Academically oriented

Full-time study

2 years

prof. Ing. Jiří Kučerík, Ph.D.

Chairman :
prof. Ing. Jiří Kučerík, Ph.D.
Councillor internal :
prof. Ing. Jozef Krajčovič, Ph.D.
doc. MVDr. Helena Zlámalová Gargošová, Ph.D.
Councillor external :
doc. Ing. Petr Dolejš, CSc.
doc. RNDr. Václav Slovák, Ph.D.

The objective of the study is to educate graduates who will have theoretical knowledge and practical experiences in environmental sciences and the environmental engineering subjects. The objective of the study is to maximally prepare the future graduates for practice or for the subsequent doctoral studies. The study provides knowledge in fields focused on the environmental protection and also technologies with an overlap to interdisciplinary subjects. The content of the individual subjects is conceived to be fully consistent with designed study objectives and stated profile of a graduate. During the study, students improve their theoretical knowledge and practical skills obtained in a bachelor study program, especially in environmental chemistry and processes active in individual elements of environment and in relevant technologies for the environmental protection. These are mainly technologies for treatment and cleaning of water, redevelopment and decontamination of soil and technologies for dealing with solid, liquid and gas wastes.

Graduates of the “Environmental Science and Engineering” double-degree study program obtain the engineer degree (Ing.) in the field of environmental engineering, when studying at BUT, and the MSc. Degree in the field of environmental sciences when studying at the University of Koblenz-Landau (Germany).
Expertise:
Graduates will obtain broad and deep knowledge in the environmental chemistry and engineering fields, including understanding the corresponding theories, concepts and methods, as well as they will understand the possibilities, requirements and limitation within these disciplines.
Graduates will thus acquire the whole portfolio of knowledge for practice or subsequent doctoral studies. The graduate gains theoretical and practical knowledge in the field of environmental sciences including statistic analysis, transport and behavior of pollutants, biogeochemical processes and cycles, properties and dynamics of ecosystems (incl. anthropogenic ecosystems), biodiversity and geoecology and the basics of environmental economy. Based on their choice, graduates have the possibility to gain deeper knowledge on other subjects, for example on applied analytical chemistry or organic chemistry.
In the field of environmental engineering, a graduate gains knowledge of conventional and special technologies for the waste management, treatment of water including designs of wastewater treatment plants, redevelopment technologies and the problematics of conventional and alternative energy sources.
Professional Skills:
A graduate is able to use his professional knowledge to determine and creatively deal with theoretical and practical problems in his field, independently and creatively deal with complex problems through the implementation of chosen theories, concepts and methods, as well as use the whole range of advanced research methods of the field in the way that enables to obtain new, original information.
The graduate thus has a broad spectrum of knowledge in natural science (chemistry), related chemical-technological skills and perceives the problematics of the environmental protection even from the perspective of environmental economics including the assessment of life cycle of materials, circular economy and waste management.
Graduates understand the context between substances and its properties, accumulation, transport and impact on environment, they are aware of risks and consequences of human activity on individual elements of environment and they are able to apply technological solutions for its disposal and prevention. Furthermore, they are able to make independent engineering decisions, including designs of simple devices and approaches. They handle basic and some advanced technical devices and software environment.
General Eligibility:
Graduates are able to make independent and responsible decisions in new or changing contexts, or in dramatically evolving environment with respect to broader social consequences of such decisions. They are able to plan, support and manage the acquisition of further professional knowledge, skills and responsibilities of other team members with use of theoretical knowledge of the field. They note the evolving contexts and available resources, they can define the tasks for professional activities, coordinate them and bear the ultimate responsibility for the results and consequences. They are also self-sufficient in resolving ethical issues. Graduates are able to understandably and convincingly communicate acquired knowledge to professionals, including the defense of their own opinions. A graduate is able to independently work with foreign-language literary sources, evaluate and process measured data, apply advanced statistic methods for the data processing, formulate conclusions and elaborate a professional thesis of large range. This means, that the graduate acquires knowledge and practical experiences with procedures and methods of a scientific thesis. Furthermore, the graduate is able to verbally present acquired knowledge, even in English.

