GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The MSc Forestry and Environmental Sciences course (LM-73) covers a diverse array of scientific focus areas dealing with the analysis and monitoring of forest ecosystems, from both a biological and ecological perspective (forest genetics, forest ecophysiology, vertebrates of forest ecosystems, monitoring soil quality, remote sensing and modeling in forestry, advanced forest pathology). On this basis, students will be taught to deepen further their knowledge on methodological and technical topics related to sustainable forest management (forest biotechnology, silviculture and forest tree cropping, forest management planning, forest economics and policy), and their possible connections with critical environmental challenges of large metropolitan areas (phytoremediation and air quality, soil pollution, urban forestry and hydrology). The training framework is complemented by the development of the necessary competencies for the design of engineering systems for soil conservation and wood valorisation processes (applied hydrology, wood products).
The preparation of the final dissertation is particularly central in the programme course. It allows the students to make the most out of the expertise acquired during the MSc, using a problem-solving approach and carrying out their own case studies the field of forestry, urban forestry and of the management of the mountain and rural environment.
The course consists of four different paths, designed in close cooperation with other Italian and European universities. according to a common training framework, but oriented towards different professional careers.
1) The Forests and Environment curriculum is the main learning path to complete the formation of the forestry professional profile according to a consolidated group of competences, recognised at national and international level. All the courses will be taught in Viterbo. Field practicals and other training activities will be performed in the laboratories and facilities of DIBAF- University of Tuscia http://www.unitus.it/en/dipartimento/dibaf/dipartiment/articolo/presentazione3
Furthermore, the students could apply for a mobility period or Traineeship in Europe, thanks to a wide network of selected Universities and Research centres in the framework of the ERASMUS+ programme.
2) The Mediterranean Forestry and Natural Resources Management curriculum (MEDfOR), welcomes students from all over the world (in the last five cycles thanks to the financial support of the Erasmus Mundus - EU programme), interested in expanding their knowledge and competencies in the sustainable management of Mediterranean forests.
According to the course regulation, students will get the multiple degree in at least two countries, by attending all the courses of the first year at one of the three universities where these are held: University of Lisbon (Portugal), University of Lleida (Spain), University of Padova (Italy), and the second year in a different partner University and country. As to the second year, MEDfOR students which have been enrolled for the first year in Lisbon or Lleida could choose the MEDFOR curriculum offered at the University of Tuscia, Viterbo, where they will be asked to complete 30 credits (ECTS) and where they can work on their final dissertation (30 ECTS). For the admission see: http://www.medfor.eu/. For more information, please contact Prof. Paolo De Angelis - [email protected]
3) The Management and design of Urban Green Infrastructures curriculum (UGI), double degree program in agreement with Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, Moscow; it aims to provide students with all necessary competencies in the field of urban forestry and green infrastructures. First years courses will be held at Moscow University, whilst second year courses will be given in Viterbo. All activities related to the preparation of the final dissertation will take place at the labs and the trial areas of DIBAF – University of Viterbo and the PFUR in Moscow.
4) The Mountain Forests and Landscapes curriculum, activated in collaboration with the University of Molise, which is responsible of the enrolment procedures; it aims to develop all the necessary competencies for the large scale planning of the mountain areas, so that to preserve their landscape and to enhance the sustainable development of mountain territories. First year courses will be taught in Pesche (IS), by the University of Molise, whilst second year ones will be held in Viterbo. For the preparation of their final dissertation students could access all the laboratories and trial areas of both universities, in Pesche and Viterbo.
More info at: http://www.unitus.it/en/dipartimento/dibaf/scienze-forestali-e-ambientali/articolo/presentazione6
Pre-enrollment application at: http://www.unitus.it/public/platforms/12/cke_contents/769/Pre-enrollment_application_v1.pdf
Do you want to be involved in a land and resource management sector that exemplifies real growth and sustainable development? Are you interested in working in a dynamic and positive environment, making decisions that can affect landscapes, environments and timber production potential for decades to come?
Interest in forestry and forest products has never been higher as the economic, environmental and social benefits of woods and forests are widely-recognised in the minds of governments, scientists, businesses and communities.
Investment in forests and forestry is strong and continues to attract UK and global investors seeking the excellent returns and high environmental integrity that forestry offers. The forest management industry is actively seeking new management level staff to meet current and future workloads and development opportunities.
Global forest resources show both losses and gains in physical area and the policy and practice of forest conservation and protection has gathered pace and impact. New generation plantations offer the prospect to bring timber to world markets using faster rotations, advanced tree breeding, fully mechanised harvesting and greater technological input to planning and management of forests.
