Degree Classes LM-23 - Master Degree in Civil Engineering and LM-35 - Master Degree in Environmental Engineering
The Master Degree Course in Civil and Environmental Engineering places special emphasis on the multidisciplinary nature of emerging problems, such as, for example, the prevention of collapse of structures and infrastructures, the mitigation of seismic risk, floods and droughts, the improvement of air quality in cities, waste and energy management, and on the consequent need for systemic and sustainable solutions. The Course therefore sets the education of the Master degree student along four main guidelines: (A) design and construction of sustainable structures and infrastructures, (B) adaptation to demographic and climate change and limitation in the use of resources such as soil and water, (C) environmental sustainability for the safety and quality of life of citizens, and (D) energy sustainability.
For this reason, the Course has four curricula:
- Curriculum Design of Structures and Infrastructures
addresses the design, execution, maintenance and verification of structures and infrastructures, both new or existing ones, with respect to safety and structural durability, seismic resistance, dynamic instability, rehabilitation and consolidation, and fire resistance, through the use of advanced predictive and diagnostic models and simulation systems. - Curriculum Water Resources Management
explores the topics of hydraulics, hydrology and hydraulic construction in order to identify the most advantageous measures for the use of water resources and flood risk mitigation. Classic systems such as aqueducts and sewers are analysed using state-of-the-art calculation models. The courses about Computational Hydrology and Dams and Reservoirs offer specialised technical competences that can be applied nationally and internationally. - Curriculum Environmental Sustainability
studies the topics of hydrogeological instability, environmental monitoring, remediation strategies for contaminated , air quality, impacts assessment and evaluation of environmental sustainability of both civil works and urban plans, waste treatment plant technologies; it delves into subsoil geophysics, water supply, and the chemistry of pollutants using the tools of geomatics and environmental remote sensing. - Curriculum Energy Sustainability
offers energy-specific content on the planet's resources that can be used for energy purposes, energy production technologies from renewable sources, energy-saving performance of buildings, energy certification and thermotechnical systems.
The Course trains an engineer with a solid traditional technical-scientific background, capable of identifying emerging problems and communicating with other professionals and public bodies to identify technically sound and environmentally friendly solutions, playing an active role in decision-making processes. This figure is designed to meet the challenge of renewal in a rapidly changing society, as a consequence of demographic, climatic, land-use and resource changes, and under the influence of rapid technological developments in automation and data management. Skills are provided to apply advanced scientific and engineering content to the complex problems of interaction between (infra)structures and the natural environment, in order to steer the sustainable development of a heavily man-made and industrialised territory.
Upon completion of studies, the student can graduate in the LM-23 class - Civil Engineering, or in the LM-35 class - Environmental Engineering.
The members of the Study Course Councils (CdS) are defined annually on the basis of the prevailing teaching loads.
Each Council is assisted in the planning and/or revision of the educational offering by a Steering Committee, which meets at least once a year.
The Master Degree Course in Civil and Environmental Engineering is an open access course. However, it is necessary to meet certain curricular requirements, as indicated in the admission notice (the file for self-assessment of admission requirements), to have graduated with a grade of 85/110 or higher (or a grade higher than two-thirds of the maximum envisaged, if the degree was obtained abroad) and to hold a English level B1 language certificate according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
Please check carefully the deadlines set out in the Admission Notice.
In accordance with the law, each student must indicate, at the time of enrolment, the class in which he or she intends to pursue the degree. The student may, however, change his or her choice, provided that it becomes final at the time of enrolment in the second year.
The Master Degree Course in Civil and Environmental Engineering has established the obligation for all students to compile a study plan.
Submission of the study plan must take place during the second year of the course, approximately from 15 November to 30 January (dates to be confirmed each year). It does not have to be completed in the first year.
Compilation must normally be done via the Web on Esse3, under the heading "Career Plan" and only in special cases on paper, using the special form available from the Engineering Student Secretariat (Via Campi 213/b).
