Plan de estudios

AIMS

The course gives an insight into the diversity of living beings and their levels of organisation, by analysing their structure, their function and the ecological processes and interactions in operation, with a focus on providing training in research skills.

This information will always be framed within the context of current species and habitat conservation issues, and the sustainable exploitation of living resources from a perspective of integration and respect for local human societies,

This general objective can be broken down as follows:

• Studying, identifying, analysing and classifying living organisms and their levels of organisation, as well as their remains and signs of activity.
• Analysing biodiversity and the state of conservation of populations and communities.
• Establishing scientific bases for managing, exploiting and conserving populations, ecosystems and living natural resources.
• Researching, developing and monitoring biotechnological processes applied to conservation or a sustainable exploitation of biodiversity.
• Producing, transforming, handling, conserving, identifying and controlling the quality of materials of biological origin.
• Studying the biological effects of products of any nature and monitoring their action.
• Programming and conducting research into aspects relating to biological biodiversity, including knowledge, conservation and sustainable use.

• Teaching and transmitting the values of biodiversity and the need for conservation.

COMPETENCES

General Competences (CG)

• CG1:Use computer programs for analysing and studying the different levels of organisation of biodiversity.
• CG2:Acquire ICT skills (Information and Communication Technologies) applied to studying the biological diversity and biology of conservation, managing the information obtained correctly.
• CG3:Develop the capacity for analysis, synthesis and critical reasoning applied to experimental observations and data.
• CG4:Develop the capacity for teamwork.
• CG5:Introduce conservation as an aim of research projects concerning biological diversity.
• CG6:Acquire a permanent concern for quality, the environment and the conservation of the environment.
• CG7:Develop the ability to transmit information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialist and non-specialist audiences.

Specific Competences:

Theoretical

• CEc1:Acquire the basic knowledge needed to understand and interpret studies and research in the field of the biology of conservation.
• CEc2:Understand the different levels of study of biodiversity, from a comprehensive view covering from the functional level of organisms to their organisation in systems.
• CEc3:Understand and interpret the diversity of living beings in the environment, as well as their origin, evolution and behaviour.
• CEc4:Acquire and advanced understanding of the phylogenetic and biogeographical principles that govern the classification of living beings.
• CEc5:Understand and apply methods for analysing biodiversity, acquiring the knowledge needed to validate models on the basis of experimental data.
• CEc6:Understand the role played by interspecific relationships in the structuring of communities and the preservation of biodiversity.
• CEc7:Design and execute research and biodiversity conservation projects.

Ability

• CEh1:Apply concepts, principles and theories associated with the areas of conservation biology and studies of biological diversity.
• CEh2:Use inductive and deductive methods correctly in studies of biodiversity.
• CEh3:Recognise and implement good scientific practices when handling and taking data from biological material.
• CEh4:Plan, design and execute research projects in the field of the knowledge and conservation of biological diversity.
• CEh5:Acquire the skills needed to prepare scientific texts on the basis of experimental and bibliographic data.
• CEh6:Know how to identify, analyse and catalogue biological diversity.
• CEh7:Carry out biological biotests and diagnoses applied to the field of conservation biology.
• CEh8:Characterise, manage, conserve and restore populations, communities and ecosystems.
• CEh10:Carry out, present and defend scientific and technical reports both in writing and orally to specialist audiences.

• Structure of the Master’s Degree course: credits and subjects
• Distribution of subjects by year/semester
• General course programme

MASTER’S DEGREE COURSE - CREDITS AND SUBJECTS

DISTRIBUTION OF SUBJECTS BY YEAR/SEMESTER

GENERAL COURSE PROGRAMME

The course programme is divided into a core and a complementary module, as well as the Master’s degree final project.

The Core Module consists of 21 credits for compulsory subjects considered necessary for any conservation biology profession, particularly in the field of biodiversity:

• Introduction to the study of biodiversity (4 credits).
• The evolution process and the conservation of species (3 credits).
• Taxonomy and phylogeny: From Linnaeus to molecules (4 credits).
• Conservation strategies and managing biodiversity (3 credits).
• Methods of analysis in biodiversity and conservation (4 credits).
• Advanced seminars in biodiversity (3 credits).

The Complementary Module includes 33 ECTS credits that students may choose from a range of optional subjects, which together add up to 59 credits. Given the nature of the subjects involved, this module is optional in so far as students are free to choose the subjects of their preference.

