Master in Offshore Engineering

The exploitation of offshore resources will play a strategic role in the future of mankind. A sustainable valorization of renewable and conventional offshore energy sources may give a relevant contribution to balance the overall energy demand.

The exploitation of marine bioresources combined with the improvement of coastal infrastructures can be a key to the economic development. Improved offshore technologies will be needed to realize such scenarios.

A growing demand for the development and installation of innovative offshore structures, systems, and facilities as well as of coastal infrastructures is experienced. Specific technical problems arise when offshore structures and plants need to be designed and installed, also concerning safety and environmental issues that arise when operating in the marine context.

The challenge for a sustainable exploitation of offshore resources requires highly qualified professionals, prepared to operate in an international context, ready to cope with advanced design techniques and to tackle the improvement and optimization of offshore operations in harsh environments.

The Master Program in OffShore Engineering offered by the University of Bologna was built to meet these needs, forming highly qualified professionals able to work in the framework of design and operation of offshore structures, systems, and processes, and mastering the key enabling technologies for the sustainable exploitation of offshore resources.

About the Programme: OFFSHORE ENGINEERING

The Offshore Engineering Master Degree is entirely delivered in English. The course is a two-years Master “second cycle Degree” officially recognized under the “Bologna Process”, requiring the students to obtain 120 ECTS. The program is two years in duration and is divided into four terms.

The Program aims to provide knowledge to afford an international working environment, to cope with advanced design techniques and to tackle the improvement and optimization of offshore operations in harsh environments.

Since the first year, the program offers three different tracks:

• the track addressing Offshore Energy Technologies, dedicated to the design and operation of offshore technologies and processes for renewable energies and Oil&Gas, as well as for the exploitation of marine bioresources;

• the track addressing OffShore Structures, dedicated to the design, installation, management, and maintenance of offshore and maritime structures and systems for the exploitation of fabrication techniques, structures assembling conventional and renewable energies;

• the track addressing Environmental OffShore Engineering, dedicated to the assessment and management of environmental and safety issues in the design and operation of offshore structures, technologies, and systems.

The programs were designed in the framework of an intense cooperation with companies active in the offshore sector.

The topics of the courses offered were specifically defined to meet both the requirements of a high-ranked engineering preparation and to answer the professional needs of the sector.

Admission Requirements

In order to keep the quality of the educational environment, admission to the Master’s Degree Programme is regulated by a selection process that evaluates the applicants’ motivation, academic preparation and language ability. It is necessary to possess specific curricular requirements and personal competencies and skills.

The evaluation of the applications is performed by the Master's Admission Board which decides about eligibility based on the following requirements:

o The suitability of the applicants’ degree (academic preparation); with regards to background knowledge in the subjects related to offshore engineering, as Fluid dynamics and hydraulics; Thermodynamics; Geotechnical Engineering; Process Engineering; Structural Mechanics; Design.

o The suitability of the applicants’ personal preparation (curriculum vitae);

o Proficiency in the English language (level B2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference).

Applicants with an Italian first-level (Bachelor) degree:

At least ONE of the following curriculum requisites (A. or B.) must be satisfied (SSD=scientific area):

A. Hold an Italian First-level degree, with a number of credits not less than 36 CFU/ECTS in the following scientific area: ICAR/01, ICAR/02, ICAR/06, ICAR/07, ICAR/08, ICAR/09, ING-IND/06; ING-IND/06; ING-IND/08; ING-IND/10; ING- IND/21; ING-IND/22; ING-IND/24; ING-IND/25; ING-IND/26; ING-IND/27; ING-IND/28; ING- IND/30.

B. Hold an Italian First-level degree belonging to class L-7 (ex DM 270/2004) or to class 8 (ex DM 509/99) – Classe Delle Lauree in Ingegneria Civile ed Ambientale.; or

Hold an Italian First-level degree belonging to class L-9 (ex DM 270/2004) or to class 10 (ex DM 509/99) – Classe Delle Lauree in Ingegneria Industriale.

In order to verify the adequacy of the academic preparation, an evaluation will be held by an Admission Board appointed by the Board of the Degree Programme (Consiglio di Corso di studio).

The Admission Board will evaluate the candidate's academic merit, with reference to the final graduation grade, which will be considered adequate if equal to 105/110 or higher.

For students with a final graduation grade lower than 105/110, the Board will examine the academic merit through the exam of the following elements:

• Exams scores;
• Specific background knowledge;
• Duration of the studies in comparison with the legal duration of the Bachelor's Degree.

Students need to demonstrate an English language skill B2 or higher, by presenting a valid Certificate issued by one of the following institutions:

• University of Bologna Language Centre (CLA-UNIBO), or other Italian Universities Language Centre.
• Internationally recognized language certifications, such as TOEFL, IELTS, etc. (minimum scores to be considered equivalent to the B2 level being the following: IELTS 5,5; TOEFL PBT 507-557; TOEFL CBT 180-217; TOEFL IBT 80-99; Cambridge First Certificate (FCE); Trinity College of London ISE II,

If no Language Certification is presented for the assessment an individual evaluation is carried out by the Admission Board through an oral test will follow, either face-to-face or via telephone/VOIP.

Applicants with a foreign University Bachelor degree:

The fulfillment of the academic requirements is evaluated case-by-case by the Board of the Degree Programme (Consiglio di Corso di Laurea). If a credit/grade conversion (for both course contents and hours) to the Italian system is possible, the requirements listed above are checked.

Two recommendation letters are required for applicants with a foreign University Bachelor degree.

For all the students (with Italian or Foreign University Bachelor degree), if one of the above requirements is not fulfilled, the Admission Board can decide to admit the student on the basis of his/her whole career.