2^nd Cycle: Water Science and Environmental Engineering MA

1^st YEAR

1st semester
Course	Contact hours	ECTS*
Hydraulic modelling	120	8
Hydrological modelling	90	6
Drinking water supply and treatment	120	8
Project management	60	4
Basics of spatial sociology	45	3

2nd semester
Course	Contact hours	ECTS*
River engineering	120	8
Drainage and irrigation	90	6
Water protection	60	4
Open sea and coastal area	60	4
Environmental geotechnics	75	5
Remote sensing in environ. civil eng.	60	4

2^nd YEAR

3rd semester
Course	Contact hours	ECTS*
Elective module	360	24
Elective course 1	90	6

4th semester
Course	Contact hours	ECTS*
Master thesis	450	30
According to the University Statute, during the studies students may collect 5 % of external contents. The remaining part of electives must be from professional field of study.

Elective Courses

Elective module Environmental Engineering – 1st Semester 2nd Year
Course	Contact hours	ECTS*
Urban drainage and cleaning of waste water	120	8
Water management systems	60	4
Torrent, erosion, rockfall and avalanche control	60	4
Mathematical model. of environmental processes	75	5
Meteorology	45	3

Elective module Flood Risk Management – 1st Semester 2nd Year
Course	Contact hours	ECTS*
Spatial planning for flood protection	75	5
Socioeconomical assessment of flood risk	75	5
Torrent, erosion, rockfall and avalanche control	60	4
Numerical methods in fluid dynamics	90	6
Environmental technologies	60	4

Elective module Hydraulic Engineering – 1st Semester 2nd Year
Course	Contact hours	ECTS*
Hydraulic structures	120	8
Water management systems	60	4
Hydroelectric power	60	4
Urban drainage and cleaning of waste water	120	8

PROFESSIONAL ELECTIVE COURSES
Course	Contact hours	ECTS*
Slope stabilisation	60	4
Hydraulic machines and devices	60	4
Water policy	60	4
Decision support systems in water management	75	5
Landscape management	60	4
Introduction to research work	60	4
Project in infrastructural systems	60	4
Selected topics from mathematics III	60	4
Ecohydrology	60	4
Geotechnics of infrastructural facilities	90	6
Practical training	126	6

 

Graduates of the master study programme Water Science and Environmental Engineering will acquire fundamental knowledge of natural sciences, as well as applicable expert (civil engineering) skills for solving demanding administrative procedures and designing, planning, implementing and maintaining more demanding civil and water engineering structures in the areas of water management, municipal and environmental engineering.

Besides gaining general theoretic knowledge about hydraulics and geotechnics, students will also learn the modern principles of water science and the latest achievements of the profession in individual areas of environmental and civil engineering, presented in a modern way using state-of-the-art technology. By working in groups, involvement in project work, field work and by solving problem tasks, students will acquire essential teamwork and public speaking skills and will be able to coherently present scientific and engineering ideas to expert and lay public. They will become acquainted with project management in the fields of environmental civil engineering and water management, and especially designing specialised construction types and measures. The students will have the opportunity to test all the acquired expert knowledge to the largest possible extent within practical exercises and real-life case studies, which will help them, together with practical training as part of the study, to get involved in practical work after the finished master’s study. Another goal of the programme is also to provide the students with sufficient basic engineering knowledge to allow the development of abstract thinking and successful continuation of the study at different third cycle (i.e. doctoral) programmes (e.g. civil engineering or environment protection).

General competences acquired by the graduates of the master’s study programme Water Science and Environmental Engineering are:

• general overview of academic areas,
• development of abilities to frame, comprehend and creatively solve problems, principles and theories,
• high level of creativity and innovation as a result of the interdisciplinary nature of the study,
• critical  reading  and  understanding  of   relevant  literature,  independent  knowledge gathering and literature search,
• development of the abilities of critical, analytical and synthetic thinking,
• competences  for  transferring  and  applying  theoretical  knowledge  into  practice  and solving demanding professional and practical problems,
• development of professional and ethical responsibilities,
• development of verbal and numerical literacy, public speaking skills and competences to communicate with clients as well as the lay and professional public,
• ability to use a foreign language in professional written and oral communication,
• ability to  use  information and  communication technologies, also  in  an  international setting,
• ability to establish local and international interdisciplinary connections,
• compliance  with  safety,  functional,  economic  and  environmental  aspects  of  work,
• development of high ethical and moral standards (maintaining integrity when working with clients, providing unbiased advice, sustaining independence and expertise according to valid legislation),
• developing an objective view of the environment and society,
• accepting responsibilities to customers and employers as well as the society as a whole,
• ability to design and implement demanding constructions in compliance with quality and price standards and carry out independent technical evaluations supported by scientific analysis and synthesis, all based on the acquired in-depth knowledge of natural sciences and specialised expertise from the area of water science, environmental and environmental civil engineering,
• ability  to  recognise  and  take  into  account  the  environmental  risk  associated  with construction and to consider the issues of environment protection in designing structures in the area of environmental civil engineering.

