GEOMATERIALS AND GEOLOGICAL RESOURCES

OBJECTIVES

The Master in Geomaterials and Geological Resources trains professionals and researchers on topics related to the study of geological resources. Topics include: exploration for mineral, hydraulic or energetic resources and/or raw materials; their evaluation and industrial application; and the control of the environmental impact of such exploration and exploitation. The course promotes post-graduate training for professional practice to give increased access to the employment market in earth sciences and related fields, vital to modern society.

The general objectives of the programme are:

• to deepen the training in the area of the Geomaterials and Geological Resources acquired in the 1st cycle, enabling graduates to obtain competences and skills for autonomous work both in research contexts and the business environment;
• to provide scientific and technical training in advanced areas of knowledge, in the domain of Geomaterials and Geological Resources, which will allow students to understand and solve new problems and situations in multidisciplinary contexts;
• to develop skills for the integration of knowledge in complex situations, to present solutions and make concrete project proposals, which take into account their economic and social implications;
• to produce technical documents with clear situations of measurement, such as prospection plans, characterisation, exploration and management of Geomaterials and Geological Resources, including basic information, the underlying reasoning and the risks involved, and to be able to present them, to specialists and other professionals, in a clear and unambiguous way;
• to develop skills in autonomous coordination, management and technical support, in companies and research entities and other bodies which work, directly or indirectly, in the area of Geomaterials and Geological Resources.

 

STRUCTURE

The cycle of studies leading to the Master’s degree in Geomaterials and Geological Resources is composed by:

• a Specialization course, composed by an organized set of curricular units, corresponding to 66 ECTS credits. It confers a Specialization in Geomaterials and Geological Resources;
• a scientific dissertation or project work, original and specifically made for this purpose , corresponding to 54 of the total of 120 ECTS credits, whose public defense may award the Master’s degree in Geomaterials and Geological Resources.

 

CURRICULAR PLAN

Click here to view the complete version of the latest curricular plan.

 

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• Holders of a Bachelor’s degree in Geology or related scientific and technological areas that include a proven background in Earth Sciences, defined as such by the Institutions involved in the Master;
• Holders of a foreign higher degree in one of the areas described in the previous paragraph;
• Holders of an academic, scientific or professional curriculum that the scientific committee of the Master recognizes as sufficient to attest the capacity to carry out this cycle of studies;

 

SELECTION CRITERIA

Candidates who have a Bachelor’s degree in an adequate area, will be placed first.

Placing will be done according to the following criteria and sub-criteria

• Academic Curriculum (70%);
  • Relevant training areas for entry into the EC, namely Geology, Geological Engineering, Mining Engineering, Biology and Geology or other related scientific and technological areas that include a proven basic training in Earth Sciences (70%);
  • Classifications of previous grades, being the weighting factor applied to the average degree, of the areas referred to in the previous point (30%).
• Scientific curriculum (15%);
  • Publications – Indexed publications (1 publication 18 values, 2 publications 19 values), and those not indexed (1 publication 16/20 values, 2 publications 17/20 values) (50%) will be considered;
  • Communications in conferences * (1 communication will be assigned the classification of 15/20 values, 2 communications 16/20 values (25%);
  • Participation in research projects (participation in 1 project 16/20 values; participation in 2 project 17/20 values (25%).
• Professional curriculum (15%).
  • Training actions, attribution of 14/20 values for 1 training action; 14.5 / 20 for 2 actions; 15/20 for 3 actions; … (50%)
  • Professional experience (including internship) assignment of 16/20 values for 1 stage and 18/20 values for 2 stages (50%)

Criteria for the tie-break of candidates:

• average of degree;
• number of indexed publications;
• number of years of professional experience in the area.

Candidates who do not yet hold a Bachelor’s degree and/or have an academic, scientific or professional curriculum that is recognized as attesting to the ability to carry out this Master by the statutory scientific body, will be serialized according to the criteria and sub-criteria indicated above, but replacing the final grade point average by the weighted average of the curricular units performed.

 

CAREER PROSPECTS

A student with a Master in Geomaterials and Geological Resources is qualified to exercise as technician or geologist in:

• Exploration companies (mineral resources, water and energy);
• Aggregate quarrying and processing of minerals and rocks;
• Mining companies;
• Building companies and consortium;
• Laboratories and research companies and technical consulting.

The holder of a Master’s degree is also enabled to respond in other domains such as planning, prediction and prevention of natural disasters, and environmental management and conservation as well as sustainable development.