Master’s Degree in Forestry and Environmental Sciences

The Master's Degree in Forestry and Environmental Sciences, class LM-73, is a two-year course of the Department of Agriculture of the University of Naples Federico II. The programme includes nature conservation, biodiversity protection, modelling ecology and forest fire management, as well as remote sensing and GIS, wood technologies, dendrochronology, hydraulic protection and soil bioengineering. Forests and natural environments are exposed to risks such as fires, hydrogeological instability and loss of biodiversity. The course addresses these issues with a scientific basis and with technological tools such as remote sensing and GIS, which make it possible to monitor the territory and plan its management in a sustainable way.

The study plan is worth 120 credits: 89 credits are compulsory and 31 credits include elective exams, English and the final examination. Teaching is in Italian, with 4 credits of scientific English. The course takes place in person in Naples. Price and start date are not stated; the page only describes a low cost, typical of a public university. The weight of the 89 compulsory credits, compared with the 31 left to elective exams, English and the final examination, indicates a fairly structured pathway, with a broad common core. The skills in wood, dendrochronology and soil bioengineering give it an applied slant. The page does not describe the individual courses or the laboratories.

The aim is to train professionals able to operate at different levels in the management and protection of forest and environmental ecosystems, in public bodies, private companies and international organisations. The career opportunities concern land-use planning, environmental monitoring, fire prevention, sustainable resource management and the enhancement of natural heritage. The course is aimed at those who want to work in public bodies, private companies and international organisations in the environmental and forestry field. Internships are not indicated on the page, so it is advisable to ask the department which agreements are active. Admission is open to bachelor's graduates in related disciplines. Before applying it is advisable to compare this information with that published on the university's official website, which may be more up to date than the page. It is also advisable to contact the department's teaching office to clarify any doubts about attendance, lesson calendar, assessment methods and organisation of the final exam. Those who work should carefully assess the commitment required, in terms of weekly hours and attendance, to understand whether the programme is compatible with other professional or personal commitments. It may also be useful to ask whether information sessions or orientation days are held, in which lecturers present the course and answer candidates' questions.