The Master's degree programme in “Planning and managing agricultural, forestry and countryside ecosystems” aims to produce specialists in sustainable management of agricultural lands and forests, with reference to economic and production factors, ecology and the environment, planning and landscaping under current law.
It will thus explore issues like safeguarding agricultural and forest resources and controlling the use of them, enhancing the landscape as part of rural development and a tourist amenity, producing and using biomass for its energy, monitoring and protecting the soil and water resources.
Under the general objectives of Class LM-73, the programme focuses on managing all aspects of agricultural land and forests, both natural and man-related, rather than on forestry alone.
The programme consists of a common first year and a second year dividing into two curricula. The first year explores issues of monitoring soil and vegetation, sustainably managing agricultural and semi-natural ecosystems, protecting the hydro-geological balance and producing bioenergy.
The second year will focus on: A. Analysing and monitoring ecosystems; B. Designing and managing areas of greenery. Curriculum A takes knowledge of soil and land chemistry and microbiology to a deeper level, analysing the effects of management on the quality of water and soil. Curriculum B looks deeper into development strategies and planning of rural areas from a man-related and natural standpoint. Both curricula provide detailed knowledge of forest ecosystem management. The graduate's education is completed by studying English to B2 level, and taking advantage of a curriculum internship with companies or organizations, which may be linked to the Final Examination and its special paper.
To benefit by the second-cycle Master's degree programme in “Planning and managing agricultural, forestry and countryside ecosystems” one needs to possess knowledge concerning the following:
basic scientific subjects of a technological, applicative and economic kind relating to rural and forest environments;
the main features of the environment, climate and terrain, leading to enhanced use of woodland, pasture and agricultural land in full respect of the countryside;
the basic principles applying to improvement and irrigation plans for rural areas and open spaces and upgrade to water systems and agricultural/forested land.
Rudiments of forestry operations, re-afforestation, and correcting the agriculture-woodland-pasture balance so as to optimise management of mountain areas both economically and ecologically;
the basic principles behind assessing the quality of soil and water as resources to be preserved, protected and used sustainably;
the main features of the soil, with a view to using it rationally, including not specifically agricultural or forestry purposes;
the rudiments of land planning and assessment of environmental impact;
the main environmental laws.
Access to the Master's degree programme is thus based on the following conditions:
1. having a degree in one of the following classes or possessing another qualification gained abroad and recognised as suitable:
D.M. 270:
L-21 Science of land planning, town planning, landscape architecture and environmental enhancement;
L-25 Agricultural and forestry science and technology;
L-32 Science and technology for the environment and nature.
ex. D.M. 509/99:
L 7 Town planning and the science of planning;
L 20 Agricultural science and technology for food and forestry products;
L 27 Science and technology for the environment and nature.
Previous four-year system:
- Agricultural Science, Agricultural Science and Technology, Forestry Science, Forestry and Environmental Science (D.M. 143/93);
- Environmental science (D.M. 256/96);
- Tropical and subtropical agricultural science (D.M. 262/96).
2. also, for each of the following subject areas, to have gained at least as many credits as are indicated below:
Agriculture
AGR/01 5 credits
AGR/02 5 credits
AGR/05 5 credits
AGR/08 3 credits
AGR/09 3 credits
AGR/10 3 credits
from AGR/11, AGR/12 3 credits
AGR/13 3 credits
AGR/16 3 credits
Mathematics, physics, computer science and statistics
from FIS/01 to FIS/07, INF/01, ING-INF/05, from MAT/01 to MAT/09, SECS-S/01 6 credits
Biology
from BIO/01 to BIO/05, BIO/13 6 credits
Chemistry
from CHIM/01 to CHIM/03, CHIM/06 6 credits
3. failing the above conditions, admission to the Master's Degree Programme is conditional on assessment of the candidate's CV by an interviewing Committee checking for background knowledge via an individual interview.
The Committee appointed by the Degree Programme Board will set dates for interviews from September to December, to be published on the University Portal.
If the Committee judges the graduate's knowledge and skills to be compatible, it will issue a verdict of suitability, granting admission to the personal knowledge assessment (see following sections).
If the outcome is unfavourable, the candidate may not enrol for the Master's degree programme.
Assessment of basic knowledge
Admission to the second-cycle Master's degree programme is conditional not just on possessing the set curricular requirements, but on passing an assessment of the suitability of personal background knowledge, which will take the form of an individual interview.
Those who have gained an approved degree with a grade of at least 92/110 are automatically exempted from sitting the knowledge test.
The form of the test will be established by the Degree Programme Board in good time and published on the University Portal.
The second-cycle degree programme may decide on a special session for international students and appoint a Committee to check the suitability of their background knowledge, if the Call for study grant allocation allows time (its deadline is usually in May).
If international students have been positively evaluated under the foregoing point, they are exempt from the next step foreseen for the majority of students, viz. a test of their personal knowledge.