Master of Science in Aquaculture
Ghent, Belgium
DURATION
2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline *
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
EUR 1,092 / per year **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* Students who don't need a visa for Belgium: 31 May 2025 | Students who need a visa for Belgium: 28 Feb 2025
** European students (EEA-zone) and students from OESO/DAC recognised developing countries (lowest 2 categories): โฌ 1.092 | Other students: โฌ 6.540
Key Summary
Introduction
Aquaculture is defined as the production of aquatic plants and animals for human consumption. Under the pressure of the increasing world population on the one side and the stagnating or even declining fishery landings on the other side, aquaculture is considered the only option to respond to the growing demand for healthy and sustainable seafood. Commercial aquaculture is a relatively young, diverse, and dynamic bio-industry with growth figures exceeding any other traditional primary production sector.
Modern aquaculture is a strongly research-driven bio-industry requiring constant innovation and highly skilled entrepreneurs. On the other hand, it is also a very diverse discipline with a wide range of involved species (plants, mollusks, crustaceans, fish), climates, environments (freshwater, brackishwater, marine), and exploitation modes (developing versus developed economies; subsistence versus business aquaculture).
The MSc in Aquaculture, established at Ghent University in 1991, offers a constantly actualized program that balances a broad multidisciplinary approach with in-depth research-based training. It prepares its students for fulfilling leading roles in scientific research, as well as in policy-making as aquaculture businesses.
Program Outcome
The Master of Science in Aquaculture prepares you to become a highly trained and skilled expert who is able to exploit existing aquaculture potentials in a profitable and sustainable way and to draw and implement strategies for future development in the aquaculture industry. Graduates from all over the world will be able to act as key persons in their own local environment as the program strongly stimulates the transfer of knowledge between Europe and developing countries.
Gallery
Curriculum
Structure
The programme is conceived along a gradient of increasingly specialized and research-driven courses across the four semesters of the two yearsโ programme.
- Semester 1: basic knowledge related to topics such as biology, microbiology, aquatic ecology, statistics is consolidated, broadened and deepened, in order to come to a homogeneous profile of the students.
- Semester 2 & 3: focus on specialized aquaculture-related topics underpinned by the expertise of the ARC (especially in terms of live food production and applications and larviculture microbiology). In this semester, students can take an internship in one of our many international partner institutes or companies around the world.
- Semester 4: dedicated to thesis work which is generally integrated within ongoing research projects, thus providing the student with a broader context of current research and applications.
Students advance their presentation techniques, communication skills and other generic skills through a variety of teaching forms other than classical classroom teaching (e.g. practical exercises; case-study approaches, group work, lab work reporting).
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Flemish University Development Cooperation (VLIR-UOS) - full scholarships
VLIR-UOS supports partnerships between universities and university colleges in Flanders (Belgium) and the South looking for innovative responses to global and local challenges. It provides a limited number of scholarships for students entering the following two-year master's degree program at our Faculty:
- MSc in Aquaculture
- MSc in Food Technology
- MSc in Rural Development
The application and selection procedure for these scholarships is managed by ITC staff. You first need to apply for admission to the program of your choice.
Specific eligibility criteria for VLIR-UOS scholarships:
- Applicants can be no older than 35 years at the time of application.
- Applicants need to be a national AND resident of one of the 31 scholarship countries at the time of application.
Please contact the university for more information.
Rankings
Ranking of the Faculty of Bioscience Engineering:
QS ranking: positionย 7ย (Agriculture and Forestry)
Shanghai Ranking: positionย 13ย (Agricultural Sciences)
Times Higher Education ranking: positionย 47ย (Life Sciences)
National Taiwan University ranking: positionย 21ย (Agricultural Science)
Ranking of Ghent University
Shanghai Ranking: positionย 84
Times Higher Education ranking: positionย 107
National Taiwan University ranking: positionย 84
QS ranking: positionย 159
QS sustainability ranking: position 58
Career Opportunities
Non-EEA students eager to enter the Belgian job market can apply for an orientation year in Belgium. An orientation year allows students to extend their stay in Belgium with 12 months to find a job or start their own business.
Get inspired at studyinflanders.be or the Ghent University website.
Labour Market
Aquaculture is a diverse and dynamic industry. It depends on knowledge from a series of disparate disciplines (e.g. biology, engineering, marketing), and it is constantly evolving, drawing on new technologies and the outputs of a range of R&D activities. Consequently, there is a need for highly trained and skilled personnel with specific but varying skills to be able to exploit existing aquaculture potentials profitably and sustainably. It is therefore essential to educate and train these aquaculture specialists of the future at European universities. Europe also needs to educate and train students and scholars from third countries to stimulate the transfer of knowledge to and from Europe.
Student Testimonials
Program Admission Requirements
Demonstrate your commitment and readiness to succeed in business school by taking the GMAT exam โ the most widely used exam for admissions that measures your critical thinking and reasoning skills.
Download the GMAT mini quiz to get a flavour of the questions youโll find in the exam.