2^nd Cycle: Water Science and Environmental Engineering MA

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 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 degree programme in Water Science and Environmental Engineering is available to the following candidates:

1. graduates of a first cycle study programme with at least 180 credits in the field of Civil Engineering or an equivalent programme of studies obtained in accordance with the existing regulations in the Republic of Slovenia or abroad;
2. graduates of a first-degree study programme (at least 180 credits) in another field of study or an equivalent programme of studies completed in accordance with the existing regulations in the Republic of Slovenia or abroad, provided that the student has completed the study requirements prior to enrolment which are essential for continuing his/her studies. These requirements are determined by the Study Board of the Department of Environmental Civil Engineering of the UL FGG and range from 10 to a maximum of 60 credits.

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

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.

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.

Exceptionally, a student may apply for admission to a higher year if he/she has completed the compulsory subjects in accordance with the study programme and has achieved at least 40 credits in the current year, and if he/she has good reasons. The exceptional enrolment is decided by the Study Board of the Department of Environmental Civil Engineering, UL FGG.

A student who has not completed all the requirements specified in the study programme for entry to a higher year of study may repeat the year once during the period of study, provided that he/she has achieved at least 30 ECTS.

Students finish the study by accomplishing all the prescribed obligations totalling 120 points according to ECTS.

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).

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.