The postgraduate programme offers a solid and effective way of studying forestry with a strong applied focus. Input from industry professionals, many of them Chartered Foresters, will ensure that curriculum is relevant and current and that students benefit from the experience and insight of managers with real-world responsibilities. Industry visits and assignments based on professional projects and case studies reinforce this approach and help build links and networks. The central UK location of Harper Adams enables access to a wide range of forest resource types for teaching and study.
The full-time and two year part-time courses are eligible for a postgraduate loan.
UPM Tilhill & Savills Forest Market Report
Do you want to affect the future of forests, a key natural resource and the wellspring of biodiversity? Have you ever wondered why forests are called the lungs of the Earth and how climate change relates to forests? Or how trees are grown and processed into products in a sustainable and efficient manner? And how are the economy and forests interrelated?
You can find answers to these questions when you study forest sciences. You will come to view forests not only as a setting for jogging trails or as a source of wood, but rather as a source of versatile renewable resources and as complex ecological systems that are closely connected to their environment. The relationship between humans and nature and between society and natural resources is a strong feature of these studies.
The Master’s Programme in Forest Sciences offers a broad and versatile perspective on forests and their use. The studies focus on and apply knowledge in biology, business economics, environmental sciences, logistics, geoinformatics and information technology. As a graduate in forest sciences you will be a professional in forest ecology, the management and use of forest resources, forest bioeconomy business and policy, with ample career opportunities in Finland and abroad.
Come and study forest sciences at the University of Helsinki, in one of the world’s foremost degree programmes in the field. For more information in Finnish about studies in forest sciences, the field of forestry and its opportunities, see http://www.metsatieteet.fi.
Further information about the studies on the Master's programme website.
General studies in the Master’s programme provide you with skills needed for the academic world and the labour market. In advanced studies, you focus on field-specific issues and develop your professional knowledge when writing your Master’s thesis and completing courses in your field of specialisation. In addition, the studies include elective courses that allow you to diversify and deepen your knowledge.
The Master's Programme in Forest Sciences comprises two study tracks: forest ecology and management and forest bioeconomy business and policy. These study tracks include a total of 10 fields of specialisation.
The specialisations in forest ecology and management focus on various types of forest and peatland ecosystems and their exploitation, examine the planning of forest use and the relevant collection of information, examine forest inventory models, wood harvesting and logistics as well as the processing of wood into bioeconomy products.
Topical issues include
Studies in the forest bioeconomy business and policy are based on the sustainable use of a renewable natural resource and on the development of responsible business activities in a global environment. The focus of studies is on the globalisation of forest-based industry and business and its structural redevelopment into the bioeconomy. You will become familiar with forest-based issues of the bioeconomy in production, marketing and policy as part of the global operating environment.
Society urgently needs experts with a multidisciplinary education in atmospheric and Earth System sciences. Climate change and issues of air quality and extreme weather are matters of global concern, but which are inadequately understood from the scientific point of view. Not only must further research be done, but industry and business also need environmental specialists with a strong background in natural sciences. As new regulations and European Union directives are adopted in practice, people with knowledge of recent scientific research are required.
Upon graduating from the Programme you will have competence in
Further information about the studies on the Master's programme website.
The six study lines are as follows:
Aerosol particles are tiny liquid or solid particles floating in the air. Aerosol physics is essential for our understanding of air quality, climate change and production of nanomaterials. Aerosol scientists investigate a large variety of phenomena associated with atmospheric aerosol particles and related gas-to-particle conversion using constantly improving experimental, theoretical, model-based and data analysis methods.
Hydrospheric geophysics studies water in all of its forms using physical methods. It includes hydrology, cryology, and physical oceanography. Hydrology includes the study of surface waters such as lakes and rivers, global and local hydrological cycles as well as water resources and geohydrology, the study of groundwater. Cryology focuses on snow and ice phenomena including glacier mass balance and dynamics, sea ice physics, snow cover effects and ground frost. Physical oceanography covers saline water bodies, focusing on describing their dynamics, both large scale circulation and water masses, and local phenomena such as surface waves, upwelling, tides, and ocean acoustics. Scientists study the hydrosphere through field measurements, large and small scale modelling, and formulating mathematical descriptions of the processes.
Meteorology is the physics of the atmosphere. Its best-known application is weather forecasting, but meteorological knowledge is also essential for understanding, predicting and mitigating climate change. Meteorologists study atmospheric phenomena across a wide range of space and time scales using theory, model simulations and observations. The field of meteorology is a forerunner in computing: the development of chaos theory, for example, was triggered by the unexpected behaviour of a meteorological computer model. Meteorology in ATM-MP is further divided into dynamic meteorology and biometeorology. Dynamic meteorology is about large-scale atmospheric dynamics, modelling and observation techniques, whereas biometeorology focuses on interactions between the atmosphere and the underlying surface by combining observations and modelling to study the flows of greenhouse gases and energy with links to biogeochemical cycles, for example.
