Master of Science in Environmental Resource Management
AS7-O13-23
Taught Units Only (No Apprenticeship/No Placement/ No Internship)
Level 7
Qualification
Accredited via MCAST’s Self Accreditation Process (MCAST holds Self-Accrediting Status as per 1st schedule of Legal Notice 296/2012)
Blended Learning
FT 3 Semesters; PT 5 Semesters
90 ECTS
2250 Hours
19 – 65+
(Applicable for Non-EU and Non-EEA Countries) – the fee mentioned here is indicative. Please refer to www.mcast.edu.mt, as well as to MCAST’s MG2I International Section for any updated fees as well as terms of payments.
2024-10-01
The official language of instruction at MCAST is English. All notes and textbooks are in English (except for language courses, which will be in the respective language being instructed). International candidates will be requested to meet English language certification requirements for access to the course.
Applications to full-time courses are received online via the College Management Information System. Applicants can log-in using Maltese Electronic ID (eID) in order to access the MCAST Admissions Portal directly and create one’s own student account with the identity being verified electronically via this secure service.
Non-EID applicants need to request account creation though an online form after that they confirm that their local Identification Document does not come with an EID entitlement. . Once the identity is verified and the account is created on behalf of the applicant, one may proceed with the online application according to the same instructions applicable to all other applicants.
For more information about how to apply online for a course at MCAST, please visit: https://mcast.edu.mt/how-to-apply-online-2/
Non-EU candidates require a study visa in order to travel to Malta and join the course applied for. For further information re study-visa please access https://www.identitymalta.com/unit/central-visa-unit/.
MCAST has four campuses as follows:
MCAST Main Campus
Triq Kordin,
Paola, Malta
All courses except for courses delivered by the Institute for the Creative Arts, the Centre of Agriculture, Aquatics and Animal Sciences and the Gozo Campus are offered at the Main Campus address (above).
Courses delivered by the Institute for the Creative Arts, the Centre of Agriculture, Aquatics and Animal Sciences, or the Gozo Campus, are offered in one of the following addresses as applicable:
Institute for the Creative Arts
Mosta Campus
Misraħ Għonoq Tarġa Gap,
Mosta
Institute of Applied Sciences
Centre of Agriculture, Aquatics and Animal Sciences,
Luqa Road, Qormi
Gozo Campus
J.F. De Chambray Street
MCAST, Għajnsielem
Gozo
In the case of courses delivered via Online Learning, students will be following the programme from their preferred location/address.
Programmes delivered via Blended Learning, and which therefore contain both an online and a face to face component shall be delivered as follows:
Face to Face components – as per above address instructions
Online components – from the student’s preferred address.
English
Given that human activities significantly influence the natural environment, the MSc in Environmental Resource Management will provide students with an in-depth understanding of what the implications of such activities on the environment are and what mitigation measures are needed in order to reduce such influences. Like any longterm strategy, understanding and safeguarding the environment requires a holistic perspective; since safeguarding one aspect today might have ripple effects on other factors eventually. The programme is characterised by several modules that will allow students to develop technical solutions needed to solve, attenuate or control environmental issues. Specialised modules include Renewable Energy and Green Technologies, which aims to examine the technical, economic, and political aspects of renewable energy, as well as evaluate the successes and failures of implementing alternative energies at the local, national, and regional levels. The Food-Energy-Water Nexus unit will provide students with a thorough understanding of the complex and dynamic interrelationships between water, energy and food. Essentially, this will enable the use and management of such resources sustainably. Ecotoxicology aims to assess the effects of different classes of pollutants on individual organisms and on species in food webs, enabling students to predict the negative implications on entire populations, ecosystems and on human food resources.
Malti
Minħabba li l-attivitajiet umani jinfluwenzaw l-ambjent naturali, il-MSc fl-Immaniġġjar tar-Riżorsi Ambjentali se jipprovdi lill-istudenti fehim fil-fond ta’ x’inhuma l-implikazzjonijiet talattivitajiet fuq l-ambjent u liema miżuri ta’ mitigazzjoni huma meħtieġa. Bħal kull strateġija fittul, il-ħarsien tal-ambjent jeħtieġ perspettiva olistika; peress li aspett wieħed illum jista’ jkollha effetti fuq fatturi oħra eventwalment. Il-programm huwa kkaratterizzat minn diversi moduli li se jippermettu lill-istudenti jiżviluppaw soluzzjonijiet tekniċi meħtieġa biex isolvu, inaqqsu jew jikkontrollaw kwistjonijiet ambjentali. Moduli speċjalizzati jinkludu Enerġija Rinnovabbli u Teknoloġiji Ħodor, li għandhom l-għan li jeżaminaw l-aspetti tekniċi, ekonomiċi u politiċi talenerġija rinnovabbli, kif ukoll jevalwaw is-suċċessi u l-fallimenti tal-implimentazzjoni ta’ enerġiji alternattivi fil-livelli lokali, nazzjonali u reġjonali. L-unità Food-Energy-Water Nexus se tipprovdi lill-istudenti għarfien sħiħ tal-interrelazzjonijiet kumplessi u dinamiċi bejn l-ilma, l-enerġija u l-ikel. Essenzjalment, dan se jippermetti l-użu u l-immaniġġjar ta’ riżorsi b’mod sostenibbli. L-ekotossikoloġija għandha l-għan li tivvaluta l-effetti ta’ klassijiet differenti ta’ sustanzi li jniġġsu fuq organiżmi individwali u fuq speċijiet u xbiki tal-ikel, li tippermetti lill-istudenti jbassru l-implikazzjonijiet negattivi fuq popolazzjonijiet sħaħ, ekosistemi u fuq ir-riżorsi tal-ikel tal-bniedem.
