Master of Science in Ecology (1 year, 60 ECTS) – modules: Ecological Engineering, Hydrobiology, Nature Protection and Sustainable Development – 2013/2014-2017/2018

Name and the Goals of the Study Programme

The name of the Study programme is Master of Science in Ecology (1 year, 60 ECTS), and the objective of the study programme is to educate and train students for professional and research career in different fields of ecology and environmental protection.

Type of the Study and the Outcome of the Education Process

Postgraduate studies in ecology are based on a one-year study programme and are completed with a minimum of 60 ECTS credits.

Upon completion of the postgraduate course of study and depending on the chosen concentration (Nature Conservation and Sustainable Development, Ecological Engineering or Hydrobiology), candidates are qualified for working and managing ecological laboratories in different industrial branches or quality control laboratories. The level of acquired knowledge ensures its easy application in workplace.

Professional Title, Academic, or Scientific Title

Students who complete the postgraduate study are awarded the following degree:

Master of Science degree in Ecology.

Admission Conditions

Applicants for postgraduate studies are required a Bachelor’s degree in Ecology with 240 ECTS credits or a Bachelor’s degree in a related subject area with a minimum of 180 ECTS obtained in biology-related courses. The applicants are ranked on the basis of the period of time needed to complete the undergraduate study and the grade point average obtained during the study.

The Structure of the Study Programme

The study programme of Master’s degree in Ecology includes a set number of required and elective courses with generally described contents. The courses provide students with knowledge and skills required for earning a Master of Science degree.

The curriculum of one-year course of study comprises five elective courses and  master’s thesis. There are five elective courses of at least 10 courses and  master’s thesis

Each of the courses in study programme is allocated a specific number of ECTS and the overall course of study includes the total of ECTS credits. The total of ECTS per acedemic year is minimally 60, which 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 Time Allotted for the Realization of Particular Study Forms

The master study in Ecology (Master’s degree) is 1 year in duration (2 semesters).

Credit Values of Particular Courses

The number of ECTS allocated to the courses.

The number of ECTS awarded to each course is shown in tables.

Diploma Work

The study programme includes final thesis writing. The number of credits allocated to Master’s thesis equals 25 ECTS.

Prerequisites for the Registration for Particular Courses or Group of Courses

Prerequisites for certain courses or groups of courses are shown enclosed below.

Way of Choosing Courses from the Other Study Programmes

All elective courses are defined by the study programme and can be selected from the list of electives offered by the institution.

Transferring from Another Study Programme

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

The total of ECTS credits awarded to postgraduate study programme in Ecology equals 60 ECTS.

The purpose of the study programme is to educate students within the field of ecology. The study programme structure with its specialist courses, both scientifically-oriented and applicable, enables students to further improve their ecology knowledge at academic level. The competences and skills acquired at this level serve as fundamentals 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 educate and train students for:

• research in development laboratories and research centres focusing on environmental protection as well as in  institutes for nature protection and national parks;
• work in public administration, inspection services and research centres of state, private and public companies;

The objective of Master’s study programme in Ecology is to educate professionals in the field of ecology and environmental protection.

The specific objective of the study programme is to educate professionals with broad knowledge in the field of ecology and environmentalprotection, and therefore capable of conducting independent research within institutions concerned with both pure and applied research.

General and Course-specific Competencies of Students

Students 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 experiment results;
• efficient scientific communication;
• managing research teams;
• positive attitude towards lifelong learning.

Students acquire the following subject-specific skills and abilities:

• 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

Description of the learning outcome

The learning outcome is a professional with advanced academic education who possesses considerably broadened knowledge in comparison to the knowledge obtained in Bachelor’s degree programme as well as integrated knowledge needed for comprehension of ecological fundamentals. The acquired knowledge provides professional qualifications for work in ecological laboratories and research centres.

Minimum learning outcomes:

• Understanding the importance of ecological disciplines within the scope of modern science;
• Integrated knowledge of functional organisation of biosystems at the level of an organism, population and ecosystem;
• Acquired ecological education ensures originality in development and application of ideas in research practice;
• Solving problems in new environment including a broader, multidisciplinary context;
• Independent search of information in professional publications;
• The application of successful laboratory practice principles in experiment planning, conducting and control.