The Master’s Final Project is compulsory and is worth 6 ECTS credits. It consists of a research project designed by the student with supervision from a Master’s teacher and will preferably relate to the doctoral thesis that the student wishes to undertake.

• Entry Requirements
• Admission and Assessment Criteria
• Pre-enrolment and Enrolment
• Number of Places

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

According to the Regulations of the University of Alicante, the following requirements must be complied to have access to official taught Master’s degrees:

1. To be in possession of a SPANISH OFFICIAL GRADUATE DEGREE CERTIFICATE or other issued by an institution of higher education  within the EHEA (European Higher Education) that enables the holder to have access  to Master’s degrees in the issuing .
2. To be in possession of an officially approved  FOREIGN HIGHER EDUCATION DEGREE CERTIFICATE that had been recognised as equal to the degree that allows access to the requested studies.
3. To be in possession of a UNIVERSITY DEGREE CERTIFICATE obtained in a University or Higher Education Institution of COUNTRIES OUTSIDE THE EHEA, without the prior approval of their studies. In this case, the following should be considered:

• Non- recognised degree certificates shall require a technical report showing an equivalence statement issued by the University of Alicante (ContinUA – Continuing Education Centre), for which the corresponding fee should be paid.
• Access through this way does under no circumstances imply prior official approval of the holder’s degree certificate, nor its recognition for purposes other than studying a master's degree.

ADMISSION AND ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

1.- Admission profile

The Master’s Degree in Biodiversity is aimed at graduates in Biology, Environmental Sciences, Marine Sciences, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Argricultural Engineering, Forest Engineering or Geography.

2.     Assessment criteria

PRE-ENROLMENT AND ENROLMENT

PRE-ENROLMENT +info

Students who intend to study for an officially recognised Master’s Degree at the UA should complete pre-enrolment in accordance with the guidelines and deadlines specified annually.

ENROLMENT +info

Following publication of the final list of those admitted to the course, an email containing a user password will be sent to successful applicants, enabling them to enrol via the Campus Virtual in accordance with the guidelines and deadlines specified annually.

In the registration process, the documents issued abroad must be official, duly notorised and translated. Further information:

• http://sga.ua.es/en/academic-regulations/legalizacion/legalization-of-documents.html

NUMBER OF PLACES

Focus

Research.

Professional Profiles

This Master’s degree course is aimed at training researchers in the field of biodiversity and is designed to correspond to the teaching period of the current doctorate programmes governed by Royal Decree 1393/2007, particularly the Biodiversity, conservation and management of species and their habitats doctorate. The course is co-ordinated by the CIBIO University Research Institute and began during the 2009-2010 academic year.

This Master’s programme is therefore designed to train researchers in all areas of research into biological diversity (both fundamental and applied), enabling them to undertake professional work in research centres, conservation support units for national and international nature conservation organisations, research and development departments in biotechnological companies, local and national public administration departments related to the environment and nature conservation, or official international environmental organisation departments. The course will focus heavily on the advance of the science of biodiversity, including conservation and the socioeconomic repercussion of biodiversity (plant and animal diversity, environment, natural spaces, agro-forest-pastoral areas, food, biotechnology, impacts, climate change, etc.).

TIMESCALE FOR IMPLEMENTATION

1. Timescale for implementation of the Master’s Degree course

2. Procedure for equivalence recognition, where appropriate, between the current and the new course programme.

The Master’s Academic Commission will evaluate any requests to grant equivalence between credits obtained on Doctorate Programmes governed by Royal Decree 778/1998 or 56/2005 and credits on the new official Master’s degree. In each case, equivalence recognition will only apply to credits obtained during the teaching period of the Doctorate programme, and will be governed by the terms set out in the University of Alicante regulations.

3. Studies being phased out and replaced by the proposed degree course: 

Biodiversity Doctorate Programme: Conservation and Management of Species and their Habitat (Royal Decree 778/1998).

Internal Quality Assurance System (SGIC) of the Title

• Structure of the Centre for Quality
  • Comission of Internal Quality Guarantee
  • Other Commissions  
• Handbook SGIC
• Procedures
  • Strategic (PE)
  • Key (PC)
  • Support (PA)
  • Measurement (PM)

• Management of the SGIC (Access to ASTUA)

Follow-up of the Title

• Self-reports UA
• External reports AVAP 
• Other reports
• Improvement Plans
• Progress and Learning Outcomes