2025-2026

Master in Biology of Organisms and Ecology, Teaching focus

Schedule

regular course
ECTS Credits 120

Presentation
Programme
Opportunities

Point of attention

This training program is suspended. Only current students (enrolled in 2024-2025) will be able to re-enroll and complete their course.

To access teacher training and teach secondary 4 to 6, you must:

either undertake a master's degree in teaching section 4 (120 credits), after a disciplinary bachelor's degree (180 credits)
or take a master's degree in teaching section 5 (60 credits), after a disciplinary bachelor's degree (180 credits) and a disciplinary master's degree (60 or 120 credits)

More information on initial teacher training

Solve novel problems in modern environmental biology, participate in increasing understanding of how living organisms function in their environment at different levels of integration using cutting-edge techniques, communicate and pass on knowledge... these are just some of the challenges you'll face as professionals in organismal biology and ecology.

Your objectives

react to environmental and biodiversity issues;
understand the functioning, conservation and evolution of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems;
apprehend the evolution of ecosystems and organisms;
carry out field observations and experimental research;
master modern technologies, from molecular tools to satellite image interpretation;
acquire practical training that is decisive on the job market.

The benefits of training

problems at the heart of current affairs;
a personalized path and guidance towards a professional project;
a wide choice of modules, in French or English, organized on two campuses;
field observations and laboratory work;
modern techniques: molecular biology, GIS, digital ecology...;
a long research project: dissertation spread over 10 months;
a 4-month professional internship teaching biology in secondary school;
the possibility of completing your internship or dissertation abroad.

The program

The Master in Organismal Biology and Ecology is co-organized by the University of Namur and UCLouvain. Registration for this master's degree is exclusively at UCLouvain.

The originality of this master's degree is that it addresses modern issues in organismal biology and ecology, reconciling terrestrial and aquatic environments, long studied separately.

The different levels of biological integration (molecular, cellular, biochemical, physiological, behavioral, population, community and ecosystem) are brought into relation with each other using cutting-edge techniques (genomics, epigenetics, modeling, GIS...).

The comparative approach makes it possible to investigate diversified biological systems in the animal and plant kingdoms as well as in microorganisms, while avoiding a focus on a small number of model species.

You choose three modules from the eight on offer

Conservation and restoration biology
Ecotoxicology
Molecular ecology
Functional genomics and physiology
Landscape and movement ecology
Ecology and management of aquatic environments
Applied ecology and evolution
Interaction ecology

By selecting the didactic purpose, you are directing your future profession towards teaching in the upper cycle of secondary education.

Other master's degrees in biology

The University of Namur organizes

the master in biochemistry and molecular and cellular biology
- finalité approfondie
- finalité spécialisée
the master in organismal biology and ecology, à finalité approfondie
the master in molecular microbiology
the master 60 in biological sciences

Cycle
Block 1
Block 2

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Module

Stress ecology and ecotoxicology

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Code	Name	Staff	Th.+Ex.	Credits/Block
				1	2	3
SBOEM170	Advances in applied and basic ecotoxicology	Silvestre Frédéric Thoré Eli Thoré Eli Silvestre Frédéric	40h th. + 24h ex.	5	5
LBOE2168	Plant-environment interactions		30h th. + 15h ex.	3	3

Conservation and restoration ecology

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	Code	Name	Staff	Th.+Ex.	Credits/Block
					1	2	3
	LBOE2120	Biodiversity conservation		45h th. + 15h ex.	4	4
	LBOE2141	Restoration ecology		15h th. + 15h ex.	2	2
Sustainable development Image English Friendly Courses Image	SBOEM237	Bioindicators of pollution	De Laender Frédérik	16h th. + 12h ex.	2	2

Modelling in ecology and evolution

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	Code	Name	Staff	Th.+Ex.	Credits/Block
					1	2	3
	LBOE2292	Ecological and evolutionary modelling		15h th. + 45h ex.	4	4
Sustainable development Image	SBOEM162	Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning	De Laender Frédérik	16h th. + 12h ex.	2	2
Sustainable development Image English Friendly Courses Image	SBOEM142	Ecology of natural and disturbed aquatic environments	De Laender Frédérik	16h th. + 12h ex.	2	2

Spatial and thermal ecology

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Code	Name	Th.+Ex.	Credits/Block
			1	2	3
LBOE2150	Movement ecology	22.5h th. + 7.5h ex.	2	2
LBOE2151	<unknown>	22.5h th.	2	2
LBOE2140	Landscape Ecology	30h th. + 30h ex.	4	4

