The Water Science and Engineering Masters Programme focuses on the management and development of water resources and water flows and quality in the natural environment, while addressing the multidisciplinary character of human activities dealing with water.
The specialisations within this programme explore natural and anthropological influences on the water cycle, from the perspectives of civil engineering, technology and earth sciences.
They are of direct relevance to sustainable development because they prepare graduates to improve the management of human impact on water resources, design simulation models for various phases of the water cycle, and develop methods of reducing the impact of water-related natural hazards.
Aim of the Programme
The programme aims to deepen the knowledge, insight and skills for hydraulic engineering (part of civil engineering), hydroinformatics (a technology discipline) and hydrology (an earth system science).
Graduates are able to work in professional water sector environments that require academic skills. Graduates who obtain good study results are eligible to undertake a PhD in an appropriate water science or engineering field.
In particular, this programme provides the education to:
* Improve the management of water resources through assessing and monitoring their vulnerability to hazards.
* Sustain economic development by better flood and drought protection and hazard reduction, in an era of global climate change.
* Improve environmental and public health through pollution prevention and treatment.
* Sustain and improve water supply, power generation and agriculture through integrated water resources development.
* Improve food production by developing, operating, maintaining and optimising water-related infrastructure.
* Sustain economic growth through the development of coastal and riparian zones.
* Manage and control water systems in an integrated and sustainable way, with stakeholders, through the development of technologies to simulate such systems.
MSc Thesis
The Water Science and Engineering programme is completed with an MSc thesis in which participants carry out experimental work, modelling, or case studies.
It starts with a six-week period to develop an individual research proposal, combined with self-selected topics.
The research takes place over a period of about six months. Participants undertake research that fits best to their personal and professional preference.
Specialisations within the MSc Programme are:
Agricultural Water Management for Enhanced Land and Water Productivity
You will learn to deal with the scientific and engineering knowledge needed for the sustainable management of water for agriculture, learning about irrigation and drainage, IWRM, agronomy, hydrology and hydrodynamics.
Ecohydrology
You will be provided with knowledge and understanding of the ecological processes that support the resilience of aquatic ecosystems, and how these processes can be harmonized with engineering infrastructures at the river basin and used to sustain aquatic ecosystems quality and revert degradation.
Flood Risk Management
You will develop scientific and engineering knowledge needed to reduce the human and socio-economic losses caused by flooding while at the same time taking into account the social, economic, and ecological benefits from floods and the use of flood plains or coastal zones....
Hydraulic Engineering - Coastal Engineering and Port Development
You will be taught the technical background and practical skills to plan, model, design and manage coastal engineering and port development projects, and learn to analyse coastal problems and conceive appropriate solutions.
Hydraulic Engineering - Land & Water Development
You will learn to plan, design, operate and maintain land and water resources and water-related infrastructure, emphasising on the modernisation of irrigation, drainage and flood protection schemes, and land use for agriculture.
Hydraulic Engineering and River Basin Development
You will develop scientific and engineering knowledge needed to design and implement projects for sustainable use of river systems and their resources, learning about the design of hydraulic structures, modeling of the river, and flood management.
Hydroinformatics - Modelling and Information Systems for Water Management
You will be able to solve problems of hydraulics, hydrology and environmental engineering for better water management using simulation modelling and IT. You will also get acquainted with models applied to water-based systems, learn to design and integrate decision support systems, and develop sk...
Hydrology and Water Resources
You will deal with surface and groundwater, addressing both water quantity and quality, learning to understand human influences on the hydrological system, and receive tools, such as modelling, for the proper integration of hydrological knowledge and analysis in water resources planning and mana...
Integrated Lowland Development and Management Planning
You will learn how to deal with integrated lowland development and management, including the required policies and approaches, the resulting plans and planning, and the actual design, implementation, operation, maintenance and management of the required programmes and projects.
How to apply?
First a candidate needs to obtain a Letter of Admission from UNESCO-IHE, which confirms that you are academically qualified for the Hydroinformatics specialisation. An electronic copy of the brochure for the specialisation and the application form can be downloaded from the web link above. In the brochure you may find information about the content of the Hydroinformatics specialisation and the requirements for admission.
How to send the application form?
Please fill in the application from and enclose: a copy of the degree(s) obtained, a copy of your academic transcripts, two reference letters, a copy of the result of a TOEFL 550) or IELTS (required score 6.0) English language test, (except for candidates who have followed both secondary and tertiary education in English).
While applications for the Erasmus Mundus MSc are done online, for other MSc programmes at UNESCO-IHE you have to send the application by airmail. Applications by email and fax are not accepted. Also, please do not send us an advance copy by e-mail; we have to wait for the original and this may only cause confusion.
How to apply for the fellowship?
After you have received the Letter of Admission you can apply for a fellowship under the Netherlands Fellowship Programme (NFP) (www.nuffic.nl). Please check if your country of origin is listed as an eligible country for NFP. The form for the NFP application can be downloaded from the NUFFIC web site. This form should be filled in and submitted to the Dutch embassy in your country.
Please note that for the MSc programme that starts in October 2011, the deadline for submission of applications for the NFP programme to the Netherlands' Embassy varies between 31 December 2010 and 31 March 2011, depending on the regulations of the Dutch Embassy in your country. Please consult the Netherlands’ Embassy for the appropriate deadline. The request for a Letter of Admission should be submitted to UNESCO-IHE well before the deadline for receipt of the NFP application by the Embassy. This is because the Letter of Admission is needed by the Embassy with the NFP application. Candidates are encouraged to send us the Application Form as soon as possible!
More information about hydroinformatics education and research can be found at www.unesco-ihe.org/hi. You can also look for other fellowships, an overview is provided at http://www.unesco-ihe.org/fellowships.
We would highly appreciate it if you would also forward this information to interested colleagues or other contacts in your professional network.
In case you have any specific question regarding the fellowship or the procedure that you should follow please email to hikm@unesco-ihe.org .
UNESCO-IHE
P.O. Box 3015
2601 DA Delft
The Netherlands
