Chemistry and Technologies for the Environment and Materials

The specific aim of this Degree Programme is to produce professional chemists with a good grounding in chemistry and with specific professional expertise within the chosen curriculum (Traditional and Innovative Materials, or Environment, Energy, Waste).
- Traditional and Innovative Materials Curriculum: in recent decades new materials – molecular, metallic, polymeric, ceramic and composites - have taken their place alongside traditional materials, and together they have a prime role in many applications – constructional, thermo-mechanical, electrical, electronic and biomedical – as well as in the general functional component sector. Choosing the right material for the kind of application or function that a product or even its minor components ought to have is the key to the success of the end-product.
This special curriculum sets out to train graduates to work in industrial chemistry at large, and especially in industries producing, processing or exploiting materials such metals, polymers, ceramics and composites. With such expertise graduates may also work in monitoring and technological development laboratories.
Ceramic industrial technology, both traditional and innovative, is particularly relevant given the importance of that sector, in terms of employment and turnover, in Italy and especially in Emilia Romagna.
- Environment, Energy, Waste Curriculum: by the end of this Degree graduates will have a general understanding of the chemical aspects of environmental issues connected with human processes, specific knowledge of the chemistry of pollutants as well as of the techniques to characterize and analyze environmental contaminants, knowledge of techniques to monitor environmental pollution and industrial emissions; knowledge of technologies designed to reduce environmental impact, treat and dispose of waste, recycle materials and energy; a basic grounding in waste Life Cycle Assessment life-cycle issues (LCA), Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in various environmental scenarios; special expertise in environmental legislation, with particular reference to regulations governing waste disposal and treatment, safety and environmental monitoring; familiarity with procedures for certifying products and processes.
Another aim of the degree programme of both curricula is to provide a solid scientific preparation in the basic and core subjects of chemistry, enabling the graduates to access to a second-cycle degree programme or to a first-level University Masters.

In order to be accepted to this degree programme one needs to have a 5-year high school leaving certificate or foreign qualification recognised as compatible, or a 4-year high school leaving diploma plus a catch-up year or, failing that, any other proof of having an additional learning requirement.
The following learning background is also required: logical reasoning skills, ability to apply elementary mathematic methods to problems occurring in the field of experimental science.
The background knowledge will be assessed via a written test on the subjects outlined above. Questions may be set on numerical, geometrical and technological aspects, as well as on some elements of statistics and probability. The School of Science will set the periods in which the test will be held.
In case one has been assigned an additional learning debit (OFA), this can be fulfilled by achieving one of the following obligations:
a. pass the next access test,
b. pass the exam coinciding with the end of tutoring in mathematics, if that is scheduled for the academic year of enrolment,
c. pass either the Mathematics or the General and Inorganic Chemistry with Laboratory exam.
Upon the student's direct request, and if the School's Joint Teacher-Student Committee votes to uphold the claim, the OFA may be taken as fulfilled with educational credits (not less than two) gained as part of the MIUR Scientific Degree Plan, or with other equivalent official training scheme, before enrolling for the Degree Programme
Students who fail to pass the OFA by within the academic year will need to repeat their first year and go through the OFA procedure again.
Students already registered in previous academic years at Bologna or other Universities may transfer to the degree programme in Chemistry and Technology for the Environment and Materials without taking the knowledge test, provided they have already been achieved a certain number of credits relevant to this degree programme (to be evaluated by the Degree Programme Board).
The knowledge requirements will be periodically reassessed, according to the experience of previous academic years' first-year learning outcomes, and appraisal of results achieved in periodic tests and set tutoring activities. The knowledge requirements will be published in the University Portal Study Plan.