Environmental Sciences

Whilst covering all the general objectives of class L-32 three-year degrees, this degree programme's main expected learning outcome is that graduates be able to analyse and monitor environmental systems and processes and assess the impact of man's activities on the state of the environment. Such know-how is supplemented by the concepts of environmental sustainability, management of renewable and non-renewable resources, and prevention of environmental risks in a spirit of environmental quality promotion. The programme is pronouncedly interdisciplinary with a strong contribution from the quantitative sciences. This forms the essential groundwork towards a second-cycle Masters programme, which is a logical outcome.
Besides general topics of biology, chemistry, earth science and ecology, a solid grounding is required in mathematics and physics enabling graduates to assess the state of the environment concretely and not just qualitatively. The curriculum covers the basic laws relating to environmental resource management. On the strength of such knowledge graduates may work in fields calling for familiarity with the scientific method and an ability to use innovative methods and complex apparatus. Experience of the world of work and its opportunities will find concrete outlet in a curriculum internship which must be performed with an organization outside the Degree Programme. The interdisciplinary background given by this three-year degree in Environmental Science will enable graduates to work in teams and interact with experts from other academic backgrounds.
That same interdisciplinary knowledge which a graduate in Environmental Science learns to integrate over the three years forms the core quality of the degree, responding to market demands. The curriculum prepares students to continue with a Master's degree. Besides the three-year degree programme in Environmental Science, Bologna University's Ravenna Campus offers a Master's Degree Programme in Analysis and Management of the Environment.
Common career opportunities for three-year graduates are to found in the following professional profiles:
An ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNICIAN analyses and monitors the environment, knowing how to use advanced surveying equipment. He/she can do independent laboratory work and take part in drawing up monitoring and sampling plans on a range of environmental matrixes. He/she will also know the basic data analysis methods and be able to use geographical ICT systems.
An ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNICAL ASSESSOR can set about critically gathering the information needed for environmental impact assessments and assessment of environmental strategy. He/she will liaise over drafting management and safety plans and producing environmental reports.
A TECHNICIAN FOR ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION AND EDUCATION is involved in popularising environmental issues, including sustainable development and proper management of natural resources, in liaison with Environmental Education Centres or cooperatives/companies dealing in various kinds of environmental service.

Access requirements for the degree programme
To be accepted on this degree programme you need to have a five-year secondary school diploma or equivalent qualification obtained abroad, or a four-year secondary school diploma and diploma for the relative supplementary year, or, where no longer active (e.g. teaching high school), will be assigned additional learning credits.
You also need the following learning background: good general knowledge; ability to reason logically and understand written texts; good knowledge of basic mathematics. This is a free-access Degree Programme, the knowledge requirement for which will be assessed by a test given to all newly registering students. To pass this test you need to score above a pass-mark set from year to year and published on the University Portal. Should you fail, you will be assigned an additional learning requirement (known as an OFA) which you can fulfil by taking the test again after performing the catch-up activities organized by the School and including an E-learning system. This OFA needs to be fulfilled in the course of the first year and by the deadline set by the University.
If a student has passed at least one of the exams scheduled for the first-year study plan and marked out of 30, the OFA will be deemed to be fulfilled. Students who fail to pass the OFA by the deadline will enrol next a.y. to repeat the first year and in the course of that year will have to go through the OFA procedure again. Students who already have a degree or university diploma may enrol in the degree programme without sitting a knowledge test. Those who enrol following withdrawal, loss of student status, option as per previous systems, switch from another Bologna University degree programme or transfer from another university, may do so without having to sit a knowledge test, provided they have passed at least one exam (marked out of 30) or have already passed the national access test to degree programmes in the Science School.
In the case of foreign students, the knowledge assessment may take the form of an appraisal of their CV.
If they are judged wanting in this assessment, they will be assigned an OFA to be fulfilled under the same conditions as all other students by the deadline set by the University, during the first year of the programme.