Faculty of Sciences and Bioengineering Sciences
Enrolling for this study plan is possible after having obtained one of the following degrees:
Academic Bachelor's programme biologie
You may also be asked to provide additional documents so we may evaluate your application.
Puntenlijst / Transcript of records
Enrolling for this plan is also possible having completed the Preparatory Programme Master of Science in Biology.
Semester 1 (S1): Basic and specialised introductory courses
Semester 2 (S2): In situ experience and specialised field courses
Semester 3 (S3): In-depth specialisation semester
Semester 4 (S4): Joint masters thesis
In the first semester, students start at the VUB/ULB to acquire similar competences. In the second semester field experience and courses will take place in a university in a non-EU country. The third semester will cover a specialisation in a European university, different from the first one. Courses vary at this semester. In the fourth semester students return to where they started out for their thesis research.
Provided agreement by the inter-university jury the student can choose in each semester optional courses outside the proposed courses, but accepting the risk of overlapping schedules.
For more information visit the website at http://www.tropimundo.eu
The courses of the first semester in Brussels are all comprised of a number of basic courses and a limited selection of specialised courses based on local expertise present and on expertise needed in the second semester.Provided agreement by the inter-university jury the student can choose optional courses outside the proposed courses but accepting the risk of overlapping schedules.
To complete this module, students must obtain 30 ECTS credits.
Brussels Courses
At least 14 ECTS to choose.
'Social-Ecological Systems' and 'Scientific Presentation Skills and Career Planning' are compulsory.
To choose one course Analysis: 'Analysis of Biological Data' or 'Acquisition et analyse de données'.
From the courses listed below, students must obtain 14 ECTS credits.
Brussels Courses
At least 15 or 16 ECTS to be chosen.
From the courses listed below, students must obtain 15 ECTS credits.
During the second semester in situ field experience and courses will take place in one of the universities in the south with their specific expertises.
The courses heavily depend on the regional and geographic settings of the third-country Higher Education Institutes in the south, which in part shapes the specialisation of the student.
To complete this module, students must obtain 30 ECTS credits.
Compulsory
All courses are compulsory in the second semester of the first year.
From the courses listed below, students must obtain 15 ECTS credits.
| 3ECTS credits - Geomatics |
| 3ECTS credits - Thesis Proposal |
| 9ECTS credits - Skills and qualifications in tropical biodiversity |
Field School
1 optional choice of 15 ECTS-credits depending on the Tropimundo trajectory
From the courses listed below, students must obtain 15 ECTS credits.
During the third semester specialisation will be sought at a European university different from that where the respective student started. The Sorbonne Université, Paris (SU) and the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris (MNHN) have a solid expertise on botany (plant taxonomy, phylogeny, bioinformatics and man-plant interactions, and on the management of biological collections, incl. nearly 4 centuries of collection of plant and animal specimens). Università degli Studi di Firenze (UNIFI) has a profound expertise in zoology (faunistic aspects and plant-animal interactions particularly applied to terrestrial and semi-terrestrial ecosystems). The Université de la Guyane focuses on amazonian ecosystems (biodiversity, landscape processes, socio-cultural diversity of Amazonian rainforests and wetlands).
The fourth semester is entirely dedicated to original research in the framework of a Masters thesis.
To complete this module, students must obtain 30 ECTS credits.
SU and MNHN
These are the courses of the third semester in the Sorbonne Université, Paris (SU) and the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle (MNHN).
Florence, Università degli Studi di Firenze
These are the courses of the third semester in Florence, Università degli Studi di Firenze (UNIFI).
Université de la Guyane
These are the courses of the third semester in the Université de la Guyane.
The fourth semester is entirely dedicated to original research in the framework of a Masters thesis.
To complete this module, students must obtain 30 ECTS credits.
From the courses listed below, students must obtain 30 ECTS credits.
| 30ECTS credits - Master Thesis |