International Master in Rural Development. Europe

The master course for future experts on rural development

The joint International Master in Rural Development (IMRD), part of the European Commission’s Erasmus Mundus JMDprogramme, offers the opportunity to become an international expert on rural development in its diversity of approaches and applications, on a scholarship provided by the European Union.
The IMRD master course programme, is a high level academic programme aimed at training top students from all over the world into specialists in integrated rural development, focussed on socio-economic and institutional aspects; not only from the European Union but also from developed, developing and transition countries outside the EU.
The  IMRD master course programme is a 2 year master programme (120 ECTS) jointly organised by 16 worldwide leading universities in rural development and agricultural economics. The methodology consists of a combination of basic and specialised training in technical, economic and social sciences, a case study of one month, an individual master thesis and a high extent of student and scholar mobility.
Through IMRD you can study at least one semester at the folowing universities:

Depending on their geographic interest and foreseen specialisation, students may opt for a regional and specific comparative course programme which leads to the awarding of a double degree on rural development and agricultural Economics (i.e. the IMRD joint diploma + a national diploma of a non-EU partner).
When applying for the IMRD programme, a distinction is made between 4 different kinds of applicants, each with their own application deadlines, nationality requirements and tuition fees:

1. Non-European nationals wishing to apply for an Erasmus Mundus scholarship (you are not a national from one of the 28 EU member states, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein or Turkey)
2. Applicants from any nationality wishing to apply for an IMRD Consortium Scholarship
3. European self-funding applicants (you are a national from one of the 28 EU member states, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein or Turkey)
4. Non-European self-funding applicants (you are not a national from one of the 28 EU member states, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein or Turkey)

Application deadlines

You can apply all year round to know if you meet the academic criteria and language. Our programme starts each year in September.
You receive notification of academic (non-)admission within 14 days of submitting your complete application.
You receive notification of scholarship award before end of April prior to the start of the academic year in September.

1. Non-European nationals wishing to apply for an Erasmus Mundus scholarship: apply before March 1^st
2. Applicants from any nationality wishing to apply for an IMRD Consortium Scholarship: apply before March 1^st
3. European self-funding applicants: apply before June 30th
4. Non-European self-funding applicants: apply before April 30^th

Note for Chinese students

All students from the P.R. China will have to obtain a certificate of academic screening issued by the Academic Evaluation Centre (APS) of the German Embassy in Beijing before being allowed to enrol at any higher education institution, language course or other preparatory course in Flanders. The APS certificate is also required for obtaining a student visa to Belgium. The APS certificate needs to be submitted in the second step of the application, when you are required to send legalised documents.
Students planning to study in Flanders are advised to contact the Academic Evaluation Centre in Beijing,  info{at}aps.org.cn as soon as possible in order to make the necessary appointments and this before applying for a visa. The APS application form and more information can be found on www.aps.org.cn.
Every student accepted at UGent for next academic year will get the cost of their APS-screening reimbursed by the Ghent University-China Platform. For this, the student has to contact the China Platform after arrival at UGent to make an appointment.
Ghent University has a specific service for Chinese students, the China Platform.
IMRD COURSE STRUCTURE
The IMRD academic programme runs over 2 years (22-24 months), consisting of 5 obligatory modules during which a participants needs to obtain a minimum of 120 ECTS credits:

