Master in Oceanography and Marine Environmental Management

Objectives and competences

Objectives and competences

Objectives

The master's degree in Oceanography and Marine Environmental Management offers a range of theoretical and practical subjects designed to achieve two main objectives: a) the application of knowledge acquired in previous studies to marine science, and b) the acquisition of additional complementary knowledge, from the field of oceanography and marine environmental management, pertinent to further professional or research activities. The programme emphasises the close connection between knowledge and fundamental research and its role in addressing and resolving specific environmental problems related to the marine environment.

Competences

The core competences students will acquire during the master's degree in Oceanography and Marine Environmental Management are as follows:

• Capacity to apply proven methods and techniques in the field of oceanography and marine management.
  
  
• Capacity to select the most suitable technological and practical means of measuring and sampling for marine environment data collection, based on working hypotheses, objectives and costs.
  
  
• Ability to identify problems or issues of concern in the field of oceanography and to propose, develop and carry a study or research programme with the appropriate objectives and methods.
  
  
• Capacity to apply advanced knowledge in the consideration and resolution of marine-related conflicts and problems that interest or affect society.

See full list of competences

Access and admission

Applicant profile and access requirements

Recommended applicant profile

The master's degree in Oceanography and Marine Environmental Management is specifically designed for graduates in experimental sciences or civil or geological engineering who wish to specialize in marine science.

Access requirements and conditions

General requirements
In accordance with Article 16 of Royal Decree 1393/29 October 2007, students must hold one of the following qualifications to access university master's degree courses:

• An official Spanish degree.
  
• A degree issued by a higher education institution within the European Higher Education Area framework that authorizes the holder to access university master's degree courses in the country of issue.
  
• A qualification from outside the framework of the European Higher Education Area. In this case, the qualification should be recognized as equivalent to an official Spanish degree. If it is not recognized, the University of Barcelona shall verify that it corresponds to a level of education that is equivalent to official Spanish degrees and that it authorizes the holder to access university master's degree courses in the country of issue. Admission shall not, in any case, imply that prior qualifications have been recognized as equivalent to a Spanish master's degree and does not confer recognition for any purposes other than that of admission to the master's degree course.

Specific requirements
The master's degree in Oceanography and Marine Environmental Management is open to holders of a degree qualification in any of the following disciplines: biology, environmental sciences, geology, pharmacy, physics, chemistry, marine sciences, civil engineering or geological engineering. Access may also be granted to holders of other qualifications in experimental sciences or engineering disciplines from universities in Europe or other countries, with prior authorization or validation by the University of Barcelona.

For candidates with qualifications other than those that officially grant access, Spanish university-specific degrees or degrees obtained outside of Spain or Europe that are not directly comparable to those mentioned above, the Coordination Committee for the master's degree will consider each case individually, taking into account the relevance of the studies completed and the candidate's statement of interest.

In order to take full advantage of the master's programme, students must have English language skills at level B1 CEFR or equivalent, as all subjects use extensive teaching material in this language. All applications for enrolment are considered and analysed individually, to ensure fair assessment of all candidates.

Pre-enrolment

Calendar

- First period: 1 February - 11 June 2023.
Notification of resolutions: 26 June.

- Second period: 12 June - 3 September 2023.
Notification of resolutions: 8 September.

Notes:

• Pre-enrolment fee: A pre-enrolment fee of 30,21 euros is charged. Students who apply to more than one master's degree must pay the fee for each pre-enrolment request. Pre-enrolment requests cannot be processed until this fee has been paid.Fees will only be refunded if the master's degree in question is suspended.
• Reserved places: A maximum of 5% of the new places of the master's degree are reserved for students who meet the general and specific access requirements and accredit the recognition of a degree of disability equal to or greater than 33%.

Required documentation

• Pre-enrolment application
  
• Photocopy of degree certificate or equivalent qualification. In case of admission, foreign degrees that require so should be translated and authenticated through diplomatic channels before completing the enrolment.
  
• Other specific documentation related to the selection criteria

Selection criteria

Candidates must submit a full transcript of their previous studies outlining the courses taken, the corresponding credits and the grades obtained, so that a weighted average can be calculated. A full curriculum vitae should be attached, including information on grants received, projects contributed to, work completed, etc., as well as additional studies and foreign language skills (B1 or equivalent for English). Additionally, a personal statement of interest and letters of recommendation may be included as supporting material. The Coordination Committee for the master's degree assesses this documentation on the basis of the following criteria:

• Relevance of the degree used for the purpose of enrolment and academic record (65%).
  
• Complementary activities: scholarships, Erasmus grants, additional training (10%).
  
• Collaborations in studies, projects, publications, companies, etc. related to the field of study (10%).
  
• Personal statement of interest and letters of recommendation from university teachers or researchers (5%).
  
• Practical experience in marine-related areas (e.g. boat licence, diving certification, etc.) (5%).
  
