Univerza na Primorskem Fakulteta za matematiko, naravoslovje in informacijske tehnologije
Presentation of the study
The master’s study programme Sustainable Built Environments is conducted in Slovenian and English language.
The programme provides a comprehensive combination of knowledge from civil engineering, wood technology, and architecture, integrating theory and practice and enabling an interdisciplinary understanding of modern construction science. It is intended for graduates in civil engineering and wood technology who wish to deepen their knowledge in the field of building construction with a focus on sustainability and acquire new professional competences.
Students develop analytical thinking, problem-solving skills for complex challenges, argumentation abilities, and the use of modern technological tools for analysing and presenting issues related to the built environment. The programme fosters the ability to analyse data, integrate knowledge from different disciplines, collaborate effectively, and make independent decisions. Graduates gain confidence in applying professional knowledge, precision in communication, and readiness for further education and successful careers in academic, public, and business environments.
Programme information
Programme name: Sustainable Built Environments
Type of programme: master’s study programme, 2nd cycle
Degree awarded: “magister inženir trajnostnega grajenega okolja” equiv. to a Master’s degree in built environment engineering
Duration: 2 years (4 semesters)
ECTS-credits: 120
Mode of study: full-time, part-time
Language of instruction: Slovene, English
Place of study: Izola
Accreditation: the programme is accredited in accordance with the Higher Education Act and is officialy recognised.
Admission to the 1st year shall be granted to applicants having:
a) completed an undergraduate degree in the field of civil engineering or wood science; or
b) completed a professional study programme (recognized prior to June 11th, 2004) in the field of civil engineering or wood science; or
c) completed a study programme in other professional fields equivalent to the study programmes mentioned under 1) and 2) in terms of duration and credit points, on the condition that the candidate completes additional examinations in the SBE subject matter essential for continuing their studies (up to 30 ECTS), the content and credit points of which depend on the study programme the candidate has already completed. Additional study obligations are assigned to the student by a Study Committee.
Admission may also be gained by an applicant having completed a comparable study abroad. Prior to enrolment, the applicant must apply for the recognition of completed education.
In the case of enrolment limitations, candidates will be selected on the basis of grade point average and diploma thesis from their undergraduate study programme.
“Transfer between study programmes” refers to a situation in which a student enrolled in a particular study programme does not complete it (i.e. discontinues education in the enrolled programme) and directly enrols into a higher year of a new study programme, whereby both the previous and the new programme must belong to the same Bologna cycle (level). When considering the possibility of transferring to a new study programme, the comparability of the programmes and the student’s completed study requirements in the previous programme are taken into account.
Admission to the 2nd year of the master’s study programme in Sustainable Built Environments under the transfer criteria is possible if the following conditions are met:
- the candidate meets the admission requirements for the master’s study programme in Sustainable Built Environments,
- the completion of the initial study programme which the candidate is transferring from ensures the acquisition of comparable competences to those of the master’s study programme in Sustainable Built Environments, and
- other criteria in accordance with the Criteria for Transfers between Study Programmes are met (comparable curriculum of the study programme and completed study requirements of the candidate).
Individual applications for transfer shall be considered by the Committee for Study and Student Affairs of UP FAMNIT. Apart from comparability between both fields of study, the committee shall also consider the comparability between the study programmes, in accordance with the Criteria for Transferring between Study Programmes. The Committee may also assign bridging exams to the candidate.
A candidate transferring from a related study programme abroad may also be admitted under the transfer criteria, provided that, in accordance with the law, they have been granted the right to continue their studies in the master’s study programme in Sustainable Built Environments through the recognition procedure of foreign education.
In the case of limited enrolment, candidates are selected based on the average grade of all completed study requirements in the study programme from which the candidate is transferring.
A student may progress to the next year if they accumulate at least 48 ECTS credits from the enrolled year.
In special cases involving individual circumstances (such as illness or extraordinary situations), a student may be allowed to progress to the next year even with a lower number of ECTS credits. In such cases, the decision on enrollment is made by the Committee for Study and Student Affairs of UP FAMNIT.
A student who has not completed all the requirements specified by the study programme for progression to the next year may, during the course of their studies, repeat a year once, provided they have obtained at least 24 ECTS credits in the first enrolled year. If a student repeats a year, they are not entitled to absolvent year, and their student status expires at the end of the 2nd year.
By progressing or repeating a year, a student retains student status and, consequently, the rights and benefits defined by law. In accordance with the law, a student may apply for an extension of student status, but for no more than one year.
During the course of study, students choose three elective courses: one internal elective, one external elective, and one additional elective (either internal or external). Elective courses are worth 3 or 6 ECTS credits.
Internal elective courses are selected within the study programme.
External elective courses may be chosen from accredited study programmes at higher education institutions in Slovenia or abroad. Within external electives, students may select courses from postgraduate study programmes in the fields of civil engineering and sustainable management. Depending on the student’s specific interests—usually in connection with the master’s thesis (2nd year)—external electives may also be selected from other fields of study.
More information on elective courses and study tracks is available in the document “Curriculum” (see above).
General competencies
- Ability to employ critical thinking and self-assessment.
- Ability to generate new and creative ideas.
- Ability to use acquired knowledge and skills in practice.
- Capacity to conduct scientific research on an adequate level.
- Ability to constructively interact with others, regardless of their cultural background, respecting diversity.
- Capacity to take initiative and promote entrepreneurial and intellectual curiosity.
- Ability to assess and maintain a high quality of work.
- Competence to conduct work in an international environment.
Subject-specific competencies
- Ability to describe a given situation using correct symbols, units, and statements.
- Demonstrate an understanding of concepts and principles of the sustainable built environment.
- Ability to solve construction-related problems (and problems in general) using modern technology.
- Ability to critically analyse a given problem.
- Deduction of new logical conclusions from a given dataset.
- Capacity to face problems related to the sustainable built environment with confidence and to find solutions.
- Capacity to analyse, synthesise, and predict solutions and consequences of factors within the field of construction with regard to sustainable development.
- Critical judgement of events and developments within the field of sustainable built environments.
- Ability to seek, obtain, and incorporate new knowledge independently.
- Ability to seek out and interpret new information and place it within the context of civil engineering.
- Ability to perform independent work.
- Understanding of the applicative value of mathematics and statistics.
- Understanding construction materials from a microscopic to a macroscopic level.
- Capacity to characterize material properties.
- Ability to design wooden structures.
- Knowledge and understanding of the themes of health preservation in the built environment, as well as understanding risk factors in this context.
- Ability to assess the environmental impact of construction materials and buildings.
- Ability to analyse an existing building and to design a building energy renovation project.
- Understanding the importance of alternative material sources within the field of sustainable construction.
Graduates will be able to find employment in the building sector concerned with sustainable building construction, especially wood construction companies. Graduates will also be able to find employment in other fields where knowledge of sustainable development and wood science are required, such as strategic and logistic departments of larger companies.
Employment opportunities await graduates in other industry sectors as well, including the biotechnology sector. These opportunities are enhanced if the graduate gains additional skills and knowledge through elective courses.
Graduates can be involved in research and development work in a variety of institutions or begin independent scientific research.