Wageningen University and Research


Wageningen University & Research is a public research university in Wageningen, The Netherlands. It is located in a region of the Netherlands known as the Food Valley.
WUR consists of Wageningen University and the former agricultural research institute of the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture. Wageningen University trains specialists in life and social sciences and focuses its research on scientific, social and commercial problems in the field of life sciences and natural resources. It is widely known for its agriculture, forestry, and environmental studies programs. The university has about 12,000 students from over 100 countries. It is also a member of the Euroleague for Life Sciences university network.
WUR has been placed in the top 150 universities in the world by three major ranking tables. Wageningen is voted as number 1 university in the Netherlands fifteen years in a row. The university is listed number 59 in the world by the Times Higher Education Ranking. It has also been ranked the world's best in the field of Agriculture & Forestry by the QS World University Rankings from 2016-2020. Wageningen University is ranked #1 in the fields of plant/animal science, environment/ecology, and agricultural sciences by U.S. News & World Report. The university is also well-known as the world's best in food science and technology.

History

In 1876 the Rijkslandbouwschool was established in Wageningen. Due to the development of the training to a higher educational level it changed in 1896 to the Hoogere Land- en Boschbouwschool and in 1904 in Rijks Hoogere Land-, Tuin- en Boschbouwschool.
In 1918 the school became academic by law. The name changed to Rijks Landbouw Hoogeschool. The opening date and official start date is 9 March 1918.
In 1986 the "hogescholen" were renamed to University in a modification of the Academic Education Act. The new name became Landbouwuniversiteit Wageningen . The 1986 law changes resulted in the use of the name hogeschool in the Dutch system to be used exclusively for universities of applied science.
Over the years the research and teaching branched out into life sciences in general, while interest for agriculture as a career opportunity waned. In 1997, when the DLO institutes merged with the university, the new organisation was rebranded as Wageningen UR ; with the University being renamed Wageningen University. Under Dutch laws the University and the institutes had to remain separate legal entities.
In 2006, the university of applied sciences Van Hall Larenstein became part of Wageningen UR. The idea was to create better collaboration between applied teaching and research at Van Hall and the academic research at Wageningen University. This would also support students to continue with an academic program upon completing their applied degree. However, due to differences in organizational culture and incompatibility of procedures, the collaboration remained problematic. In 2012 it was decided that Van Hall Larenstein would leave Wageningen UR and continue as an independent school once more. In the spring of 2015 the separation was marked by the move of the final Wageningen-based Van Hall Larenstein studies back to Velp.
In 2009 it was decided that the University would consistently use the English name in its communication, and that university research could be presented under the name of the university: Wageningen University . On 6 September 2016 Wageningen University and the research institutes becameas one joint brand: Wageningen University & Research.
On 9 March 2018 Wageningen University celebrated her 100 years anniversary. During this year there were many events and festivities around the campus and in the city of Wageningen.

Academic profile

Wageningen University was the first Dutch university or school that was allowed to use the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System label. This label is awarded by the European Commission and guarantees the quality of the study programme. The university consequently applies this system, thus promoteing the mobility of students within Europe and preventing study delay.

BSc programmes

The University offers 19 BSc programmes. The language of instruction is partly Dutch, partly English. For some BSc programmes the language of instruction is English. The programmes start each year in September, last three years, and consist of 180 ECTS credits. The programmes are in the field of economy and society, health, life sciences and technology, nature and environment, animals and plants.

MSc programmes

Wageningen University offers a 36 different MSc programmes and two online masters programs. The language of instruction is English. The programmes start each year in September, they last two years, and consist of 120 ECTS credits. Most programmes offer various specializations and possibilities for majors.

PhD programme

The PhD programme is a four-year programme which consists of a research component and a smaller education component. To apply for a PhD position, the applicant must contact one of the six Graduate Schools of Wageningen University. In order to guarantee adequate supervision, the research subject must fit in the research programme of a Graduate School.

Research Institutes

The following research institutes are part of Wageningen Research:

Rankings

International Rankings

In the field of life sciences, agricultural and environmental science, the university is considered world-class. According to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings it is the best university in the Netherlands and No. 1 worldwide, in agriculture and forestry for 2017 on the QS World University Rankings charts.

Student activities and associations