The MSc at a Glance
The Master of Science in “Environmental Technology” (formerly called “Environmental Engineering”) is the only official Graduate Program in this field in the whole of the Autonomous Community of Andalusia. It has been designed by the UNIVERSITY OF HUELVA (UHU) in collaboration with a CONSORTIUM of PARTNER COMPANIES.
The mission of our program is to provide registered students with a thorough training in the discipline, covering the technological, economic, legal and environmental aspects of its related activities. Our aim is to train professionals for the protection of the environment in two aspects: in the identification, analysis and evaluation of the potential effects on the environment, and in the application of the best possible technologies available at any given time, to enable the restoration of the environment that has been disturbed by human activity.
As a result, the professionals who graduate from these studies will hold a comprehensive understanding of an industry -Environmental Engineering- which is growing at rates higher than an annual 30% and which has created more than 200,000 distinct jobs over the past 5 years.
The partnership with a CONSORTIUM OF COMPANIES guarantees the compliance of the training program with the needs of an industry in which these enterprises are national leaders, and it also provides students with the opportunity to do internships upon completion of their Academic Program in a wide range of companies in the environmental sector (see external partners).
Students enrolled in the MSc in Environmental Technology have access to the Career and Placement Office of the University of Huelva as well as to its job bank. It is the aim of this Office to smooth the incorporation of students to the job market, by facilitating their access to their first job through in- house placements, and by supporting their initiatives to create new business ventures.
This Master is aimed at training specialists who will cover the need for professionals in the field of Environmental Engineering: experts in the design, operation and maintenance of renewable energy facilities, with the profound knowledge and technical expertise required to tackle any project in this field. Among the enormous scope of job opportunities for Environmental Technology graduates, we can highlight:
· Design of treatment facilities
· Development of instrumentation and methodologies for environmental quality assurance
· Development of regulations and management strategies to minimize environmental impact
· Development of tools and models to predict the environmental impact of human activities
· Supervision of environmental research
· Design and development of environmental restoration techniques
· Environmental Quality Management
What is the Ministry of Education and Science Quality Label?
A Quality Label is an official recognition of the scientific, technical and training competence of PhD and MSc Programs, as well as of the groups and departments that take part in them.
What are the benefits of holding a Quality Label?
Holding a Quality Label makes universities eligible for financial aid for the mobility of faculty and students, aids which are timely announced by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport.
The programs that are granted a Quality Label are subsequently added to a list of Spanish Universities Quality Graduate Programs. The said list is made public and accessible and it constitutes an authoritative source that can be used, among other purposes, for the following:
· Eligibility for national subsidies and competitive grants for the promotion of Higher Education and Scientific Research, as well as for training programs for human resources in these fields.
· A reference to be quoted when applying for graduate scholarships from the National Training Program for University Faculty.
· Allocation of resources, both from within the institution and external, and both public and private.
· Collaboration with national and international businesses, entities and institutions.
Applicants profile
Graduates from Engineering, Architecture and Science area accepted for the MSc.
European Higher Education Area
The European Higher Education Area (EHEA) is starting to crystallize in our university system. The Royal Decrees concerning bachelor degrees and graduate studies published in January 2005 launched the process of reforms and the implementation of a first and second cycle with the characteristics decided upon in Bologna.
This is a significant change in the concept we used to have of the study programs, which are now conceived of as a coherent and structured offer of subjects grouped by field and graduated according to a specific amount of teaching credits.
This imposes an organization of the knowledge within a syllabus and a training program that embraces students from day one, training them both in generic and transversal skills –i.e., abilities- by offering activities that go beyond the syllabus. Actions are taken to facilitate the student’s incorporation to society, through an enterprising placement program or the supervision of a final project. Thus, a strong differentiating factor between different universities is introduced, and they can take advantage of their strengths both with regards to their faculty and their research lines in order to come up with their own and unique training and quality imprint.
Meanwhile, structured PhD programs become the natural continuation of research-oriented masters, their excellence being guaranteed by the qualities listed by the Ministry of Education and Science.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
Graduates in Environmental Technology have a broad scope of job opportunities for environment related technical and management positions, with duties such as the design and implementation of engineering operations and environment management systems, both in the public and the private sectors.
The main employment fields are:
Consultancy and Projects
• Environmental Diagnosis
• Environmental impact assessment
• Hazardous Waste Characterization
• Design of facilities for the temporary storage, recycling and recovery of waste
• Projects of urban and industrial wastewater treatment
• Minimization of emissions to air and gas treatment
• Acoustic assessment and noise mapping
• Soil decontamination and recovery of degraded areas
• Development of clean or less contaminating production technologies
Management and Consulting
• Design and implementation of environmental management systems
• Implementation, monitoring and evaluation of quality management systems
• Monitoring and integral management of products and waste: life-cycle analysis
• Environmental audits
• Technical consulting
• Business management
• Environmental education and communication
