CURRICULUM

The Joint Erasmus Mundus programme IMATEC aims to educate a new generation of engineers, managers, and scientists that can provide adequate and state-of-the-art environmental technology and engineering solutions which can be realistically implemented to tackle complex, multidisciplinary environmental issues.

IMATEC_curriculum_2024

STUDY TRACKS

Students will choose one of three main study areas
  • Technology, graduates can typically find employment in companies supplying, operating technologies, in technical consulting, or in the development of new technologies.
  • Policy and Management, suitable for employment in government, local government and management positions of technology and consulting companies.
  • Science, suitable for new technology developers (both business and academic), researchers in technology and product life cycle assessment, and new resource management policies.

Successful graduates will acquire a comprehensive knowledge of advanced technologies for sustainable use of natural resources, life cycle assessment of these technologies, management, and legal and administrative aspects of the circular economy. They will also have an overview of the latest trends in research and development of new environmental technologies.

The medium of instruction is English language.

Study Periods

The students of one cohort will stay together as one group for the three initial semesters, when they will gradually visit each of the Partner universities. For the last semester, they will be offered a possibility to choose a thesis topic at one of the Partners (or Associate Partners).

Semester 1

UCT Prague, Prague, Czech republic

Year 1 is starting at UCT Prague where the students will attend basic courses to introduce important concepts of Environmental Technology and Management and to bring students to the same level of knowledge. They will also have the opportunity to select advanced courses that familiarize them with environmental science and technology. They will also acquire transferable skills when participating in the Scientific and Writing skills for Engineers course.

The students will choose the initial courses from the specialization tracks offered:

  1. Technologies for Circular Economy I,
  2. Policy & Management for Circular Economy I.
  3. Science for Circular Economy I.

Semester 2

University Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain

In the second semester of Year 1, at University Oviedo, the students will attend specialized courses on chemical engineering.

Three specialization tracks are offered:

  1. Technologies for Circular Economy II.
  2. Policy & Management for Circular Economy II.
  3. Science for Circular Economy II.

Between Years 1 and 2

The students will be offered the opportunity to do an internship at one of our industrial partners to further fine-tune their awareness of the industrial world involved in Circular Economy. Besides that, a compulsory Summer school will be organized where the students will have the opportunity to visit lectures on the topics related to the implementation of the circular economy. The lecturers will come both from academic and non-academic associated partners (universities, research institutions, non-profit organizations, industry). It will include an optional lab training and workshop on public engagement.

Semester 3

Åbo Akademi, Turku, Finland

Year 2 at Åbo Akademi, the students will continue in one of the three tracks according to their choice from the second semester. As described above, they will be required to take a minimum number of ECTS credits from an alternative track so that their curriculum remains multidisciplinary.

Semester 4

Year 2, finally, based on a careful choice of the preferred field, the students will have an opportunity to do their Master thesis with one academic host institution or be hosted by an industrial partner. Students at the MSc research stage work in the partners’ institutes, or elsewhere in internationally recognized partner institutes like universities, while the supervisor always comes from one of the three partner institutes. The offer of thesis topics will be composed in such a way that approximately one-third of the cohort will do their thesis at each partner institution. 

PROFILE OF A GRADUATE

Successful graduates will acquire, depending on the chosen study track, a comprehensive knowledge of:

  • chemical engineering and its application to chemical processes to tackle circular economy challenges;
  • environmental engineering and its application to chemical processes to tackle circular economy challenges;
  • development, design and application of technologies that adhere to the circular economy principles
  • the way products should be designed to facilitate their re-use in line with circular economy principles
  • sustainable resource management including the use of alternative renewable raw materials
  • management and entrepreneurship to facilitate the transition towards circular economy and sustainably in maintaining it