BSc Earth, Climate and Technology

Previously known as: Applied Earth Sciences

As from academic year 2025, the BSc programme Applied Earth Sciences will be renewed. We aim to continue the revised programme under a new name: Earth, Climate and Technology. The redesign of the programme is done to better align with the societal need for sustainable solutions to global challenges such as climate change, the energy transition and availability of scarce resources. 

Are you going to apply for this programme? Please register in Studielink under the previous Dutch name ‘Technische Aardwetenschappen’. In case of the planned name change, after the start of the new academic year in September 2025, all enrolments will be updated to the new name: Earth, Climate and Technology.

Are you looking for a degree that combines knowledge of the Earth with engineering? Do you want to develop solutions for challenges related to climate change, the energy transition, and the availability of scarce resources?

Then Earth, Climate and Technology is the programme for you!

In this English-taught bachelor's programme, you will apply your technical knowledge to the part of the Earth that closely interacts with our environment, from the atmosphere to a few kilometres deep into the Earth's crust. You'll learn how to study climate change using models and satellite data, and how to address its impacts on the planet. You will delve into technical solutions for the energy transition, such as geothermal energy and CO2 storage, which can help secure our future sustainable energy supply. Additionally, you'll explore sustainable ways to extract the natural resources needed for solar panels, wind turbines, and the batteries of electric cars.

No other programme offers this unique combination of engineering and Earth sciences. On top of that, you'll be challenged in the fields of mathematics, chemistry, and physics.

 

 

Overview

Language: English

Numerus fixus: No; no selection process

Start: September

Required courses: Mathematics B, Physics and Chemistry

Form: Full time- on campus

Study abroad: Fieldwork within the curriculum

Important dates

Open Day: 14 March

Student-for-a-day: ongoing

I was determined to work on subjects which revolved around sustainability or the environment. This BSc programme was a perfect fit. I would certainly make the same decision again; especially now that the programme is focusing even more on the global challenges of today and the future!

― Renske Free, graduated in 2022

Ever since I can remember I’ve had a huge fascination with how the Earth and its different processes work. I thought this BSc programme would be the best way to dive into that curiosity.

― Ulrich van Staden, South Africa

| Highlighted Student Stories

The underground of the zoo

Elephants, monkeys, giraffes, polar bears and lions, BSc student Karian Bruyndonckx enjoys the company of these creatures on her daily lunchtime stroll through the zoo. But while other visitors admire the animals, Karian sees something entirely different. She has a unique perspective on the zoo, one that reaches deep beneath the surface…

Volcanic rocks solving CO2 problems

What if we could capture CO2 from the atmosphere and permanently store it under the ground in the form of solid minerals? MSc student Elara Redondo Garcia didn’t think twice when she had to opportunity to go to Iceland, where they are researching CO2 mineral trapping.

What is bubbling underground?

Of the many renewable sources of energy currently being explored, it was geothermal energy that caught the imagination of Cas Verweij. Geothermal energy, which is produced by pumping up hot water from reservoirs far below the Earth’s crust, has many uses. One of which is heating homes. Cas is studying the CO2 bubbles in the sub-surface to see if the rocks are suitable for geothermal energy.

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