Sustainable Sciences and Technologies for the Environment

The Master's Degree Course in Sustainable Sciences and Technologies for the Environment (STAM) trains professional figures who have multidisciplinary skills necessary to address the issues of environmental sustainability, acquiring both scientific and technological skills related to environmental sustainability, ecological transition and circular economy. At the end of the study course, the STAM graduate has a solid preparation to operate autonomously, assuming responsibility for projects and structures, to perform planning, management, control and coordination activities, also introducing innovative aspects into them.

The training course mainly includes theoretical-practical teachings on contents included in the chemical, geological, biological, ecological, technological and process disciplines with the aim of acquiring, from a systemic perspective, a scientific method of investigation and knowledge of modern detection instruments and monitoring, laboratory methodologies, investigations in terrestrial environments both in natural and anthropised and polluted environments, of the main technologies and fundamental processes in sustainable development and in the ecological and energy transition.

The teaching structure of the master's degree course includes characterising disciplines aimed at providing the master's graduate with a high cultural education of a technical-scientific nature, such as to enable them to promptly enter the world of work.

With these aims, the STAM training course offers in the first year a basis of characterising disciplines which completes the multidisciplinary training acquired with the Bachelor's degree and introduces more advanced specialist knowledge on the abiotic and biotic components of ecosystems, on processes of environmental interest, on process technologies and on the most relevant aspects of environmental legislation. Particular attention is paid to decision-making processes and to management of the environment and territory in order to contribute to socio-economic growth according to the principles of sustainable development. The most innovative aspect of the STAM training course is the activation in the second year of two highly distinctive curricula, the first mainly focused on biological and ecological areas and on the themes of conservation and restoration of natural resources and the development of solutions to promote environmental resilience; the second strongly focused on technological and process issues relevant to sustainable development through the ecological and energy transition.

In particular, the second year is largely dedicated to similar or supplementary training activities. The wide availability of courses offered guarantees adequate flexibility in the presentation of study plans, allowing the student to orient their training path according to specific interests through the choice of advanced courses (see section on the summary description of similar and supplementary activities). The STAM training path involves the acquisition of free choice CFU proposed by the teaching structure or in any case that are consistent with the training project, and CFU relating to a training internship, the verification of knowledge of the English language at B2 level and preparation of a final thesis of an experimental nature.

The following general skills are acquired in the STAM training course: (i) the ability to analyse and critically interpret experimental data and data from monitoring campaigns conducted in the area; (ii) the ability to evaluate the social and ethical implications in the development of interventions on ecosystems; (iii) the ability to evaluate the optimum solutions for environmental resilience and the restoration of natural resources; (iv) the ability to evaluate technologies and processes involved in the ecological and energy transition and sustainable development; (v) communication skills with the use of registers and tools appropriate to the circumstances involving experts and non-specialists; (vi) mastery of the English language for the exchange of general information and in the specific area of knowledge; (vii) knowledge of scientific updating tools combined with the ability to access scientific literature for the disciplines of the sector.

STAM intends to achieve its training objectives through teaching strongly based on the active involvement of the student, dedicating adequate space to practical-applicative activities. The relationships to be established with the components of the operational structures through performing of the practical-applicative internship are functional. In particular, the aim is to underline the importance attributed to the training internship experience to promote professional training. The curricular internship in affiliated institutions/companies promotes the acquisition by students of further professional skills. In fact the internship activity has a high educational value in the development of the students' professionalism, allowing them to obtain practical-professional experience, to acquire work skills, to deal with realities external to the academic ones and to work within a team. Furthermore, the university internship activity is able to promote useful training for facing the world of work, resulting in being able to make informed professional choices. The master's degree course ends with the preparation of a thesis which can take place in university laboratories, research institutions or companies. It must consist of original, experimental scientific research.