Minors
Following a minor at the university will deepen your knowledge and competences within a field of the life, social or environmental sciences.
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What is a minor?
A minor is a package of courses that have coherence and profundity. They are scheduled in half a year, either in the first or in the second semester of the academic year. Bachelor's minors consist of a cluster of courses of 24 ECTS. When you need to fill up to 30 ECTS, you can choose a WUR course to complement your minor.
There are thematic minors and programme minors. Thematic minors deal with a specific theme and are multi disciplinary. Programme minors are part of WUR bachelor's majors and might give you admission to a master's programme. If you want that, please check with the study advisor of that MSc.
Please talk to you study advisor or SLB'er about your interests and ambitions before you choose a minor, also to prevent an overlap in your programme.
New minors in the study year 2026-2027
BioNanoTechnology: in Life, Plant&AgroFood
Nanomaterials are ubiquitously used, from corona tests to microelectronics, from self-healing materials to drug delivery.
Understanding nanomaterials and their interactions with bio-(macro)molecules is important for exploring innovative applications and for understanding potential risks, such as toxicological aspects.
In this minor you will become acquainted with the innovative translational aspects of nanotechnology into real-life applications.
Decolonizing Science and Development
Debates on decolonizing science and development have gained prominence worldwide. In this minor you will be introduced to multiple meanings of decolonization, including critiques of Eurocentric assumptions in science and development, attention to marginalized and historically oppressed knowledge, and proposals for more inclusive or contextually grounded approaches.
By bringing together a coherent set of courses, you develop historically grounded, analytically rigorous and socially engaged understandings of these issues.
Biosystems Engineering
This preparation minor for the MSc Biosystems Engineering teaches you a solid mathematical understanding of systems that are dynamic or change over time. One course focuses on the mathematics behind decision science. In addition, you will learn advanced statistical methods needed for research in this complex environment.
Based on your background, you have a choice to take an introductory course to learn programming in Python if you have little to no experience in programming. Or you can choose two courses that focus on different types of mathematics in the food production sector, namely modelling of time-dependent systems such as bioreactors and an introduction to business economics.
BioNanoTechnology: in Life, Plant&AgroFood
Nanomaterials are ubiquitously used, from corona tests to microelectronics, from self-healing materials to drug delivery.
Understanding nanomaterials and their interactions with bio-(macro)molecules is important for exploring innovative applications and for understanding potential risks, such as toxicological aspects.
In this minor you will become acquainted with the innovative translational aspects of nanotechnology into real-life applications.
Decolonizing Science and Development
Debates on decolonizing science and development have gained prominence worldwide. In this minor you will be introduced to multiple meanings of decolonization, including critiques of Eurocentric assumptions in science and development, attention to marginalized and historically oppressed knowledge, and proposals for more inclusive or contextually grounded approaches.
By bringing together a coherent set of courses, you develop historically grounded, analytically rigorous and socially engaged understandings of these issues.
Biosystems Engineering
This preparation minor for the MSc Biosystems Engineering teaches you a solid mathematical understanding of systems that are dynamic or change over time. One course focuses on the mathematics behind decision science. In addition, you will learn advanced statistical methods needed for research in this complex environment.
Based on your background, you have a choice to take an introductory course to learn programming in Python if you have little to no experience in programming. Or you can choose two courses that focus on different types of mathematics in the food production sector, namely modelling of time-dependent systems such as bioreactors and an introduction to business economics.
