Introduction
The Master of Science program in Environmental Meteorology is jointly offered by the University of Trento and the University of Innsbruck, Austria.
Upon fulfillment of all the requirements, graduates will obtain two distinct degrees, one from each university.
The program courses cover a variety of topics related to atmosphere and climate processes and their connections with environmental systems. Students will be stimulated to get familiar with different ways of approaching weather, climate, and the environment, including experimental techniques, theoretical analysis, and numerical simulations.
Graduates in Environmental Meteorology will be enabled to prepare and present weather forecasts, perform atmospheric and environmental measurements, analyze observational data and work with numerical models for the simulation of the atmosphere, climate, and environmental processes.
The Master’s program lasts officially 2 Academic Years.
The official teaching language is English.
The Master in Environmental Meteorology started in the academic year 2018-2019.
Program Overview
Students’ activities within the MSc Program in Environmental Meteorology consist of lectures, visits to weather services, environmental agencies or other relevant initiatives, class/lab practice, field activities, seminars, and internships.
Courses of the first year are held in Trento.
Courses of the first semester of the second year are held in Innsbruck.
The fourth semester (second semester of the second year) is free of courses to allow students to work on their master thesis. This activity may be performed either in Trento or in Innsbruck, upon agreement with the supervisor.
Students fulfilling all the requirements prescribed in the curriculum will be awarded:
The degree of “Master of Science” from the University of Innsbruck
The degree “Laurea Magistrale in Environmental Meteorology” from the University of Trento.
Courses
To fulfill all the requirements prescribed by the Master's regulation, students must obtain a total of 120 ECTS credits.
First year
1st semester (at the University of Trento)
Introduction to meteorology and climatology (6 ECTS)
Environmental Fluid Mechanics (9 ECTS)
Environmental measurements (9 ECTS)
Environmental physical chemistry (6 ECTS)
2nd semester (at the University of Trento)
Atmospheric boundary layer and turbulence (6 ECTS)
Numerical methods for environmental processes (6 ECTS)
Hydrology (6 ECTS)
Biosphere, atmosphere and climate interactions (6 ECTS)
Elective courses (6 ECTS)
Second year
1st semester (at the University of Innsbruck)
Atmospheric radiation and remote sensing (5 ECTS)
Reading, writing and presenting scientific contents (3 ECTS)
Atmospheric chemistry and biogeochemistry (6 ECTS)
Dynamical and synoptic meteorology (6 ECTS)
Elective courses (10 ECTS)
2nd semester (either at the University of Innsbruck or at the University of Trento)
Master Thesis (30 ECTS)
Elective courses
1st Year - II Semester - Trento campus
Air pollution modeling (6 ECTS)
Hydrological modeling (6 ECTS)
Tropical meteorology and climate (6 ECTS)
2nd year - I semester - Innsbruck campus
Physics of the Climate System (5 ECTS)
Mountain Meteorology (5 ECTS)
Numerical modeling of Weather and Climate (6 ECTS)
Climate and Cryosphere modeling (3 ECTS)
Geostatistics (4,5 ECTS)
Advanced Topics in Atmospheric Physics and Chemistry (5 ECTS)
Scientific Programming (5 ECTS)
Cryosphere in the climate system (5 ECTS)
Advanced Topics: Avalanches (6 ECTS)
Learning Outcomes
The MSc program in Environmental Meteorology offers a variety of contents related to the physical and chemical properties of the earth's atmosphere, the phenomena governing its dynamics, and their connections with processes affecting the environmental systems, such as the hydrosphere, the lithosphere, the biosphere, and the ecosystems.
All the processes related to weather and climate phenomena - such as clouds and precipitation, atmospheric radiation, air pollution, wind dynamics - will be treated in depth.
The courses offered within the program enable students to become familiar with a variety of approaches, including theoretical analysis, measurement techniques, and observational methods, data analysis, computer simulations of environmental processes by means of numerical models.
Besides mandatory courses, covering the required background of an environmental meteorologist, through optional courses and their MSc thesis students will be allowed to focus their curriculum more specifically on their preferred topics.
The knowledge and skills learned in the program will provide graduates with a sound background to face the subsequent training required for a variety of jobs - such as weather forecaster, aviation meteorologist, meteorological consultant, climate analyst, environmental meteorology expert in support of planning and/or management activities, teacher - or to proceed to higher levels of educations (e.g. doctoral studies).
Career Opportunities
Weather forecasters (in either public or private weather services or as freelance professionals);
Consultants (for engineering firms, agricultural operations, insurance companies, legal issues);
Aeronautical meteorologists;
Experts in the assessment of solar radiation, wind, and precipitation for energy conversion from renewable sources;
Experts in air quality monitoring and management;
Researchers, academics;
Experts in education and communication: instructors, media operators, teachers;
The environmental meteorologists provide meteorological support and assistance to decision-makers in a variety of fields: air quality monitoring and management, civil protection, transport infrastructures management (including aviation, railways, roads, and navigation), water resource management, management of systems for energy conversion from renewable sources, agricultural operations, forest management.
Admission
In order to be admitted to the two-year Master’s degree program in Environmental Meteorology applicants are required to follow the application procedures accurately.
The number of positions available: 30, up to 5 of which will be reserved for non-EU candidates living outside Italy.
Non-EU candidates living outside Italy may apply only within the first deadline.
Admission requirements
In order to be eligible for the selection procedure, applicants must:
Hold a bachelor or higher university degree awarded in Italy or other equivalent degree awarded abroad; candidates still attending a bachelor program may also apply and get conditional admission, subject to the condition that they obtain their bachelor degree:
Before 30 June 2021 in case of non-EU citizens living abroad;
Before 31 October 2021 in case of Italian, EU-citizens, or non-EU citizens living in Italy;
Have good knowledge of the English language, at least at the B2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages;
Have passed exams in the academic disciplines, if holding a Bachelor degree from an Italian University.
How to apply
Candidates must upload the following mandatory documents:
A copy of a valid passport (photo and personal data only) or ID card;
A copy of a degree certificate or the certificate of enrollment including the expected graduation date if available (an official translation of the degree certificate is required when the original document is not produced in English or Italian);
An academic transcript indicating credits and marks achieved in each subject and GPA. Information on the grading scale must be provided if the degree was obtained outside Italy. Applications without this grading scale will not be considered (an official translation of the transcript of records is required when the original document is not produced in English);
Statement of purpose (max 3000 characters, spaces included);
English language proficiency certifications or self-declaration if applicable (see “How to prove language requirements” section).