 
The General Entrance Module
This entrance module is offered by Ghent University, Belgium, for all IMRD students (IMRD-ATLANTIS-EKAFREE) and consists of a combination of obligatory and optional courses representing major disciplines regarded as essential for an integrated rural development approach. It last from September year n until the first week of February year n+1.
As incoming students have different backgrounds, it is very important to create a common knowledge base, and a solid network between the students. Therefore this module is a study period with theoretical formation in basic agricultural economic and development theories and methodologies. Its courses represent a general training into the basic competence domains(Applied Rural Economic Research Methods, Rural Development and Agriculture, Agricultural and rural Policy, Development Economics, Micro-economic Theory and Farm management, Food Marketing and consumer behaviour).
The common start at one university creates a group feeling and stimulates exchange between students during the remaining period of their study in Europe. Students can also more effectively be assisted upon their arrival in Europe (logistics, facilities, cultural adaptation), and in their curriculum (mobility) development.
The module involves also some teaching by visiting scholars from the other Consortium partners and from non-European countries. The visiting scholars provide the opportunity to present the specialties of the different partner universities, enabling the students to define their mobility path based on their proper interest. Additionally, videoconferences are organized to present all partner universities to the students.
During this module, students should take min. 25 and max. 30 ECTS (of which 20 are fixed and obligatory). For the instructed classes in this module, please consult the Course Catalogue.
Advanced Module I
This specialized module offers students the possibility to specialise in one of the competence domains. It consists of a range of obligatory and optional courses, which can be complemented with elective courses. The optional and elective courses can be used to broaden the knowledge or to improve language and cultural knowledge and skills. The combination of obligatory and optional courses ensure a minimum of “basic” knowledge (quality of the joint degree), but at the same time provides sufficient flexibility for the students to specialize in his particular field of interest.
Students should take no less than 15, and no more than 40 ECTS during this module. For the instructed classes in this module, please consult these pages Course Catalogue.
Advanced Module I is offered by all IMRD consortium partners. Students are free to choose the partners at which they will follow the module, though should guide their decision based on their foreseen learning path, as well as on the specialty disciplines of each partner university. The chosen partner, must be different then the partner chosen for Advanced Module II, and ideally is not the partner where the student will conduct and defend the Master Dissertation.
The Case Study
The objective of the case study is that students undertake a practical experience in a commonly organised study where students and scholars from different institutions and backgrounds share visions and approaches; and are confronted with the reality of rural development in rural areas through a more active learning method.

Students learn to apply the basic knowledge and appraisal methods in new circumstances and need to work in groups. They are also confronted with practical rural work realities, have many field vists and working meeting with local farmers and LAG’s and (international) (NG)O’s of the area.
The case studies are organised in the summer period in between the two academic years in two different European countries, allowing students to study more in depth about local realities.The case studies are offered by Pisa University (Italy) and the Slovak University of Agriculture (Slovakia) and last 1 month.
This case study represents 10 ECTS or credits. For the case study, students can indicate their preferred location, but in case of unbalance, the Management Board ensures that the group of students is divided among the partners offering the case study, according to previously set quota, guaranteeing an equal distribution at both Case studies.
For more information on the Case Study, please consult the Course Catalogue.
Advanced Module II
This specialized module offers students the possibility to specialise in one of the competence domains. It consists of a range of obligatory and optional courses, which can be complemented with elective courses. The optional and elective courses can be used to broaden the knowledge or to improve language and cultural knowledge and skills. The combination of obligatory and optional courses ensure a minimum of “basic” knowledge (quality of the joint degree), but at the same time provides sufficient flexibility for the students to specialize in his particular field of interest.
Students should take no less than 15, and no more than 40 ECTS during this module. For the instructed classes in this module, please consult these pages Course Catalogue.
Advanced Module II is offered by all IMRD consortium partners. Students are free to choose the partners at which they will follow the module, though should guide their decision based on their foreseen learning path, as well as on the specialty disciplines of each partner university. The chosen partner, must be different then the partner chosen for Advanced Module I, and ideally is the partner where the student will conduct and defend the Master Dissertation. If the latter is not the case, then Advanced Module I should be taken at the Thesis Partner University (TPU), as at least one advanced module should be taken at the Thesis partner university; consequently, the decision on where a student will follow both advanced modules needs to be taken in close consultation with the TPU.
For the instructed classes in this module, please consult the Course Catalogue.