• Personal interview, if required (5%).

Admission is prioritized according to the scores obtained.

Notification

The Coordination Committee for the master's degree is responsible for the selection process. Pre-enrolment applications can only be considered if submitted together with all of the required documentation and proof of payment of the corresponding fees. The first selection of candidates is announced by the Secretary's Office for Students and Teaching Staff on 26 June. Candidates not admitted in the first period for clerical reasons may apply for re-evaluation in September, along with candidates who have pre-enrolled in the second period (17 June to 3 September). The final list of candidates admitted to the master's degree will be announced on 9 September.

Enrolment

As a general rule, at the UB you will be required to enrol online. Remember that you can lose your place if you do not enrol on the day you have been assigned

• Documents required for enrolment
• Procedure to formalize enrolment
• Grants and financial aid (in Catalan)
• Economic information (in Catalan)

Welcome

• Student Support Service
• Grants and financial aid (in Catalan)
• Accommodation

Course curriculum

Subjects and course plans

Distribution of credits

List of subjects

Subject	Type	Language	Credits
Specialization: Oceanography and Marine Environmental Management
Benthic Ecology	Optional	1st semester	3
Bioindicators in Marine Water Quality	Optional	2nd semester	3
Biological Oceanography	Compulsory	1st semester	3
Biology of Marine Species of Commercial Interest	Optional	1st semester	3
Cartography of Marine Habitats	Optional	2nd semester	3
Climate Change and the Ocean	Optional	1st semester	3
Coastal Dynamics and Coastal Evolution	Optional	2nd semester	3
Coastal Protection	Optional	2nd semester	3
Conservation Biology	Optional	2nd semester	3
Data Analysis Techniques in Marine Ecology	Optional	1st semester	3
Dynamic Oceanography	Optional	2nd semester	3
Final Project	Compulsory	1st semester 2nd semester	12
Geology of Oceans	Compulsory	1st semester	3
Marine Animal Biodiversity	Optional	2nd semester	3
Marine Biology of Mammals and Reptiles	Optional	2nd semester	3
Marine Bird Biodiversity	Optional	2nd semester	3
Marine Management and Planning	Compulsory	1st semester	3
Marine Placements	Optional	2nd semester	6
Marine Plant Biodiversity	Optional	2nd semester	3
Marine Reserves	Optional	1st semester	3
Marine Sedimentary Processes and Environments	Optional	1st semester	3
Natural Hazards and Risks: Multi-Scale Analysis	Optional	2nd semester	3
Ocean Biogeochemistry	Optional	1st semester	3
Physical Oceanography and Descriptive Chemistry	Compulsory	1st semester	3
Polar Oceans	Optional	2nd semester	3
Pollution in Coastal Zones: Origin, Impact and Mitigation	Optional	2nd semester	3
Remote Sensors in Oceanography	Optional	2nd semester	3
Scientific Diving Techniques for the Study of Benthic Ecosystems	Optional	2nd semester	3
Structure and Connectivity of Marine Populations	Optional	1st semester	3
The Ecological Impact of Fishing: Assessment and Management	Compulsory	1st semester	3

Previous years

• Plans docents 2021 - 2022
• Plans docents 2020 - 2021
• Plans docents 2019 - 2020

Teaching staff

List of spring and autumn teaching staff on a current course

Placements

Placements in a company or another type of organization are an integral part of university studies, providing first-hand experience of working methodologies in students' chosen professional fields. They offer invaluable practical experience for the transition into work after graduation.

Placements are supervised by tutors and subject to assessment. They are therefore included in the academic record.  There is also an option to complete non-curricular placements of up to 500 hours, which can be extended to 900 hours. For both curricular and non-curricular placements, an educational cooperation agreement is signed between the UB and the company, institution or other organization at which the placement will be carried out.

Institutional information

• Regulations on external placements


• FeinaUB

Career opportunities

What can you work on ?

Both the UB and UPC, in their respective areas of specialization, make significant contributions to the research and technological development in marine issues carried out in Spain. In addition to these two universities, there are various significant Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) centres in Catalonia that undertake fundamental research in the marine environment (including the Mediterranean Centre for Marine and Environmental Research [CMIMA], which comprises the Institute of Marine Sciences and the Marine Technology Unit; the Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, and the Blanes Centre for Advanced Studies [CEAB]); specialized Catalan Government research institutes, such as the Institute of Food and Agricultural Research, and engineering companies working in evaluation, project development and environmental surveys and studies on the marine environment, covering coastal engineering, geophysics, marine ecology, fisheries and aquaculture.

For decades Catalan universities have been producing graduates and doctors who have joined institutions and companies in the field, which in turn contribute, through collaboration agreements for work placements, to raising the levels of training and professionalism of graduates and education programs.

Access to the labour market

Data from the university system in Catalonia

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