Mestrado Inter-Universitário em Ecologia, Gestão e Modelação do Ambiente Marinho

Universidade Nova de Lisboa - Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia

Universidade Técnica de Lisboa - Instituto Superior Técnico

M.Sc. in Marine Sciences

Mestrado do Mar

Prospectus

Marine Sciences M.Sc. at FCT/IST - Portugal

OBJECTIVES

Marine systems are by definition highly interdisciplinary, which makes their study particularly difficult.In order to promote a more unified approach to this research, the Universidade Nova de Lisboa (New University of Lisbon), the Universidade Técnica de Lisboa (Technical University of Lisbon) and the Universidade de Lisboa (University of Lisbon) have joined forces to create an M.Sc. program in Marine Sciences.

Presently, two of the specialization areas of the program are in operation:

• Coastal management
• Marine modelling

The basic idea behind the course is to prepare specialists in fundamental areas of marine science, and simultaneously giving students a multi-subject perspective on the study of the oceans, preparing them for a sound interdisciplinary approach.

The Universities involved have extensive experience in marine research, and complement each other in many research fields, ranging from physical oceanography to marine ecotoxicology, from environmental economics to ecological modelling, or from marine trace-metal chemistry to coastal land planning.

The course was created in 1993 by Portaria Nº 245/93 (1993/10/19), and has been in session annually since 1993-1994. A list of Alumni is available here.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The lecture program is divided into a three parts, consisting of a core module and two specialization modules. The core module provides a basic introduction to oceanography, and the necessary background for the subsequent modules.

The Coastal management module examines the management of estuaries and coastal areas through the study of biogeochemical processes, pollution and environmental impact, and ecosystem modelling.

The Marine modelling module focuses on the simulation of processes which occur in marine environments, namely hydrodynamics (tides, waves and currents), dispersion, water quality and sediment transport. Special attention is given to the interaction between hydrodynamic and ecological models.

Program structure

The program consists of a lecture course lasting 9 months (3 terms), and a thesis to be carried out in a further 9 months, corresponding to a total program duration of 18 calendar months.

Course work

The lecture course is organised in credit system, with each credit unit (UC) equivalent to 15 hours. Each student must obtain a minimum of 20 UC, distributed as follows:

• 8 UC are obtained through the completion of the core module;
• 8 UC are obtained in courses within the chosen specialisation module;
• 4 UC are obtained in courses chosen from the other specialisation module.
  

The credit requirements are designed to promote interdisciplinary study. Only the core module courses are required, in order to provide a foundation common to all students, stimulate dialog between different scientific areas, and encourage the development of interdisciplinary projects. The courses of both specialisation modules are all elective, allowing the student to choose the study plan best suited to his professional career and aspirations.

Dissertation

The dissertation should be based on an original research work, lasting about 9 months, generally supervised by an adviser from one of the participating universities. The research topic may be:

• Proposed by the student;
• Proposed by the student's employer, with his/her agreement;
• Selected from a list of topics presented each year at thesis website;
• Selected from a list available in the European D.E.A. on Modelling of the Marine Environment.

In special cases, an external adviser may be acceptable, or co-supervision of a thesis. The multi-subject approach of the program justifies co-supervision for some of the theses. When a thesis is supervised externally, the coordinator of the program will designate a faculty member who will be responsible for liaison with the home institution.

Thesis proposals must be presented in writing (2-3 pages) to the coordinating body of the program, who must ensure:

• Adequate supervision is provided for;
• The work proposed corresponds to the aims of the M.Sc. Program;
• The work is financially and logistically achievable, within the time-frame available.

Students are strongly encouraged to seek thesis topics by integrating into ongoing research in-house, or by participating in joint research programs with oceanographic institutes, universities and companies.

A list of previous dissertations which have been successfully defended is available here.

Fees

The fees payable for the course are about €1000 for the lecture course and €1000 for the dissertation, amounting to roughly €2000. Under special circumstances grants may be awarded to cover some of the M.Sc. fees.

Organization

Each specialisation module is coordinated by one of the universities involved:

- Coastal Management - Faculty of Sciences and Technology, New University of Lisbon.(FCT)

- Marine Modelling - IST, Lisbon Technical University.(IST)

The core module courses are given by the participating universities. The M.Sc. diploma is awarded by the university where the thesis is submitted and discussed.

Duration and timetable

The course duration is 18 calendar months, starting in November. The course work is covered until July of the following year, and the thesis is usually discussed by the spring of the subsequent year.

Each specialisation module is taught at a different university. The core module is taught in both universities. Timetables are organised as follows:

Core module

Period: November-March
November-January: Courses at FCT
January-March: Courses at IST
Weekdays: Mondays and Tuesdays, 14.00-19.00h

Curriculum

Each student should prepare his/her study plan from the course list provided at the link below. A tutor will be assigned to each student at the start of the course, who will assist in the preparation of the study plan.

View available courses for the current academic year

ADMISSIONS

 The admission period is set by the faculty administration of the two participating universities, and is divided into two stages:

Application: July to mid-October

Enrolment: September-November

A maximum number of 30 students (15 for each specialization course) are accepted each year.

The  admission dates may vary from  year to year, candidate students are strongly advised to seek timely information through the contacts below.

Information and contacts

FCT/UNL

Coordinator at FCT/UNL - Prof. J. Gomes Ferreira

Information

D. Filomena Gomes, Dept. de Ambiente, FCT/UNL Monte da Caparica

• E-mail: mena@megamar.org
• Tel +351-21-2948300 EXT 10117
• Web: http://www.ecowin.org
• fax +351-21-2948554

At IST/UTL

Coordinator at IST/UTL - Prof. Ramiro Neves

Information

Prof. Ramiro Neves, Dept. de Eng. Mecânica, Instituto Superior Técnico, 1049-001 Lisboa

• E-mail: ramiro.neves@ist.utl.pt
• Web http://194.65.82.103/mestrado/main.htm
• Tel: + 351-21-4239018/+351-21-841 7397
• Fax: +351-21-841 7398

FACULTY

Name

Research topics/specialization