        The Master Dissertation

The Master Dissertation (or thesis) is written on a topic related to the disciplines of rural development, or rural economics or policies. It represents 30 ECTS.
By developing the master thesis, students show they are able to individually analyze a rural development or related problem in a scientific correct way. So differently to e.g. an internship, students have also to conceptualize a problem and search for data, analytical methods and develop the research methodology.
Already at application time students have the opportunity to express their research interest. During the first semester the students are guided to develop a mobility track responding to their research interests. As the ideas for their thesis become more concrete, they are directed towards the most qualified staff (institution) to assist them in their research.
Students are encouraged to come up with their own thesis subject, preferably relevant to their home country but they can also select a topic presented to them by their professors. In most of these cases data collection and other field work are elaborated in the home country or a third country, in cooperation with one of the consortium partners or other academic affiliated partners or one of the associated partner organizations (APO’s). External scholars and outstanding professionals working in the field of rural development and rural economies also assist in supervising the students or in providing specific assistance.
Students spend this study period at the defending Thesis Partner University (TPU). This partner should be one where the student has spent at least one of both advanced modules; preferably the third (the second is possible, though after the prior approval of the TPU).
In light of the latter, students are requested to indicate their TPU already during the application process. For students awarded with any of the IMRD administrated scholarships, this decision will be final as the chosen TPU will be a condition for receiving the scholarship. For self-funding students this indication is pre-final; but in case of change this has to be done before December of the first year of their participation to the IMRD programme in order to be able to monitor the progress of the student.

APPLICATION

Each application file is evaluated by the Admission Board and has to be approved by the Faculty Council and the Rector’s office, irrespective of the diploma obtained.
Note that the application procedure is a time-consuming procedure so we strongly advise you to start applying in time.
DEADLINES:

• You can apply for academic admission all year round.
• Our academic programmes start in September each year.
• If you want to apply for an Erasmus Mundus/Consortium/EKAFREE Scholarship, you need to have applied for academic admission before February 1st. More information here.

STEP ONE: REGISTER WITH GHENT UNIVERSITY
Register at prospect.ugent.be. Complete the required fields and you will receive a reference number. This number is necessary for the next step. If you need help in this phase, please contact [email protected].
When you have completed this step, note down the prospect reference number and proceed to step two. You do not have to wait for an invitation from us.
STEP TWO: APPLY FOR ACADEMIC ADMISSION AT OUR FACULTY
In this step the Faculty’s Admission Board will evaluate if you meet the academic requirements of the programme of your choice. Make sure to carefully read the academic and language requirements of the programme.
Using the reference number from the first step, apply for academic admission at

1. Register here in EConsort
2. Once you have registered, apply here

The Admission Board evaluates applications all year through. You should receive a notification of result no later than 14 working days after submitting your application (exceptions are possible, e.g. holiday periods, …). If you are not academically admitted, you will receive an explanation as to why.
STEP THREE: IF YOU ARE ACADEMICALLY ADMITTED
When and if you have obtained academic admission, we will send you information on scholarship opportunities and you will be invited to apply for the Erasmus/Ekafree scholarship, if these applications are still open. You will be notified before end of April, prior to September when you can start the programme, whether or not you are granted a scholarship.
Once academically admitted, you will receive a pre-academic admission letter, explaining the steps you need to complete to be completely admitted. As long as you do not complete the required follow-up steps, such as sending the required (legalised) documents to the administration, you are unable to start the programme and cannot be enrolled.
You can use this letter to start looking for funding, since there are only a very limited number of Erasmus/EKAFREE scholarships.
APPEAL
Appeal can only be submitted against the procedure of evaluation, not against the outcome of the evaluation.
The appeal has to be submitted within 10 working days (with the date of postmark as proof) after receipt of the outcome of the evaluation.
If you wish to submit an appeal, then complete this form and send it by email and regular mail to the International Training Centre. Include supporting documents if you deem this necessary.
The appeal will then be investigated by the International Student Support Services of Ghent University. Within 21 working days after having received the appeal, you will be communicated about the outcome of your appeal.