Admission requirements - MSc Forest and Nature Conservation

Purpose and reason for the admission requirements

The admission requirements for the master's programme Forest and Nature Conservation are defined in such a way that the students should be able to successfully complete at least one of the specialisations in the program nominally in two years. In order to comply, the student requires sufficient knowledge about nature systems through topics like ecology, forestry, natural resources management and/or about societal aspects such as political sciences or social geography. Lastly, basics in statistics and mathematics is necessary to perform research at the advanced level of the master's.

The criterion used for admission is

a WUR BSc degree in Forest and Nature Conservation, or equivalent.

The norm for this equivalence is

An assessment of the students' expertise in at least Ecology and or Forestry and preferably in one of the following topics::

• Ecology
• Forestry
• Natural resources management
• Soil sciences (land degradation, soil and water management)
• Political sciences (policy development)
• Social geography

And both the following topics:

• Mathematics (basics)
• Basics in statistics

Not all topics mentioned need to be mastered at the same level; they will be weighed by the Admission Board per individual application.

Method of assessment whether this norm is met

• Transcript of records displaying the content of previous course subjects and project work;
• Curriculum vitae displaying relevant work, internship and/or project experience on an academic level in a relevant field if applicable.

Scores attributed by the Admission Board

Admitted / not admitted / admitted under condition obtaining the BSc or MSc degree / not admitted with offer of pre-master

The Admission Board may allow and/or suggest compensation of knowledge gaps by:

• a GPA≥7.0* for the previous education for small discrepancies as new knowledge is sufficiently easily acquired;
• a GPA≥7.0* and an individual pre-master's programme for larger discrepancies that can be compensated in ≤30 ECTS and one year of study.

*Check the general admissions page for the International credentials evaluation guide for international equivalencies to a Dutch GPA>7.0. This guide includes compensating factors for a slightly lower GPA the Admission Board may include in their judgement.

Contact us through the contact button above to discuss the possibilities of a pre-master or how to mitigate knowledge gaps if you are still in the process of obtaining your degree.

Find out more about enrolment and fees of a pre-master's programme.

Admissible study programmes

Study programmes of which the graduates may meet the knowledge requirements are for example: Biology, Environmental Sciences, Natural Sciences, Forestry, Agricultural Sciences, Global Sustainability Science, and Future Planet Studies.

For instance, the WUR BSc Biology often covers the required knowledge when the ecology track is followed.

Compensation of knowledge gaps before application

Discuss with our study advisers through the contact buttons on this webpage which courses you could follow already in the previous education to meet (part of) the mentioned criteria. For instance, by completing either of the related WU minors: Forest and Nature Conservation, Management of Terrestrial Ecosystems, and Wildlife and Biodiversity.