologies and applications in the context of soils and global change by bringing together the expertise of research groups at 4 renown EU universities:

This English taught Master programme is jointly offered by:

  • Ghent University (Belgium)
  • University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (Austria)
  • University of Göttingen (Germany)
  • Aarhus University (Denmark)

Further information: https://imsoglo.eu/

Admission requirements

  • An academic Bachelor degree (min. 180 ECTS credits) in pure or applied sciences (e.g. chemistry, biology, geology, civil or agricultural engineering, environmental or agricultural sciences, etc.) or an equivalent level from a recognised university.
  • Sufficient academic knowledge (at least 40 ECTS) in Natural Sciences is required, where Natural Sciences are specified as: physics, chemistry, mathematics, ecology, biology, physical geography, environmental sciences and agricultural sciences.
  • Proficiency in English: – TOEFL IBT 90, TOEFL PBT 577, Academic IELTS 6,5 overall score with a min. of 6 for writing, ESOL CAMBRIDGE English CAE (Advanced); Mode of instruction: completion of a study programme that was entirely taught in English from countries with English as the official language.
  • Don’t miss the application deadlines! EMJMD scholarship & non-EU citizen application deadline: 1 March, EU-citizen application deadline: 1 June.

Career prospects

Become a world citizen with a large international network and knowledge about how to tackle world problems and a top-level researcher, academic or policymaker trained in soil management under global change with either:

  • Gain advanced knowledge in soil physics, soil biogeochemistry, land information systems, meteorology and climatology
  • Learn to understand soil ecosystems under natural conditions and human impact, in relation to global change
  • Develop a holistic understanding of interactions and processes in ecosystems, using statistical tools and advanced modelling techniques
  • Qualify for employment in private and public-sector companies and organisations where high level expertise in soil management is required
  • Lead interdisciplinary groups for development of sustainable environmental solutions at local, regional and global scale

International mobility and English language proficiency are indispensable parts of the curricula of all partner universities. Students have the opportunity to apply for full EMJMD scholarships.

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BOKU University (Universität für Bodenkultur Wien)
Gregor Mendel Straße 33, 1180 Wien

Telefon: 01 47654-0 Website: www.boku.ac.at

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