Programme details

Start date

The Think Water programme starts in late September (check the UAntwerp academic calendar for the exact starting date). It is important to know that you may expect courses to start as soon as the official starting day of the academic year.

Day to day

Courses are scheduled daily, from Monday to Friday, between 09:00 – 18:00; in practice a class will oftentimes finish sooner depending on the course and its lecturer.

Campus location

Most classes are held at Campus Drie Eiken and Campus Groenenborger. You can take a virtual tour to have a look what the campuses of UAntwerp look like.

Teaching methods and course material

Courses are taught in an interactive and practical way. Teaching methods include lectures (in-person or online), seminars, laboratory work, excursions, computer-assisted exercises, case studies, and collaborative and project-based learning. Students are expected to actively participate in class discussions, prepare presentations, and report by means of individual or group papers. Course content covers basic definitions to the latest developments, and ranges from the local to global scale. All course material is made available through the online learning platform (Blackboard).

Field visits and guest lectures

To connect classroom learning with real‑life practice, the programme includes field visits to water treatment plants, river restoration sites, ports, and companies working on innovative water technologies. During these visits, you meet professionals who are actively shaping the future of the water sector. Guest lectures from industry leaders, NGOs, government agencies and academic partners further enrich the curriculum.

To name a few, the programme includes field visits to key water‑related sites along (amongst others) the River Scheldt, the Romboutswervepolder, and urban climate adaptation initiatives like the Blue Deal initiatives. Technical visits to Aquafin wastewater treatment plants, the Research Station for Vegetable Production, the Water link laboratory, and AMORAS offer first‑hand insight into cutting‑edge water treatment, monitoring and circular water systems.

Evaluation and master dissertation

Evaluation is competence-based and varies per course, including written or oral examinations, individual and group assignments, project work and continuous assessment. For the master dissertation, you can choose from a broad selection of topics proposed by Think Water lecturers, such that it is aligned with your interests and career ambitions. You can also opt to develop your own research question in consultation with a lecturer, who may act as supervisor upon mutual agreement. The internship is always part of and hence related to the topic of your master dissertation; it can be conducted with a research group of UAntwerp or an external partner such as a company.