Master's Degree in Valorization and Sustainable Development of Mountain Areas
DURATION
2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
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EARLIEST START DATE
Oct 2024
TUITION FEES
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STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Introduction
The Master's Degree Course in Valorization and Sustainable Development of Mountain Areas, taught in English, aims to form professionals who are capable of promoting the enhancement, development and sustainable management of mountain territories, by applying innovative approaches and a systemic vision. Multidisciplinary training will integrate environmental and agroforestry knowledge with proficiency in the economic, legal, historical-geographical and communication skills necessary to clearly delineate the specifics of mountain territories.
This will foster the ability to highlight and transmit unique and valuable elements of the mountain context. The graduate will be able to promote the creation of products and/or services of economic and social value beginning from the specific environmental, natural and agro-forestry resources of the mountains, following the principles of sustainability and in relation to local and global processes operating at the level of environmental (e.g., climate change) and socio-economic factors (depopulation, competitiveness and new models of development, etc.) and related national, European and international intervention policies.
The master's degree program will allow graduates to acquire concrete knowledge, skills and abilities specific to the environmental characteristics of mountain agro-forest ecosystems, specific technologies and methods for monitoring and sustainable management of the mountain environment and its resources, and to optimize the services rendered (ecosystem services, tourism, etc.) and the products that can be obtained.
Indeed, the training aims to promote the sustainable enhancement of the specific resources of mountain territories in strategic sectors for the economy such as tourism (e.g., planning and promotion of greenways and paths, dissemination/environmental education), energy from renewable sources, as well as (with regard to "bio-resources" and mountain agrobiodiversity) traditional local short supply chains (e.g. agritourism companies, catering, crafts, etc.) but also in typical industrial supply chains in various sectors such as agri-food, medicinal/health, nutraceutical, cosmetic, manufacturing (e.g. textile) biotechnology, or in the context of the bioeconomy and the circular economy.
The programme taught in English, aims to form professionals who are capable of promoting the enhancement, development and sustainable management of mountain territories, by applying innovative approaches and a systemic vision. The graduate will be able to promote the creation of products and services of economic and social value using mountain-specific resources, applying sustainability principles, and considering local and global environmental and socio-economic factors and relevant policies.
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Admissions
Curriculum
Year 1
First semester
Compulsory
- Applied Statistics for Mountain Agri-Environmental Analyses
- Bioresources for Innovation in Mountain Products
- Environmental Geology for Mountain Areas
Second semester
Compulsory
- European Union Law
- Geographic and Historical Development of the Mountain in the Long Run
- Mountain Ecosystems and Biodiversity Valorization
- Sustainable Management and Bioeconomy of Mountain Forests
Year 2
First semester
Compulsory
- Economics, Management and Valorization of Mountain Goods and Services
- Renewable Energy and Mountain Sustainable Environment Management
Second semester
Compulsory
- Infrastructures and Landscape Planning for Sustainable Tourism in Mountain Areas
- Web Communication Theories and Techniques
Program Outcome
The graduate is able to:
- Recognize the specific environmental, natural and agro-forestry resources of the mountains and the ecosystem services connected to them
- Evaluate the evolution and effects of climatic and anthropogenic factors on the natural and agro-forestry components of the environment, the main impacts and adaptation and/or mitigation strategies;
- Recognize and safeguard biodiversity heritage using specific intervention programs, including didactic-educational actions, with particular reference to agro-biodiversity
- Apply scientific, technological and economic knowledge to collaborate in the promotion of processes for enhancing traditional and/or innovative products from raw materials (bio-resources, agrobiodiversity) from natural and mountain agro-forest ecosystems, interacting with specialists from different sectors in multidisciplinary working groups
- Identify calls for regional, national and European funding programs for the development of mountain areas and collaborate in the design and management of systemic enhancement and development interventions
- Use territorial information systems and the most innovative technological tools for territorial monitoring, management and planning, also for the purposes of tourism and energy enhancement
- Apply specific knowledge about the economic and cultural environment in which companies and public and private subjects operate, identifying appropriate strategies for enhancing resources, additionally to support decision-making processes in governance, in the planning of interventions for territorial development and enhancement products/services
- Apply specific knowledge regarding the juridical-legislative framework from which policies, strategies, programs and regulations relating to the sustainable development of mountain territories are derived, for the planning of sustainable development interventions and technical support for managing the complexity of these areas
- Work in interdisciplinary and international groups
- Apply economic and marketing knowledge to working processes for territorial development (territorial marketing)
- Apply specific technical knowledge to collaborate with professionals from sectors specializing in promoting the use of energy from local renewable sources, combining methods of assessing economic sustainability with methods of quantifying environmental impacts
- Apply knowledge related to the use of digital technologies and communication tools for networking and effective interaction with service and innovation centres, strategic marketing and technical-scientific training and dissemination.
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
Professional opportunities include entrepreneurial activities or as a freelance consultant or employee with coordination and responsibility roles in private or public, national or international companies in strategic sectors for the mountain economy, such as environmental, environmental tourism, agro-forestry, energy and project management for the development of mountain areas at:
- Technical-professional firms and consultancy and design companies for the enhancement and development of the territory;
- Forestry companies and consortia;
- Local action groups - LAGs;
- Territorial and tourism promotion consortia;
- Farms;
- Syndicates of agricultural producers;
- Trade association
- Sparks and protected areas;
- Municipalities, consortia and unions of Municipalities, Mountain Communities, Provinces, Regions, Ministries;
- Developmental agencies;
- Foundations and NGOs;
- Training and dissemination bodies and companies;
- Research and development bodies;
Graduates can carry out freelance activities as Doctors in Agronomy and Forestry, and after passing the state exam and enrolment they can access recruitment contests for positions as officials of the former State Forestry Corps and other Environmental Policing Corps, pursue a research doctorate in Italy or abroad, or a second level master's degree.
The professional profile covers the following categories:
Agronomists and Foresters; Planners, landscape architects and specialists in the reclamation and conservation of the territory; Researchers and technicians with degrees in agricultural, zootechnical and animal production sciences; Editors of technical journals.