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Soil and Water Management – (M.Sc.)
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Faculty of Sciences and Environmental Science
| Application Deadline: | September 20 | ||
| Location: | Barcelona / Spain / View location on map ▾ Hide location on map ▴ | ||
| Duration: | 90 months | Start Date: | January |
| Educational Form: |
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| Education Variants: |
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| Special: |
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| Credits (ECTS): | 18 | ||
| Languages: | Spanish Catalan | ||
Location of Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Soil is one of the key factors in a long chain of environmental processes. It influences global climate, regulates the water cycle and is the medium in which many organisms, and above all plants, central to the ecosystem, develop.
Hydrological processes are responsible for the distribution of rainwater, and are decisive for storing water, making it available to flora and regulating the flow of surface and groundwater. In turn, these processes give rise to the transport of all kinds of contaminating and non-contaminating materials of both human and natural origin.
The chemical and biological properties of soils are fundamental in the retention, transformation, decomposition and recycling of the by-products of an organic and inorganic nature derived from farming and other industrial activities.
Thus, the interactions of soil and water with the climate have a strong influence on food production, energy extraction, food safety, erosion, sedimentation, flooding, avalanches, salinisation, environmental degradation, and act as deposits of the by-products of economic activity.
Therefore, soil and water are important for planning land use and for ensuring the conservation of nature. Indeed, sustainable development must look on soil as not only producing biomass or acting as a support for human activities, but also as a fundamental resource in its own right. The aim of the Master’s Degree in Soil and Water Management is to train professionals in the field, with special emphasis placed on the problems inherent to soil and water use in semi-arid climates. In recent times, the EU has drawn attention to soil and water degradation as one of the challenges to its environmental strategy.
Professionals who obtain this Master’s Degree can expect to work in the public and private sectors as environmental managers or researchers. Other employment opportunities include the evaluation of environmental surveys and inventories, both in the field of agriculture and in others closely related to the degradation and use of land, such as mining, construction, industrial and urban development.
Contents
Organisation of modules
Compulsory
Module 1: Soil and Land Survey and Evaluation 12 ECTS credits
* Soil Survey 3.5 ECTS credits
* Soil Information Systems 3.5 ECTS credits
* Soil Evaluation and Land Use Planning 2 ECTS credits
* Soil-Water-Plant-Atmosphere Interactions 3 ECTS credits
Compulsory
Module 2: Soil and Water Quality and Degradation 12 ECTS credits
* Soil and Water Quality 3 ECTS credits
* Soil and Water Degradation Processes 4 ECTS credits
* Soil Ecology 2 ECTS credits
* Residue Management and Recovery through the Soil 3 ECTS credits
Optional
Module 3: Pollution and Remediation of Soils and Waters 12 ECTS credits
* Characteristics and Effects of Pollutants 4 ECTS credits
* Water Treatment and Reuse 4 ECTS credits
* Polluted Soils and Remediation Techniques 4 ECTS credits
Optional
Module 4: Watershed and River Hydrology 12 ECTS credits
* Management and Evaluation of Water Resources 2 ECTS credits
* Hydromorphological and Limnological Processes 3.5 ECTS credits
* Hydrological Risks 3.5 ECTS credits
* Conservation and Restoration of Aquatic Environments 3 ECTS credits
Optional
Module 5: Soils and Water in Rangeland Systems 12 ECTS credits
* Bioclimatology and Hydrology 2 ECTS credits
* Management and Evaluation of Natural and Forest Systems 2 ECTS credits
* Soil Management in Rangeland Systems 4 ECTS credits
* Disturbances and Rehabilitation of Forest Soils 4 ECTS credits
Optional
Module 6: Soils and Water in Agro-systems 12 ECTS credits
* Management of Irrigation and Drainage Water 4 ECTS credits
* Soil Management, Fertilisation and Environmental Disturbances 4 ECTS credits
* Soil Technology 4 ECTS credits
Optional
Module 7: Free-elective module 12 ECTS credits
Free-elective module
The subjects on this module may be:
* Subjects offered by collaborating universities.
* Modules or related subjects from other master’s degrees offered by collaborating universities.
* Modules or related subjects from other national or foreign universities, or research centres such as the IAMZ
A list of subjects will be made available in the registration period.
Type of master's degree
* Inter-University
Others participant universities
MAGSA is an interuniversity master'sdegree with the participation of the following universities:
* University of Lleida (coordinator)
* University of Barcelona
* Public University of Navarre
* University of Zaragoza
Requirements
Students are expected to hold a bachelor's degree in the agricultural and environmental sciences, geography, biology, pharmacy, the Earth and soil sciences, engineering or in related fields, providing they have a basic knowledge of water, soil and land use issues.
The course is divided into modules intended to allow students to follow various academic tracks, from basic research to the applied sciences and engineering. It will therefore appeal to people from a wide range of backgrounds who are interested in soil and water.
Additional Requirements
| Minimal degree required: | Bachelor's degree |
| Minimal amount of work experience | Not specified |
Ask a Question
You can contact Angela Bosch to ask a question about Soil and Water Management at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.
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