Recap of the BSc Open Day November 2026

Hi all,

This is Jasmin and Pablo again.
On Friday, 6th November, and Saturday, 7th November 2026, the Bachelor’s Open Day took place. We had a blast meeting all the prospective students at Wageningen University & Research (WUR)!

Bachelor’s Open Day Presentation

As every year, we held a presentation on the Essentials for International Students that you guys should know about prior to applying. We talked about the available English-taught Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes, associations, housing tips, admission requirements and other relevant information.

At the end of the presentation, we stayed behind for the Q&A. There were a couple of recurring questions:

• What are the average rent prices?
• Do their high school diplomas meet the admission requirements?
• Do they need to provide proof of English abilities or are they exempt?
• What benefits are there for studying in the Netherlands?

These are questions that we can happily answer on a case-by-case basis, but we do recommend that you check the WUR website or contact the Student Service Centre (SSC) for the official answers! We can only make educated guesses based on our own experiences.

 

In case you missed the open day, below is a brief recap of what happened at the English-taught Bachelor’s information stands across the campus.

 

Friday 6 November

The Bachelor’s Open Day started at 14:00 with good weather (in Dutch terms) and a lot of new people around! The campus was lively; I have never seen so many people older than 20 at WUR in my life. Of course, many people seemed lost because the campus is almost as big as the city of Wageningen itself. If you are new, finding your way around can be difficult. I mean, I still don’t know the name of each building.

Bachelor Programmes Highlights

This day, we decided to visit some general stands: Idealis, Thymos, Erasmus, Honour’s programme, SSC, etc. We also passed by the stands for some of the English-taught Bachelor’s programmes: BSc in Tourism, BSc in Marine Sciences, BSc in International Land and Water Management, and BSc in Environmental Science.
And if you think we missed the rest of the English-taught Bachelor’s programmes, we’ve got you covered! Read along to learn about them too.;)
Fun fact: Did you know most of the volunteers you will find at the study programmes’ stands are current students? This means they get to share their first-hand experience and tips with all of you!

BSc Tourism

Do you know which holiday destinations generate the most emissions, and which generate the least?
This is a question the people at the BSc Tourism information desk emphasised. Tourism is necessary for economic and societal development. That’s why the BSc Tourism at WUR places great emphasis on sustainability to preserve the environment, cultural, and economic resources for future generations. The most awesome thing is that in the second year, the European Union sponsors students to travel by train for one week for a case study abroad, which has real-life impact.

 

BSc Marine Sciences

Do you know there is an aquarium at WUR?
Yeah, it seems WUR degrees focus on marine animals! The Bachelor’s main focus is on marine species such as rays and sharks, as illustrated by the plush toys featured at their booths. They also have a strong focus on marine ecology, conservation, and sustainable ocean management.

 

BSc International Land and Water Management

If you really like soil-drilling competitions, it seems this BSc is for you! During the BSc International Land and Water Management, there is a lot of group work in which, with other students, you will work on case studies to gain in-depth knowledge and applicable skills. The BSc has a strong connection between theory and real-world environmental challenges, as shown in the case studies and the End-of-Year Excursion to Limburg!

 

BSc Environmental Sciences

Did you know microorganisms can degrade plastic and purify water?
The BSc in Environmental Sciences is an interdisciplinary program combining biology, chemistry, ecology, and policy. It offers many opportunities for specialisation at the Master’s level, allowing students to focus on what they like most.

 

Saturday 7 November

Today Pablo and I held a second presentation on the Essentials for International Students. The saying “practice makes perfect” certainly holds true because it went smoother than ever! The room was so full of prospective students and their families that some people even ended up sitting on the stairs.

To learn more about WUR’s Bachelor programmes, we resumed our tour of the different stands from the previous day. There are stalls all over campus in Aurora, Forum and Orion, with pretty lights and decorations.

BSc Animal Sciences

Their stands were located in Orion and decorated with a variety of skeletons, models and plush animals. We had a fun time browsing the different expos and learned that this programme focuses specifically on companion animals such as chickens, pigs and fish. This is good to know as some prospective students may have the false assumption that this study also includes wildlife like giraffes.
In general, the volunteers were very enthusiastic about the programme. They also shared about their large study association, and the possibility of later joining a veterinary study with this degree.
If you have a passion for animals, their wellbeing, livestock economy and other related topics, this is the programme for you!

 

BSc Food Technology

When asked what they’d like to highlight, the lecturers eagerly introduced us to their shear cell technology and other quirky devices. This programme focuses on all the latest research surrounding the food industry: from the protein transition to fungi for food production and 3D food printing.
It’s important for them that students are kept up-to-date with new innovations and scientific discourse, not only in lectures but also in lab practicals. Students don’t just learn about new technology, they also learn how to apply it. One of their recent graduates even went on to start her own company for plant-based meat called Rival Foods. If you’re not personally interested in working in the food sector, it’s still worthwhile to stop by their booths to see what snacks they have available. What’s a food science stand without free food?

 

BSc Earth System Sciences

Similar to the Food Technology booths, this study had a ton of different devices lying around!
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be an airbender, you should definitely check out their tornado funnel. It’s a tool that mimics a miniature tornado that you can stick your hand into. In addition to that, there was a water flute and a ground water simulation model.
The lecturers also offer a tour of their facilities, which I’m sure would be very insightful for prospective students. Overall, the study is highly technical, but there is a large emphasis on excursions and hands-on work, as visualising the Earth system is key to understanding it.
This made a lot of sense for me as seeing the water flute for example, helped me to see how a river flows and what effect there is on sediment. If you want to understand Earth systems and really analyse the interconnected elements of our planet, I believe that you’d enjoy this study a lot.

BSc Data Science for Global Challenges

Personally, I found this to be one of the most interesting booths!
The volunteers made some very compelling points about why you should study their programme. Data collection and data analysis are becoming more and more important globally! More than just focusing on data science, they also emphasise the practical nature of their study. They learn how to apply data science in areas such as artificial intelligence, food, and agriculture. Some of their courses, including Big Data, have real-life commissioners such as SPAR and Lely. If you are interested in data but want to be someone who contributes to societal change, this is surely the course for you! And if none of this convinces you, I would recommend visiting them to take home some of their lovely stickers.

 

Value of Joining an Open Day

Personally, I (Jasmin) have attended many different open days in my time. It was really important for me to get the chance to gain in-depth information directly from the professors and to be able to get personalised advice. For example, if I hadn’t attended the Open Day for my Master’s in Climate Studies, I wouldn’t have known that I didn’t need a Pre-master’s. This was a very important criterion for me, as I know some research universities require a pre-master’s when coming from a Dutch university of applied sciences. Without attending the open day, I also wouldn’t have learned about the possibility of a double master at WUR or about room.nl!

 

Upcoming Virtual Open Day

We had a blast covering the Bachelor’s Open Day this November and have done our best to summarise some of the highlights for you in this article. However, nothing replaces being able to actually experience it yourself first-hand! As we know, some of our readers are abroad and unable to come to the Open Days on campus, we highly recommend that you instead sign up for the Virtual Open Days!

There, you can find more information and talk to students and lecturers directly about the courses that you are interested in. The next Virtual Open Day will be on the 21st of January 2027, from 15:00 to 20:30 CET. 

We hope to see you there! Until next time,

Pablo and Jasmin