Please note that a student who has not completed his or her study plan within the prescribed period will be assigned a compulsory standard study plan that will become his or her actual plan.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE STUDY PLAN and STATUTORY PLAN - ACTIVE COHORTS*
The Study Plan for the Master Degree Course in Civil and Environmental Engineering for the 2019/2020, 2020/2021 and 2021/2022, 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 student cohorts is structured as follows:
Curriculum Design of Structures and Infrastructures:
The student must choose:
- One course between "Existing Constructions" or "Bridges " as core subject*.
- One course between 'Thermotechnical Systems' or 'Energy Management' as pertinent subject.
- 15 CFU of free choice subjects**
A student who has not completed his or her study plan within the deadline period is assigned a standard-statutory study plan that becomes his or her compulsory plan and provides for the following examinations: for the core subject CFU the 'Bridges' course (6 CFU) will be assigned, for the pertinent subject CFU the 'Thermotechnical Systems' course (6 CFU) will be assigned, for the CFU free choice subjects (15 CFU) the courses of 'Existing Constructions' and 'Computational Hydrology' will be assigned.
* from the 2023/2024 cohort on, they become both compulsory
** from the 2023/2024 cohort on, the free-choice subjects will correspond to 9 CFU
Water Resources Management Curriculum:
The student must choose:
- 15 CFU of free choice subjects
A student who has not completed his or her study plan within the deadline period is assigned a standard-statutory study plan that becomes his or her compulsory plan and provides for the 15 CFU of free-choice subjects by assigning the courses of 'Computational Mechanics' (9 CFU) and 'Environmental Remote Sensing' (6 CFU).
Environmental Sustainability Curriculum:
The student must choose:
- One course between 'Aqueducts and Sewerage' or 'Geotechnical Systems Prospecting II'* as core subject;
- One course among 'Chemical Technologies for Waste Treatment', 'Environmental Remote Sensing' or 'Environmental Response' as pertinent subject;
- 12 CFU of free choice subjects
Students who have not completed their study plan within the deadline period are assigned a standard-statutory study plan, which becomes their compulsory plan and which includes: for the CFU core subject the course of "Geotechnical Systems Prospecting II (6 CFU) will be assigned"; for the pertinent subject the course of CFU "Environmental Reactoristics" will be assigned; for the free choice subjects the courses of CFU "Environmental Remote Sensing" (6 CFU) and "Chemical Technologies for Waste Treatment" (6 CFU) will be assigned.
* from the 2023/2024 cohort on the course will be named "Geophysical Surveys for Engineering".
Energy Sustainability Curriculum:
The student must choose:
- One course among 'Thermotechnical Systems', 'Energy Management' or 'Fuel Cells as pertinent subject';
- 12 CFU of free choice subjects
A student who has not completed his or her study plan within the deadline period is assigned a standard-statutory study plan that becomes his or her compulsory plan and that includes: for the pertinent subject the course CFU of 'Energy Management' will be assigned; for the CFU free choice subjects the courses of 'Environmental Remote Sensing' (6 CFU) and 'Thermotechnical Systems' (6 CFU) will be assigned.
All students in all curricula are expected to have acquired the English level B2 language certificate (national requirement) by the end of their education.
The possibilities are as follows:
- if the student, on enrolment in the degree course, presents an international language certificate deemed suitable or the certificate of passing a university examination of a similar level, the digital student record will be added by a teaching activity "Level of competence in English language B2" - grade Eligible - 0 CFU”, which demonstrates the requirement;
- if he/she does not present any documents, the student will have to follow the English level B2 language course provided by the Centro Linguistico di Ateneo (CLA) and pass the examination. These courses provide for 3 CFU and will be validated within the digital student record by a teaching activity "Level of competence in English language B2" - grade Eligible - 3 CFU. As a consequence, the credits for the Internship/Project Activities will be rescheduled to 9 CFU, so that the student will not gain more than 120 CFU.