Behavioural ecology

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Code	Name	Staff	Th.+Ex.	Credits/Block
				1	2	3
SBOEM113	Behavioural responses to a changing world	Thoré Eli	30h th. + 16h ex.	4	4
LBOE2161	Behavioural ecology		30h th. + 15h ex.	4	4

Molecular ecology and biodiversity genomics

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Code	Name	Th.+Ex.	Credits/Block
			1	2	3
SBOEM114	Molecular ecology and biodiversity genomics	30h th. + 22.5h ex.	4	4
SBOEM115	Environmental Epigenetics	15h th. + 15h ex.	2	2
SBOEM116	Applied bioinformatics for molecular ecology	30h th.	2	2

Choice of courses

Elective courses complementary to UCL's didactic approach

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Code	Name	Th.+Ex.	Credits/Block
			1	2	3
LAGRE2221	Learning and teaching with new technologies and exercises	15h th. + 15h ex.		2
LAGRE2310	Micro-teaching exercises	15h th.		2
LGEO2330	Geography didactics seminar	30h ex.		5
LSCI2330	Science didactics research seminar	15h th. + 30h ex.		5
LMAT2330	Seminar on the didactics of mathematics	15h th. + 30h ex.		4

Advances courses

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	Code	Name	Staff	Th.+Ex.	Credits/Block
					1	2	3
	SBIOM201	Parasitology	Dujardin Jean-Claude	15h th.	2	2
	SVETM209	Molecular Virology	Gillet Nicolas Muylkens Benoît	15h th.	2	2
	SVETB301	Applied Ethology	Diederich Claire	15h th. + 4h ex.	3	3
	LBOE2143	Current issues in marine biology		30h th.	2	2
	EBIOE2001	Marine biodiversity - flora expertise			6	6
	LBOE2122	Marine biodiversity		30h th.	2	2
	EBIOE2002	Marine biodiversity - wildlife expertise			6	6
	LBIRE2105	Assessment of water - soil - air quality		30h th.	3	3
	LBIR1362	Economics of natural resources and the environment		30h th. + 7.5h ex.	3	3
Sustainable development Image	SGOLM146	Hydrogeology		18h th. + 12h ex.	3	3
	LBIR1334	Introduction to forestry sciences		22.5h th. + 15h ex.	3	3
Sustainable development Image	SGOLM145	Pedology		12h th. + 12h ex.	2	2
	LBIR1336	Soil science and integrated excision		30h th. + 37.5h ex.	5	5
	LENVI2011	Environmental assessment and management methods		30h th.	3	3
	LBIR1328	Climatology and Hydrology Applied to Agronomy and the Environment		45h th. + 22.5h ex.	6	6
	LGEOL2401	Vertebrate palaeontology		22.5h th.	2	2
	LBOE2148	Microbial ecology		30h th.	2	2
	SBIOM205	Epidemiology		15h th.	2	2
	SBIOM132	Bacterial Genetics and Evolution	De Bolle Xavier	22h th.	3	3
Sustainable development Image English Friendly Courses Image	SBOEM123	Aquatic Biodiversity	De Laender Frédérik	12h th. + 24h ex.	3	3
	SBOEM144	Management of fisheries and aquaculture resources		18h th. + 12h ex.	3	3
	SGOLB210	Paleontology	Smith Thierry	24h th. + 40h ex.	5	5

Remote sensing and planning

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Code	Name	Staff	Th.+Ex.	Credits/Block
				1	2	3
LBIRE2102	Applied geomatics		30h th. + 22.5h ex.	4	4
LGEO1343	Earth observation by satellite		30h th. + 30h ex.	5	5
LGEO2140	Global environmental challenges in the Anthropocene		30h th. + 30h ex.	5	5
LBRAT2101	Town and country planning		45h th. + 15h ex.	5	5
LBRTI2101A	Data Science in bioscience engineering - Partim A : spatial and temporal data		22.5h th. + 15h ex.	3	3
SGOGB201	Introduction to Geographic Information Systems	Linard Catherine	15h th. + 20h ex.	4	4
SGOGB301	Modelling and analysis of geographic information	Linard Catherine	20h th. + 30h ex.	4	4

Opening courses

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	Code	Name	Staff	Th.+Ex.	Credits/Block
					1	2	3
Soft skills Image	MGESM203_Sciences	<unknown>		12h th.	2	2
	LDROP2063	Sectoral Environmental Law - Droit sectoriel de l'environnement		30h th.	5	5
	LDROP2102	Intellectual rights and new technologies		30h th.	5	5
	SBIOM119	Human resources management	Vincent Béatrice	15h th.	2
	LDROP2061	General environmental and living environment law		30h th.	5	5
	LDROP2101	Management of Intellectual Property Rights		30h th.	5	5

