The master's Aquaculture and Marine Resource Management is a two-year MSc programme. You can specialise in Aquaculture; Marine Governance; Marine Resources and Ecology.
Oceans, seas, estuaries and lakes are major providers of ecosystem goods and services such as food, tourism and coastal protection. In many cases, exploitation levels have bypassed the carrying capacity of these ecosystems leading to devastating effects on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.
To preserve marine biodiversity and its ecosystem functions innovative and sustainable solutions are necessary. Therefore, young professionals are needed with an integrative approach to marine ecosystem management.
You start the MAM programme by taking courses that will give you a common basis on aquaculture and marine resources management. Then you chose one of three specialisations in which you will take deepening courses that will prepare you for your thesis.
In the Academic Consultancy Cluster you will share (interaction) and intergrade your knowledge with (the knowledge of) other students in multidisciplinary teams. On the programme of Aquaculture and Marine Resource Management page you can find the general outline of the programme and more detailed information about courses, theses and internships.
Within the master programme you can choose one of the following Specialisations to meet your personal interests.
As an alumni of the MSc programme Aquaculture and Marine Resource Management there are many job opportunities. To give you a small idea how your career could look like after your study we highlight some of the most common job types. Also, a few of our alumnus tell about their jobs. Read more about career perspectives and opportunities after finishing the programme.
Related programmes:
MSc Forest and Nature Conservation
Seas and oceans play an important role in our day-to-day lives, and over 65% of the world’s population lives or works in coastal areas. Vital for our economy and health – as well as for climate, food, and biodiversity – seas and oceans have immense societal significance. However, the oceans are changing rapidly as human-induced pollution and CO2 emissions lead to warming, acidification and deoxygenation of seas and oceans. The impact on organisms, ocean chemistry, and currents on short to long timescales is uncertain, affecting ecosystems, but also the economy and policymaking.
As part of your two-year Master’s programme in Marine Sciences, you will learn how marine systems and processes operate naturally – and how they change through human intervention. The programme offers multidisciplinary cutting-edge knowledge and research in this rapidly developing field.
If you are a science student with an educational background in biology, chemistry, physics, or earth science, this programme offers the perfect preparation for a career as a marine scientist. Students with a Bachelor's degree in another natural science or technical discipline and students from University Colleges who would like to contribute to the sustainable use of sea and ocean resources are also invited to apply.
Essentially, all outstanding issues in Marine Sciences are multidisciplinary. A broad, holistic research approach to this rapidly developing field is therefore necessary to identify risks, improve future scenarios, and to make the transition towards sustainable interactions between man and seas and oceans.
Crucial questions you will investigate during your studies include:
Utrecht University has the most extensive in-house expertise in marine sciences of all Dutch universities, and our staff participate in numerous international marine programmes and projects. The multidisciplinary focus of the programme will prepare you for a challenging career in a wide range of international organisations that are active in coastal areas and oceans and in harnessing society for future ocean change.
The Marine Sciences Master’s programme will enable you to gain a broad understanding of marine systems, but also specialise in the physical, chemical, biological, and geological processes taking place in seas and oceans. You will investigate how seas and oceans functioned in the past, are functioning at present, and will function in the future.
You will explore issues such as energy and climate change, mining, pollution, the flow of traffic at sea, fisheries policies, and coastal defences. Examining the consequences of these themes – such as the fact that the disappearance of the Arctic’s summer ice cap will allow drilling for oil and gas – requires an multidisciplinary approach.
