Master of Science in Ecology (1 year, 60 ЕCTS)

Name and the Goals of the Study Programme

The study programme aims at educating students for professional and research career in various subfields of ecology and environmental protection.

Type of the Study and the Outcome of the Education Process

Master’s level studies in ecology comprise one-year study programme with a minimum of 60 ECTS collected.

Upon completion of the course of study and depending on the chosen module (Nature Conservation and Sustainable Development, Hydrobiology, Ecological Risk Assessment, Applied Botany), graduates are qualified for working and managing ecological and ecotoxicology laboratories in different industrial branches, research laboratories for quality control and various nature conservation institutions. The acquired knowledge enables them to apply it easily and efficiently in their workplace.

Professional Title, Academic, or Scientific Title

Candidates who complete the second level course of study are awarded the title of Master of Science in Ecology.

A more detailed description depending on the chosen module is provided in the degree supplement.

Admission Conditions

Applicants are required to possess a Bachelor’s degree in Ecology and 240 ECTS collected. Candidates who hold a Bachelor’s degree in some other closely related field of study can also apply. These applicants may be required to pass a certain number of courses that are included in the curriculum of Bachelor’s degree studies in Ecology at the Faculty of Sciences based on the decision of Master’s Studies Commission and the head of a specific Master’s degree programme. All applicants are ranked on the basis of the period of time needed to complete Bachelor’s degree studies and the grade point average obtained.

The Structure of the Study Programme

The study programme comprises a group of compulsory and elective courses that are all specified by their syllabi and that ensure that the student has gained the relevant knowledge and skills required for earning the second level degree in sciences.

The curriculum of the one-year course of study is comprised of five courses, both compulsory and elective, and the final (Master’s) thesis.

The student chooses one of the offered modules and depending on the chosen module, he/she is given two or three compulsory courses and two, three or five elective courses, all of them included in the list of elective courses of the specific module. The student is required to complete and defend the final (Master’s) thesis. One of the elective courses can be chosen from the list of elective courses of another module or a Master’s degree study programme offered at the Department of Biology and Ecology in Novi Sad, taking care that the total number of collected ECTS should be no less than 60.

Each of the courses in study programme is allocated a specific number of ECTS and the overall course of the study programme includes the total of ECTS credits. The total of 60 ECTS represents the average workload of the student in a 40-hour working week per academic year. The overall student workload includes attendance (lectures, practicals, practicums, seminars and field studies), individual studying, tests, examinations and other forms of coursework.

The study programme is comprised of scientifically-oriented specialist and applicable specialist courses.

The Time Allotted for the Realization of Particular Study Forms

The Master’s degree studies leading to the Master of Science in Ecology takes one year (two semesters).

The total of working hours varies as it depends on the chosen module and the selection of elective courses.

Credit Values of Particular Courses

The number of ECTS awarded to each course is shown in the Table enlisting courses per semesters and years of studying, as well as in the Tables showing course specification.

Diploma Work

The study programme requires the final thesis writing and its defence. The final thesis is allocated 25 ECTS.

Prerequisites for the Registration for Particular Courses or Group of Courses

The prerequisites for certain courses are specified in the Tables showing course specification.

Way of Choosing Courses from the Other Study Programmes

All elective courses are defined within the study programme and the student chooses them from the list of the offered elective courses. There is a possibility of choosing one elective course from another module or a Master’s degree study programme offered at the Department of Biology and Ecology in Novi Sad.

Transferring from Another Study Programme

Transfer from other closely related study programmes to the study programme Master of Science in Ecology can be achieved by transferring ECTS. The criteria and conditions for ECTS transfer are regulated by the general act of the Faculty of Sciences in Novi Sad.

The purpose of the study programme is to educate students within the field of ecology. The study programme structure with its scientific, specialist and applicable courses enables students to continually improve their academic knowledge in the field of ecology. The competences and skills acquired at this level serve as the basis of fundamental knowledge necessary for continuing the educational process at doctoral level in the field of ecology and other closely related disciplines.

Specific purpose of the study programme is to enable students for:

• Research in ecological and ecotoxicology laboratories, centres for environmental protection, nature conservation institutions, protected areas and nature parks;
• Work in public administration, inspection services and research centres of various state, private and public companies and fishery husbandry.

The objective of the study programme is to educate highly competent professionals in the field of ecology and environmental protection.

A more specific objective is to educate specialists who are prepared, based on their broad knowledge in the field of ecology and environmental protection, for a successful research career in institutions of both pure and applied research. The study programme also aims at creating specialists capable of independent and creative work in the field of ecology and environmental protection.

General and Course-specific Competencies of Students

By completing the study programme, graduates acquire general and subject-specific abilities and skills necessary for successful professional and research career.

By completing the study programme, graduates acquire the following general abilities and skills:

• Logical thinking, formulating presumptions and drawing conclusions;
• Disseminating and publishing scientific and subject-specific information, expressing opinions and exchanging ideas;
• Individual and team work skills;
• Designing and conducting experiments;
• Scientifically-based interpretation of empirical results;
• Efficient scientific communication;
• Managing research teams;
• Positive attitude towards lifelong learning.

By completing the study programme, graduates acquire the following subject-specific abilities and skills:

• Application of acquired fundamentals in ecology and other related fields of study;
• Planning, accumulating, assessing and interpreting relevant information related to various ecological subdisciplines;
• Comprehending and coping with problems that may appear at workplace and are related to the field of ecology;
• Planning and evaluating their continual professional development.

The Outcomes

The learning outcome is a specialist of high-level academic education with widely deepened and improved knowledge gained during the previous level of study as well as with integrated knowledge necessary for understanding scientific fundamentals of ecology. The acquired knowledge provides the competence for work in ecological laboratories and research centres and the application of the acquired knowledge in various economy areas.

Minimum learning outcomes:

• Understanding the significance of ecological disciplines in modern science;
• Integrated knowledge of functional organization of biosystems at the level of organisms, populations and ecosystems;
• Acquired ecological knowledge ensures originality in development and application of ideas in research practice;
• Ability to solve problems in new environments including a broader, multidisciplinary context;
• Independent search of information in professional publications;
• Successful application of the principles of good laboratory practice in planning, conducting and controlling experiments.