Animal handling

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Code	Name	Staff	Th.+Ex.	Credits/Block
				1	2	3
WSBIM2290	Introduction to the science of laboratory animals		37h th.	3	3
SFCMM101	Training in animal experimentation at technician level: techniques, alternative methods, legislation and ethics	Vermeylen Anne	40h th.	4	4
SFCMM201	Training of master animal handlers	Vermeylen Anne	40h th.	4	4

Common core

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Code	Name	Staff	Th.+Ex.	Credits/Block
				1	2	3
LBOE2114	<unknown>		67.5h th. + 90h ex.	4
SBOEM297	Master thesis				22
LBOE2191	Ecology and society		30h th.	2
SBOEM111	Advanced and applied evolutionary	Dennis Alice	35h th. + 30h ex.	3
SBOEM112	Data analysis and modeling of biological systems	De Laender Frédérik Thoré Eli	30h th. + 45h ex.	5
LBOE2113	Scientific and Professional Communication in English		15h ex.	3
LBOE2196	Experimental design		15h th. + 22.5h ex.	2
SBOEM197	Introduction to scientific research			8
LGEO1342A	Geographic Information Systems (GIS) partim		24h th. + 24h ex.	4

Humanities

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	Code	Name	Staff	Th.+Ex.	Credits/Block
					1	2	3
Sustainable development Image	SSPSM101	Science, ethics and development	Leyens Stéphane	18h th. + 6h ex.	3
	LFILO2003E	Ethical issues in science and technology (seminar section)	Rezsohazy René	15h th. + 15h ex.	2
	LSC2001	Introduction to contemporary philosophy		30h th.	2
	LSC2220	Philosophy of science		30h th.	2
	MSBMM113	Bioethics	Pontarotti Gaëlle Ravez Laurent	20h th.	2
	SSPSM203	Philosophy of Life Sciences	Pontarotti Gaëlle	12h th.	3
	LTHEO2840	Science and the Christian faith		15h th.	2

Didactic purpose

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	Code	Name	Staff	Th.+Ex.	Credits/Block
					1	2	3
	FAGRM402	Psychopedagogy I	Biémar Sandrine	30h th. + 20h ex.		4
Soft skills Image	SAGRM211	Secondary school biology teaching internships	Vervoort Arnaud	35h ex.		6
English Friendly Courses Image	FAGRM401	School education and society	Roland Elsa Biémar Sandrine	30h th. + 10h ex.		4
Sustainable development Image Soft skills Image	SAGRM203	Didactics and Epistemology of Biology I	Vervoort Arnaud Vervoort Arnaud	30h th. + 10h ex.		3
	FAGRM409	Foundations of neutrality		20h th.		2
	FAGRM406	Educational psychology II	Biémar Sandrine	30h th. + 10h ex.		3
Sustainable development Image Soft skills Image	SAGRM206	Didactics and Epistemology of Biology II	Vervoort Arnaud	30h th.		3

Choice of courses

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Code	Name	Staff	Th.+Ex.	Credits/Block
				1	2	3
FAGRM403	Education in new teaching and learning technologies	Dumortier Laurence	15h th.		2
FAGRM405	Introduction to tutoring practices		4h th. + 11h ex.		2
SAGRM213	Didactical Comparison between Experimental Sciences and Mathematics	Henry Valérie Dias De Carvalho Junior Gabriel Vervoort Arnaud	15h th.		2
FAGRM404	Analysis of practices	Biémar Sandrine	8h th. + 7h ex.		2
SAGRM214	Management and implementation of a chemistry laboratory in secondary education	Snauwaert Philippe	15h ex.		2
SSPSB202_Masters	History of science	Sartenaer Olivier	15h th.		2
FAGRM407	Examining the relational and emotional aspects of the teaching profession	Fischer Line Biémar Sandrine	10h th. + 5h ex.		2

Teaching another discipline

Left to read

	Code	Name	Staff	Th.+Ex.	Credits/Block
					1	2	3
	SAGRM204_Partim	Didactics and Epistemology of Chemistry I	Dehon Jérémy	30h th.		3
Soft skills Image	SAGRM202_Partim	Didactics and Epistemology of Physics I	Dias De Carvalho Junior Gabriel	30h th.		3

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