Irrigation Engineering and Management for Food Security

Structure & contents

This specialization consists of 14 modules covering a total of 12 months, this is followed by a 6-month research and thesis phase. Graduates of the programme will be awarded 106 ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) credits.

• October - April

  IHE Delft, The Netherlands
  • Introduction to Water and Development Required
    Upon completion, the participant should be able to:

    1. Familiarize with the educational environment and procedures of IHE Delft and collaborate in multidisciplinary and intercultural teams
    2. Recognize and distinguish different ways of knowing and framing water questions and problems in order to appraise water challenges from an interdisciplinary perspective
    3. Reflect critically on water related interventions, formulate own standpoint and engage constructively in debates
    4. Place the specialized knowledge on own discipline into a broader understanding of water related issues, challenges, debates and developments
  • Module 2 WSE Required

    M3780 - Introduction to water science and engineering

    Upon completion, the participant should be able to:

    1. Understand the field of water science and engineering, identify its different specialisations and understand the structure of the programme at IHE
    2. Apply mathematical, statistical and frequency analysis concepts and techniques relevant to water science and engineering
    3. Describe geologic, geomorphological and anthropogenic processes that generate landscapes and landforms at the surface of the Earth
    4. Describe the main principles of remote sensing and understand its potentials and limitations
    5. Explain how to use different types of literature in scientific work in an ethical manner 

    M3781 - Hydrology and hydraulics

    Upon completion, the participant should be able to:

    1. Describe the main concepts of steady/unsteady and uniform/non-uniform flow.
    2. Describe the principles and basic equations of water flow and to apply them to various practical situations.
    3. Describe procedures of basic measurements in the wave and current flumes at the hydraulic laboratory and interpret results.
    4. Describe and apply the concepts of hydrology needed for their specialisation.
    5. Explain the concepts of Geographical Information Systems and apply them in practical examples relevant to their specialization.
  • Irrigation and Drainage Essentials Required
    Upon completion, the participant should be able to:

    1. Assess and evaluate various types of flow and apply the hydraulic principles for uniform and non-uniform open channel flow, and flow in specific hydraulic structures in irrigation and drainage engineering.
    2. Analyse and evaluate the design and operational aspects of various surface irrigation systems.
    3. Understand the unique characteristics and technical and practical conditions for optimum application of different irrigation methods.
    4. Explian commonalities and differences between traditional and improved agronomic practices and plan improved irrigation agronomy and field water management
    5. Analyse soil-water-crop yield relationships, management options under land or water scarcity and water saving techniques, and be able to determine crop water requirements
    6. Analyse the relevance, concept, elements and needs of irrigation and drainage.
  • Irrigation and Drainage Design Project I Required
    Upon completion, the participant should be able to:

    1. Prepared detailed irrigation and drainage system layout and design for tertiary unit that leads to optimum field water distribution uniformity, optimum productivity, minimum costs, mitigates conflicts and facilitates cooperation among beneficiaries.
    2. Explain commonalities and differences between traditional and improved agronomiic practices and plan improved irrigation agronomy and field water management
    3. Analyse the relevance, concept, elements and needs of irrigation, drainage and other additional facilities
    4. Determine the requirements for water table in irrigated area and water level and discharges in the canal system based on crop water requirement
  • Irrigation and Drainage Design Project II Required
    Upon completion, the participant should be able to:

    1. Analyse, evaluate and apply the hydraulic principles in irrigation and drainage engineering.
    2. Present, process and interpret results of hydraulic laboratory measurements in a technical report
    3. Prepare detailed irrigation and drainage system layout and design that leads to optimum field water distribution uniformity, optimum productivity, minimizes costs, mitigates conflicts and facilitates cooperation among beneficiaries.
    4. Assess the need and implications of drainage
    5. Determine the requirements for water table in irrigated area and design a subsurface drainage system
    6. Design sprinkler and drip irrigation systems
  • Management of Irrigation and Drainage Systems Required
    Upon completion, the participant should be able to:

    1. Evaluate objectives, tasks and set-ups for irrigation management, operation and maintenance and its implications for irrigation performance
    2. Demonstrate the role of property creation for the development and sustainability of irrigation and drainage systems
    3. Discuss the importance of the social aspects that define the feasibility, implementation and continuation of land and water development projects
    4. Apply key concepts of irrigation performance assessment, including its role, types of assessment, criteria, indicators, benchmarking, targets, and interpretation of data in order to analyse and address problems related to irrigation performance
    5. Apply the theory of conceptualizing irrigation systems as socioecological systems
  • Optimization of Canal System Design and Operation Required
    Upon completion, the participant should be able to:

    1. Make simple unsteady flow computations for open channel systems
    2. Apply modelling techniques for non-steady flow phenomena in open irrigation and drainage networks, to evaluate the results and to assess the advantages and disadvantages of the model for solving surface flow problems
    3. Assess the advantages and disadvantages of various numerical schemes for solving sets of equations in surface flow modelling and to select the appropriate models for stationary and non-stationary flow in open channels and in pipes
    4. Select the appropriate set of structures for canal systems, to establish the boundary conditions and to prepare a preliminary hydraulic design for optimal operation
    5. Select a suitable flow control system, the appurtenant flow control systems and to specify the operation rules of the hydraulic structures and social implications of applied irrigation techniques for different users
    6. Understand the sediment transport mechanism and how to control sediment transport in canal systems
  • Module 8 WSE (elective) Elective
    • ONLY HWR: M3096 - Groundwater in adaptation to global change impacts
    • All: M3009 - Dams and hydropower
    • All: M3578 - Food security, health and environment
    • All: M3404 - Urban flood management and disaster risk mitigation
    • All: M3439 - Climate change impacts and adaptation in deltas
    • All: M3644 - River flood analysis and modelling
    • NOT HI: M1309 - Integrated hydrological and river modelling
  • Fieldtrip and Fieldwork WSE Required
    Upon completion, the participant should be able to:

    1. Integrate quantitative measurements with qualitative terrain observations and prior information to evaluate and analyse the relevant predominant processes in a study area.
    2. Critically analyse field results, and identify/recognise possible areas of error or uncertainty.
    3. Apply this assimilation of data to engineering cases.
    4. Select and apply different, appropriate field instrumentation and measurement methods in practice and organise the measurements.
    5. Demonstrate a multidisciplinary overview of actual technical, research and organizational activities in the field of water management, hydraulic engineering and hydrology.
    6. Report detailed technical information received.
  • Module 10 WSE (elective) Elective
    • ONLY HWR: M3353 - Applied groundwater modeling
    • All: M3243 - Flood risk management
    • All: M3036 - Drought management and reservoir operations
    • All: M2214 - Geotechnical engineering and dredging
    • All: M3581 - Innovative water systems for agriculture
  • Module 11 WSE (elective) Elective
    • 3609 - Experimental methods in wastewater treatment
    • M3048 - Water sensitive cities
    • M3593 - Decentralised water supply and sanitation
    • M3580 - Remote sensing for agricultural water management
    • M3637 - Water resources planning under changing climate and environment
    • M3214 - Wetlands for livelihoods and conservation
    • M3543 - Sustainability and resilience of water organisations
    • M3417 - Solid waste management
    • M3438 - Advanced water transport and distribution
    • M3422 - Strategic planning for river basins and deltas
    • M3647 - Decision support systems in the water domain
  • Summer course Elective

    Five-day summer course. Elective topics include Sustainable Development Goals, nature based solutions, leadership, gender issues and serious gaming, all related to water science/engineering/management.