The student must then choose what he/she has been allocated in the study plan; he/she will see two options: English Language Proficiency Level B2 - 0 CFU + Internship/Project Activity - 12 CFU or English Language Proficiency Level B2 - 3 CFU + Internship/Project Activity - 9 CFU.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION ON ONLINE COMPILATION
There are two alternatives for filling in the online study plan, which can be viewed once the student has entered the Esse3 personal area, under the heading Career plan:
1) an 'APPR' study plan scheme, whereby the completed plan is automatically approved: this scheme provides only the courses offered by the Master Degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering, from all curricula;
2) a 'PROP' study plan scheme, which must then be evaluated by the Course Council and which must only be chosen by:
- students transferring from another Degree Course/University who have had optional examinations officially approved by the previous Course Council and already included within the digital student record. Only in the event that the approved optional examinations have not yet been included within the digital student record or if the validation request has not yet been made, the study plan must be completed using the special paper form available at the Student Secretariat in via Campi 213/b, to be returned before the deadline during office opening hours;
- students who have passed optional examinations during an Erasmus period that have already been officially approved by the Course Council and included within the digital student record ;
- students who wish to take extra-syllabus examinations, after having asked the Student secretariat to include the teaching activity within the digital student record; it is advisable, if one intends to take extra-syllabus examinations, to obtain prior information from the President of the Degree Course, in order to avoid incurring non-approval, which would lead, if the extra-syllabus examinations have already been taken, to NOT being able to consider them in one's career (since they will be considered supernumerary) and will not be part of the number of CFUs needed to obtain the degree, with the consequent need to take further examinations.
Plans in PROP status will be evaluated by the Course Council after the deadline for compiling plans.
The student will be contacted if the plan is rejected for re-completion.
The Master degree is obtained after passing the Final Examination, which is accessed after having passed all the educational activities envisaged by the degree course in the chosen degree class (LM23 or LM35). The Final Examination verifies the achievement of the specific educational objectives of the Master degree course; it consists of a written paper (thesis) relating to:
- a) activities carried out during the internship, under the supervision of a lecturer/researcher, in industries, companies or external bodies, on the basis of special agreements;
- b) activities carried out, under the supervision of a lecturer/researcher, at research laboratories of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia or of other public or private research bodies, on the basis of specific agreements;
- (c) topics related to curriculum subjects, assigned by a lecturer/researcher.
The thesis must demonstrate the candidate's knowledge of the topics covered and the competence in using theoretical and technical tools. The work must be carried out with an adequate level of autonomy and capacity for critical analysis, and discussed by the candidate with appropriate communication skills.
The Final Examination may be taken in a foreign language, agreed in advance with the President of the Degree Course. In this case, an extended summary of the activity carried out in Italian must also be prepared.
For each student, a supervisor (lecturer or researcher) is designated to follow the preparation for the final examination and report back to the committee.
The Master Degree Committee is appointed by the Department Director on the proposal of the President of the Degree Course. The Commission is composed of five members indicated among the first and second-rank professors and researchers usually belonging to the degree course.
The Commission assesses the final examination and, in the event of a pass, awards a full mark from 0 to 7 hundredths, taking into account the quality of the work carried out and the expository capacity demonstrated.
Tutoring, in compliance with the provisions of Article 13 of Law 341/90, is a service designed to assist students enrolled at university throughout their studies, removing obstacles to successful course attendance and encouraging active participation in university life.
The tutor is a point of reference to whom one can turn for advice, for help in getting into one's studies and for all forms of assistance aimed at making university studies more effective and productive.
The tutor teacher in particular can provide methodological and didactic support, aimed at overcoming learning difficulties (e.g. preparing for an exam, relating the contents of the various disciplines, clarifying doubts on study subjects) or can contact students in difficulty directly to propose support actions arranged by the University.
Lecturers:
No compulsory propaedeuticity.
You can find the Degree Course documents about the Quality Assurance at the link below.