Minor programmes in the first semester (period 1, 2 and 3)
Thematic minors
- Biology of Infectious Diseases (en)
- BioNanoTechnology: in Life, Plant&AgroFood
- Climate-Resilient Crops: Interdisciplinary Approaches
- Decolonizing Science and Development
- Education
- Financing Sustainable Transitions
- Freedom from Hunger (en)
- Gender and Diversity for Sustainable Worlds (en)
- Geo-information for Environment and Society (en)
- A Healthy Lifespan: from cell to society (en)
- Natural Resource Conflict and Governance (en)
- National Minor Climate Sociology
- Psychobiology of Eating Behaviour (en)
- Seagriculture: Designing Sustainable Seaweed Chains (en)
Programme minors
- Agricultural Business Management (en)
- Animal Sciences (en)
- Biobased Sciences (en)
- Bioinformatics (en)
- Biosystems Engineering
- Communication, Digitalization & Polarization
- Communication, Health and Society
- Concepts in Crop Production (en)
- Consumer Behaviour (en)
- Data Science (en)
- Earth and Biosphere (en)
- Economics of Sustainable Development
- Food Technology (en)
- Foods of Animal Origin (en)
- International Land and Water Management (en)
- Management of Terrestrial Ecosystems
- Molecular Life Sciences (en)
- Nutrition and Health
- Omics: Applications, Technologies & Data (en)
- Physical Hydrology and Meteorology (en)
- Plant Biotechnology (en)
- Policies, People and Nature Conservation
- Supply Chain Analytics (en)
- Urban Environmental Management (en)
Minor programmes in the second semester (period 4, 5 and 6)
Thematic minors
- Biodiversity: Genetics & Life Histories (en)
- Bionanotechnology (en)
- Disaster Risk and Resilience (en)
- Ecosystem Services of Insects (en)
- Education
- Geo-information for Environment and Society (en)
- Global One Health (en)
- Modulation of the Immune System (en)
- Philosophy
- Plastics in the Environment and Society (en)
- Sustainable Agriculture and Consumption (en)
How to apply for a minor
Before taking a minor, we recommend you to discuss your choices with your study adviser. When you have made your decision, you can register for the minor courses separately like you do for all other courses. When you ask for approval of your entire programme in Osiris, you can add the title of your minor.
External students, from hbo or other Dutch universities, can follow their minor (courses) as a 'bijvakstudent', giving them the right to follow courses at WUR at no extra costs.
When you are a student from TU/e or Utrecht University, you might also be able to enroll via eduXchange, making registrations easier. Please check their website if your courses are offered here.
International students from partner universities of the Erasmus network have the possibility to take part in exchange programmes and follow a BSc minor at Wageningen University & Research this way.
There are also possibilities for students from non-EU partner universities of Wageningen University & Research, and for students from universities with contacts at Wageningen University & Research in their own area of research. Information can be found on the page for future exchange students.
Students that want to take a minor to prepare for an MSc programme at Wageningen University & Research should contact the study adviser of this MSc programme for information on the possibility of a pre-master programme and/or minor. You can find the contact details of the study advisers on the websites of the MSc programmes.
If you are not registered at a Dutch university or hbo or a partner university there are other ways to register. You can register as a 'contract student'. For registration as a contract student, a fee is charged which is based on the number of ECTS credit points per subject. For a whole minor this could be over € 7000 for non- WUR alumni. Details can be found here.
Student Service Centre provides information for students about admission, registration, tuition fees, legal residence, etc. For more information please check: Student Service Centre.
Add up to 30 ECTS
When you have to follow 30 ECTS for your programme, you have to pick an extra course during your minor. There is room for that. You have room to follow 12 ECTS in periods 1 and 2 and 6 ECTS in period 3. For the second semester it is 12 ECTS in period 5 and 6 and 6 EC in period 4.
It depends on the minor whether this supplementary course can be picked from the Restricted Optionals in the same minor or that you have to pick a different course from the online WUR study handbook.
Always register for seperate courses, also in case of a minor
Although a minor is a coherent package of courses, all students, both external and WUR students, have to register for all the courses seperately, you don't register for a minor in total. You can register for the courses in Osiris once you have received your WUR account after you have applied for 'bijvakstudent'.
You don't need permission form WUR to follow a minor, but it is recommended to discuss your plans with your own study advisor or exam board first. Also, check the course descriptions in the study handbook to see if there is any previous knowledge needed.
Use this 'step by step form' to help you pick and schedule your courses.
Questions about minors?
Do you have any questions about a minor of your interest? Feel free to contact our study adviser by sending an e-mail.
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