  • Groupwork WSE Required
    Upon completion, the participant should be able to:

    1. Present, argue and report the strategy as well as the corresponding programme of measures in an integrated and interdisciplinary manner.
    2. Develop inter- and multi-disciplinary project activities in integrated teams.
    3. Provide a diagnosis of the main challenges and interlinkages between those challenges for the case study area.
    4. Develop a shared strategy to answer the challenges based on a coherent programme of measures.
    5. Organize an integrated team including a division of roles, individual and shared responsibilities, a transparent decision-making process, and a monitoring and evaluating procedure of the produced outputs and deliverables
  • Thesis Research Proposal Development for WSE Required
    Upon completion, the participant should be able to:

    1. demonstrate analytical problem-analysis skills and the ability to distil the strategic issues to be addressed in the research phase
    2. plan, using the project management approach, the research process in weekly time-steps and indicate essential milestones, targets and indicators, required human, financial and other resources, deliverables and perceived threats and constraints at eac
    3. develop and formulate the research proposal in a clearly written, well argued and convincing report, submitted within a set deadline
    4. list available literature and replicate main arguments expounded in the literature on the specified research topic
    5. successfully present and defend individual work, cross-reference it to and critically evaluate it in light of contemporary thinking in a specific field of study
    6. concisely define the intended research topic, state precise aims and objectives, describe the research methodology, argue expected relevance and justification, and identify boundary conditions and self- or externally imposed limitations
  • MSc research, thesis and defence Required
    Upon completion, the participant should be able to:

    1. Explore the background of the research problem by critically reviewing scientific literature; Evaluate relevant theories and applying these theories to a relevant scientific problem; Assure adequate delineation and definition of the research topic
    2. Conduct research, independently or in a multidisciplinary team by selecting and applying appropriate research methodologies and techniques, collecting and analysing data.
    3. Demonstrate academic attitude and learning skills (incl thinking in multidisciplinary dimensions & distinguishing main issues from minor ones), to enhance & keep up-to-date the acquired knowledge and application skills in a largely independent manner.
    4. Formulate research questions and hypotheses
    5. Formulate well-founded conclusions and recommendations based on a comprehensive discussion of the results.
    6. Communicate, debate and defend, clearly and systematically, findings and generated insights, and provide rational underpinning of these in oral and written presentations to a variety of audiences.

Tuition & fellowships

Information about tuition fees can be found here.

Application & Admission

Admission requirements

Academic admission to IHE Delft MSc Programmes may be granted to applicants who provide evidence of having:

• A Bachelor degree at level B/B+ (US system) or 2nd upper (British system) in an appropriate field which has been awarded by a university of recognised standing, comparable in level with a Bachelor degree from a research university in the Netherlands. Exceptions can be made if a candidate is below this level, but has a substantial experience in the field of the programme and/or has a strong motivation to join the programme.
• A good command of the English language, if this is not the first language. All non-native English-speaking applicants must satisfy the English language requirements for IHE Delft's educational programmes.
• A strong motivation to successfully complete the programme.

Several years of professional experience in an area of work related to the specialisation is an asset.

Application procedure

For admission to the programme please complete the online application, the link to the application section of our website is available at the top of this page.

You need to submit the following documents:

• Certified copies of degrees/diplomas.
• Certified copies of academic transcripts. Authenticated or certified copies are copies with an official stamp to verify that the copies are true copies of original documents. This official stamp may be from one of the following: a solicitor/notary, the educational institution from where the student gained the diplomas or the local council/local authority/local government office.
• Two Recommendation letters which must be printed on official letterhead paper and need to be signed and dated. We do not accept recommendation letters which are older than 1 year nor which have copied and pasted signatures and/or letterheads. If you are employed, one of the recommendation letters should be from your current employer and not older than 3 months.
• Motivation letter; explain in maximum 500 words why you wish to be admitted to the chosen programme and how it will benefit you in the future. The letter must show that you understand what the chosen programme is about.
• Copy of passport.
• Copy of results of English language test score (if required, see English language requirements).

If any of the original documents is not in English we additionally need an official English translation by a sworn translator.

Multiple MSc applications (for the same academic year) are not allowed, unless there is a period of at least 3 months between the starting dates of the programmes of interest. If a student applies for an Erasmus Mundus programme for which Erasmus Mundus scholar ships are available, he/she can also apply for another programme. If the other programme is also an Erasmus Mundus programme, the applicant can submit up to 3 applications.

More information

Further questions about the application procedure can be found at our FAQ page, or can be addressed to:

Ms Marlies Baburek
Admission and Fellowship Officer
Email: m.baburek@un-ihe.org