First degree (Level 6) in Engineering; Environment; Physics; Geography; Biology; Chemistry or any related field
OR
Relevant degree (Level 5) qualification and adequate professional experience are also considered
At the end of the programme the students are able to;
1. Demonstrate a strong background in natural resource management, environmental quality, and analysis.
2. Be familiar with computational tools for spatial analysis, together with data management, statistics and modelling which have become essential tools in the environmental field.
3. Identify how research methods can help practitioners innovate and inform policy decisions.
4. Demonstrate advanced and integrated knowledge and understanding of the theoretical background that govern environmental, energy and sustainability issues.
5. Identify how interactions between organisms and their environments drive the dynamics at different biological levels and how human activities can influence interactions.
6. Assess the sustainability of policies, programmes and projects at scales ranging from the local to the global scenario that are relevant to the implication and management of green sustainable practices.
The programmes offered are vocational in nature and entail both theoretical lectures delivered in classes as well as practical elements that are delivered in laboratories, workshops, salons, simulators as the module requirements dictate.
Each module or unit entails a number of in person and/or online contact learning hours that are delivered by the lecturer or tutor directly (See also section ‘Total Learning Hours).
Access to all resources is provided to all registered students. These include study resources in paper or electronic format through the Library and Resource Centre as well as tools, software, equipment and machinery that are provided by the respective institutes depending on the requirements of the course or module.
Students may however be required to provide consumable material for use during practical sessions and projects unless these are explicitly provided by the College.
All Units of study are assessed throughout the academic year through continuous assessment using a variety of assessment tools. Coursework tasks are exclusively based on the Learning Outcomes and Grading Criteria as prescribed in the course specification. The Learning Outcomes and Grading Criteria are communicated to the Student via the coursework documentation.
The method of assessment shall reflect the Level, credit points (ECTS) and the schedule of time-tabled/non-timetabled hours of learning of each study unit. A variety of assessment instruments, not solely Time Constrained Assignments/Exams, are used to gather and interpret evidence of Student competence toward pre-established grading criteria that are aligned to the learning outcomes of each unit of the programme of study.
Grading criteria are assessed through a number of tasks, each task being assigned a number of marks. The number of grading criteria is included in the respective Programme Specification.
The distribution of marks and assessment mode depends on the nature and objectives of the unit in question.
Coursework shall normally be completed during the semester in which the Unit is delivered.
Time-constrained assignments may be held between 8 am and 8 pm during the delivery period of a Unit, or at the end of the semester in which the Unit is completed. The dates are notified and published on the Institute notice boards or through other means of communication.
Certain circumstances (such as but not limited to the Covid 19 pandemic) may lead Institutes and Centres to hold teaching and assessment remotely (online) as per MCAST QA Policy and Standard for Online Teaching, Learning and Assessment (Doc 020) available via link https://www.mcast.edu.mt/college-documents/
The Programme Regulations pertaining to this Programme’s MQF/EQF level available at: link https://www.mcast.edu.mt/college-documents/, apply.
All MCAST programmes adopt a Learner-centred approach through the focus on Learning Outcomes. The assessment of MCAST programmes is criterion-referenced and thus assessors are required to assess learners’ evidence against a pre-determined set of Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria.
For a student to be deemed to have successfully passed a unit, a minimum of 50% (grade D) must be achieved.
All full time units are individually graded as follows:
A* (90-100)
A (80-89)
B (70-79)
C (60-69)
D (50-59)
Unsatisfactory work is graded as ‘U’.
Work-based learning units are graded on a Pass/Fail basis only.
Detailed information regarding the grading system may be found in the Programme Regulations pertaining to this programme’sMQF/EQF Level available at: link https://www.mcast.edu.mt/college-documents/
MCAST Career Guidance
Tel: 2398 7135/6
Email: career.guidance@mcast.edu.mt
Download PIT (Public Information Template) pdf here
Download Abridged Course Spec pdf here
Last updated: 2024-08-01
MCAST Main Campus 
+356 2398 7100
information@mcast.edu.mt