Biogeochemistry studies the processes involved in cycling of elements in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems by integrating physics, meteorology, geophysics, chemistry, geology and biology. Besides natural ecosystems, it also studies systems altered by human activity such as forests under different management regimes, drained peatlands, lakes loaded by excess nutrients and urban environments. The most important elements and substances studied are carbon, nitrogen, sulphur, water and phosphorus, which are vital for ecosystem functioning and processes such as photosynthesis. Biogeochemistry often focuses on the interphases of scientific disciplines and by doing so, it also combines different research methods. It treats ecosystems as open entities which are closely connected to the atmosphere and lithosphere. You will thus get versatile training in environmental issues and research techniques. As a graduate of this line you will be an expert in the functioning of ecosystems and the interactions between ecosystems and the atmosphere/hydrosphere/lithosphere in the context of global change. You will have knowledge applicable for solving global challenges such as climate change, air pollution, deforestation and issues related to water resources and eutrophication.
Remote sensing allows the collection of information about the atmosphere, oceans and land surfaces. Various techniques are applied for monitoring the state and dynamics of the Earth system from the ground, aircraft or satellites. While Lidar and radar scan from the surface or mounted on aircraft, instruments on polar orbiting or geostationary satellites permit measurements worldwide. In atmospheric sciences remote sensing has found numerous applications such as observations of greenhouse and other trace gases, aerosols, water vapour, clouds and precipitation, as well as surface observations, for example of vegetation, fire activity, snow cover, sea ice and oceanic parameters such as phytoplankton. Synergistic satellite data analysis enables the study of important processes and feedback in the climate system. Remote sensing advances climate research, weather forecasting, air quality studies, aviation safety and the renewable energy industry.
Atmospheric chemistry studies the composition and reactions of the molecules that make up the atmosphere, including atmospheric trace constituents and their role in chemical, geological and biological processes, including human influence. The low concentrations and high reactivity of these trace molecules place stringent requirements on the measurement and modelling methods used to study them. Analytical chemistry is the science of obtaining, processing, and communicating information about the composition and structure of matter and plays an essential role in the development of science. Environmental analysis consists of the most recent procedures for sampling, sample preparation and sample analysis and learning how to choose the best analytical methods for different environmental samples. Physical atmospheric chemistry studies focus on the reaction types and reaction mechanisms occurring in the atmosphere, with emphasis on reaction kinetics, thermodynamics and modelling methods.
Global socio-ecological problems call for multidisciplinary solutions that transcend the usual boundaries of science and decision-making. The Environmental Change and Global Sustainability (ECGS) Master’s programme trains you in wide-ranging interdisciplinary thinking skills and provides you with the ability to:
Further information about the studies on the Master's programme website.
ECGS is a truly multidisciplinary Master’s programme. It covers an introductory Core Module common to all students, followed by two distinct study tracks.
The introductory Core Module focuses on the methodologies of environmental and sustainability science as well as the interactions between science and society. The Core Module also offers a pool of optional methodological studies, providing you with the necessary research tools to tackle socio-ecological challenges.
If your orientation is in natural sciences, the Environmental Change study line can provide you with an understanding of the functioning of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and can give guidance toward their sustainable use.
If your interests are more in the social sciences and humanities, on the other hand, the Global Sustainability study line provides an understanding of the socio-cultural underpinnings of global sustainability challenges so that you can help to develop solutions that take social and environmental justice into consideration.
You can apply for one of the two studytracks in the ECGS Master’s programme: the Environmental Change study line or the Global Sustainability study line. You can refine your expertise in your chosen study line by choosing from study modules related to your specialised field of science or from interdisciplinary phenomenon-based modules.
Environmental Change modules are offered in, for example, the following research fields: aquatic sciences, soil and earth sciences, environmental ecology, environmental biotechnology and agroecology. Global Sustainability modules include themes such as environmental and natural resource economics, environmental policy, development studies, public and social policy, consumer research, forest policy and economics, and development geography. ECGS also offers a variety of modules integrating both natural and social scientific perspectives including phenomenon-based modules on the Baltic Sea and the Arctic as well as a variety of interdisciplinary fields such as climate change, food and consumption systems, urban studies and socio-ecological systems studies.
As an international applicant, you will be assessed and accepted for the Master’s program based on the scientific relevance of your bachelor’s degree and your success in previous studies.
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