Course-specific competences acquired with the programme

Course-specific competences the students acquire within the program Water Science and Environmental Engineering are mainly the following:

• understanding the role and importance of water management in modern society,
• taking part in planning, organisation, management and implementation of the construction of demanding civil engineering structures in the area of water management,
• designing  individual  elements  as  well  as  entire  more  demanding  civil  engineering structures in the area of water management,
• independently and creatively performing demanding tasks from the area of environmental civil engineering, environmental engineering and water management,
• managing groups in planning, design and implementation of different interventions into the aquatic environment, including construction in endangered areas,
• involvement in the preparation of spatial planning acts,
• coordinating work between investors, designers and contractors,
• knowing  the  legal,  institutional  and  administrative  system  essential  for  water management and for managing and recording water resources and endangered areas,
• after  suitable practical experience, the  students are  qualified to  oversee larger  water management companies.

The second cycle master’s study programme Water Science and Environmental Engineering is available to the following candidates:

1. graduates of a first cycle study programme from the area of Civil Engineering;
2. graduates of a first cycle study programme from other expert areas (e.g. technical or biotechnical), if prior to the enrolment the candidates complete other study obligations essential for the continuation of the study totalling 10-60 ECTS. These obligations are defined according to the nature of the expert area, and the candidates may complete them during the first cycle study or by taking exams before the enrolment in the master’s study Water Science and Environmental Engineering. Requirements for individual bridging programmes are defined by the Study Board of the Department of Environmental Civil Engineering according to the missing knowledge of the candidate not obtained during previous educatio This also applies to the enrolment of students from other higher education institutions in Slovenia, EU and elsewhere.

In case of restricted enrolment the following conditions shall be considered:  grade obtained in the first cycle study (100%).

The number of places is determined in the Call for enrolment into second cycle study programmes of the University of Ljubljana individually for each academic year.

Certain knowledge and skills comparable to the content and scope of the programme Water Science and Environmental Engineering can be recognised by the Study Board of the Department of Environmental Civil Engineering UL FGG. The Board makes decisions regarding the recognition of knowledge and skills acquired before enrolment based on the student’s written application, enclosed certificates and other documents evidencing successfully acquired knowledge and contents, and in accordance with the Rules on the procedure and criteria for the acknowledgement of informally acquired knowledge and skills, adopted on 29 May 2007 at the 15th meeting of the Senate of UL.

The recognition process considers the following:

• certificates and  other documents (recognition of  »non-typical certificates«, portfolios, documents about finished courses and other forms of education),
• evaluation of finished products, services, publications and other original works of the student (possibility of performing study obligations – e.g. exams, preliminary exams, etc.
• by evaluating products, e.g. projects, made by the student before the enrolment),
• evaluation of knowledge acquired by the student with self-education or empirical learning (possibility of completing study obligations without participation at lectures, practical work, seminars),
• adequate work experience (e.g. recognition of practical training and other course units of the program that are based on practical work and experience).

Should the Study Board of the department establish that the acquired knowledge may be recognised, this shall be evaluated with the same number of credits according to ECTS as the number of credits in the subject.

Conditions for the progression to the next year of study

Students may enrol in a higher year if they complete all the obligations foreseen by the study plan amounting to at least 45 ECTS-credits by the end of the study year.

Under exceptional circumstances students may be permitted to proceed without successful completion of 45 ECTS, i.e. the obligations defined to proceed to the higher year of the study programme, provided they have justifiable reasons as defined by Article 153 of the Statute of UL (maternity, extended illness, exceptional family and social circumstances, certified status of a person with special needs, active participation in top expert, cultural and sports events, active participation on University bodies).

Under the conditions set out in the above paragraph, students may enrol in a higher year with at least 30 ECTS-credits collected. The decision to permit enrolment is adopted by the Study Board of the Department of Environmental Civil Engineering of UL FGG.

Faculty of  Civil  and  Geodetic Engineering has  an  established tutorship and  supervision system in place for its students, offered also in the framework of the master’s study programme Water Science and Environmental Engineering. Students of both years have class mentors, and smaller groups of students have individual tutors who will either be academic staff members or second year students who will help their protégés in choosing study orientations, elective courses etc.

