A new master’s degree in Sustainable Aquaculture will start in September at Egas Moniz School of Health & Science in Portugal. It has the overall aim of training professionals to respond to the needs of the aquaculture industry, contributing to an improvement in production sustainability and health, sanity and welfare in aquaculture and increase in quality of food safety and public health.

It will focus on the principles of aquaculture and the main factors that influence the viability of aquaculture and algae farms, as well as food production systems, training highly qualified professionals who will be able to be integrated into the industry.

“This degree was established to fill a gap in aquaculture education. We feel most MScs are designed to train scientists in the field rather than professionals, and we also feel that there is not enough training for veterinarians in aquaculture,” the organizers said.

Egas Moniz is already established in the veterinary field and offers an integrated master’s course in veterinary medicine; thus we will be able to take advantage of the existing synergies. Besides, Egas Moniz owns laboratories and facilities and also has an established cooperation protocol with IPMA (Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere) which is fully equipped with lab and pilot-scale aquaculture facilities where students will train. It also has several partnerships with national aquaculture companies to help train students and give feedback about industry needs.

This master's degree is an international degree, taught completely in English. Students with a BSc in biology or related subjects or MSc in Veterinary Medicine can apply. The application deadline is August 31, 2023. Find more information here.