Students with above average study results will be allowed faster advancement, if applicable with regard to the study process. Based on the student’s application the decision is adopted by the Study Board of the Department of Environmental Civil Engineering of UL FGG. With a decree of the Study board the principles of faster progress are determined.

Conditions for repeat enrolment in the same year

Failing to meet the obligations defined by the study programme for advancement in a higher year, students may enrol in the same year for the second time, provided that they have obtained at least 30 ECTS-credits.

Students finish the study by accomplishing all the prescribed obligations totalling 120 points according to ECTS, including practical training and submission and defence of the Master thesis. According to the Professional and Academic Titles Act the graduate is awarded with the title: magister inženir okoljskega gradbeništva, abbreviated as mag. inž. ok. grad, level 7.

In compliance with the Professional and Academic Titles Act (Official Gazette No. 61/2006) professional and scientific titles as well as titles acquired by education shall not be translated to foreign languages. However, as reference only, the title acquired according corresponds to the Master Engineer of Environmental Civil Engineering .

Transfer between programmes shall mean termination of education in the student’s original study programme (first programme) and continuation of education in the second cycle master study programme of Water Science and Environmental Engineering (second programme), in which a part of the completed study requirements from the first study programme are recognised as completed.

Transfers are possible from the second cycle study programmes, and until their expiration also from the undergraduate academic study programmes adopted before June 11 2004, where the competences of the finished studies are comparable and according to the acknowledgement criteria at least half of the obligations according to ECTS from the first study programme related to compulsory courses of the second study programme can be acknowledged. Considering the scope of acknowledged obligations from the first study programme in the Republic of Slovenia or abroad student may enrol to the same or higher year in the second study programme. Transferring students shall fulfil the conditions for the enrolment to the second study programme.

Applications of candidates for the transfer to the second cycle master study programme Water Science and Environmental Engineering and the scope of acknowledged obligations in the study programme will be examined individually by the Study Board of the Department of Environmental Civil Engineering. If in the procedure of acknowledging obligations for the purpose of transfer the candidate is approved at least the amount of credit points and those point that are required for the enrolment to the second year of the second cycle master study programme Water Science and Environmental Engineering, the candidate may enrol to the second year of the second cycle master study programme Water Science and Environmental Engineering.

Knowledge is examined and evaluated in individual courses. Accordingly, the teaching process in each course finishes with the examination of knowledge and acquired skills. The forms of knowledge testing (oral or written examinations, preliminary examinations, seminar works, work logs, practical assignments, projects, portfolios, peer evaluation) are defined in the study plans of individual courses. General rules of knowledge testing are regulated by the Rules on the first and second cycle studies at the UL FGG, adopted by the Senate of FGG. The details are defined by the Study Regulations.

The student receives a single grade of the exam, consisting of foreseen required obligations in each course. Each obligation shall be evaluated with a positive grade.

Knowledge from preliminary and partial examinations, seminars, seminar works, work logs, practical projects, home projects, homework and similar amounts to at least 30 % of the total grade.

According to the Statute of the University of Ljubljana the following grading scale is used:

10 – (91–100 %: excellent: exceptional results with negligible mistakes),
9 – (81–90 %: very good: above average knowledge with few mistakes),
8 – (71–80 %: very good: sound outcomes),
7 – (61–70 %: good: good knowledge, but with significant shortcomings)
6 – (51–60 %: sufficient: performance meets the minimum criteria),
5 – (50 % and less: unsatisfactory: performance does not meet minimum criteria).

The candidate's performance is considered successful for grades from satisfactory (6) to excellent (10).

The master’s study programme Water Science and Environmental Engineering foresees elective courses totalling 13 ECTS. Students shall select professional elective courses from the 2^nd cycle study programmes Water Science and Environmental Engineering or Civil Engineering – Orientation Geotechnical and Hydraulic Engineering. Subjects in the amount of 6 ECTS (5%) may be selected freely. Elective courses are selected at student’s own discretion or among other elective courses at other master’s study programmes. In this respect, students are recommended to select courses from the 2^nd cycle study programmes Civil Engineering (Orientations Geotechnical and Hydraulic Engineering and Infrastructural Engineering) or the 2^nd cycle study programme Geodesy and Geoinformatics. Subjects at other faculties of the University of Ljubljana, other Universities in Slovenia or abroad may also be chosen.

Students may also chose elective courses from other faculties that are members of UL, other universities and higher education institutions in Slovenia, or internationally. They are recommended to select courses from the areas of law, economics, administration, statistics, geophysics, computer science, foreign languages, geomorphology, etc.

Students may transfer 30 ECTS-credits of the programme (one study semester, regardless of compulsory and elective units) from any other environmental or hydraulic engineering programme in Slovenia or abroad, provided that UL FGG has a signed agreement with the institution in question.