Acquired knowledge is important for broader understanding of environmental issues and sustainable development and for future application in environmental, technologic and chemically oriented applications in a business sphere, in state administration, healthcare, pharmacy and food industry, but also in management of domestic or foreign organizations.
By completing the study program, a graduate acquires prerequisites for successful study in the “Chemistry and technology of environmental protection” subsequent doctoral study that focuses on advanced methods of environmental analysis and modern technologies.
Graduates of the program can find employment either in a state administration (environmental protection authorities in the CZ or in EU), in domestic and international companies (construction and territorial development, water management services, waste management), or in companies focused on chemical and environmental engineering. Interdisciplinary nature of the program offers the possibility of employment in a consulting services, or as a coordinator in companies dealing with the environmental protection. Graduates can also work as technicians in laboratories, project offices or consulting companies.

Receiving 120 ECTS, successful completion of all compulsory subjects, including the compulsory practice, successful thesis defense and completing the state final exam, at least 1 semester at the University of Koblenz-Landau, Germany.

The study program is based on the existing accredited study program “Environmental Sciences”, that is offered by the University of Koblenz-Landau (UKL), campus in Landau. For better understanding of the proposed study program, we first describe the structure of the UKL study program.
The structure of the UKL study program, to which we join: As can be seen on the Figure 1 in a self-evaluating report, the UKL student of this program has 4 compulsory courses in the first semester; “Tools for complex data analysis”, “Fate and transport of pollutants“, “Land use and ecosystems“ and "Environmental economics“. The student gains 24 ECTS for them. Compulsory subjects also include: “Sustainability and global change”, “Research and training internship” that take place during the first three semesters and are evaluated with another 12 ECTS. The last compulsory subject is the “Master thesis” that take place in the 4th semester. For further study, the UKL student chooses two from eight compulsory elective specializations (Elective subject 1 a 2), the student has 4 compulsory subjects within each specialization and other compulsory electives. Details of the study program and subjects’ annotation (List of modules) are available in the Annex. The specializations (elective subjects) offered at the UKL are as follows: “ANA: Environmental analysis”, “AÖK: Applied ecology”, “SÖU: Socioeconomics and environmental management”, “AQU: Aquatic systems”, “SOS: Soil systems LAS: Landscapes and scales“, “CHE: Chemicals in the environment”, “MOD: Modelling”.
The structure of proposed study program, i.e. junction of UKL and BUT: The proposed “double degree” study program of “Environmental Sciences and Engineering“ is divided into four semesters, two academic years and it is joined to the “Environmental Sciences“ study program through the creation of independent “specialization” of “Environmental engineering“ (ENG). In other words, the student chooses one specialization at the UKL and the “Environmental engineering” specialization is joined to it. Students with basic knowledge of environmental chemistry and ecosystem processes with the Bc. degree from “Umweltwissenschaftern” from the UKL or FCH BUT or with the Bc. degree in chemistry, physics, environmental engineering, ecology, or similar disciplines from other universities are admitted to study.
The study responsibilities are then distributed as follows:
The first semester takes place compulsory at the UKL where the student acquires at least 24 ECTS (24 from compulsory subjects [modules] and the rest from the compulsory electives offered at the UKL with respect to the selected specialization). The student selects only one specialization at the UKL, the second is the “Environmental Engineering” studied at FCH BUT. Student thus starts acquiring knowledge about environmental sciences at the UKL and also receives credits in a compulsory subject of “Sustainability and Global Change I”. So, the student receives 27 ECTS in compulsory subjects and other credits through the subjects within his / her selection, see “List of modules”.
The second semester takes place compulsory at FCH BUT where the student receives 24 ECTS within four compulsory subjects of “Water and wastewater engineering”, “Waste management and engineering“, “Decontamination and remediation technologies“, and “Radioecology, nuclear chemistry and technology” and 1 ECTS for “Sustainability and Global Change II”. Student thus acquires knowledge in the field of environmental engineering supplemented by an analysis of individual elements of environment. For organizational reasons, students are offered some subjects that are taught at the UKL in the second semester. These include: “Water analysis” (overlaps with ANA and AQU), “Soil chemistry” (overlaps with ANA and SOS), “Green chemistry“ (overlaps with CHE) and “Advances in organic chemistry” (overlaps with CHE). The UKL also offers the possibility to study these simultaneously with the SÖU courses (“Sustainability and Society” and “Environmental Management” more info here). Within the compulsory subjects, the student receives 25 ECTS and the rest then from the compulsory electives.
One part of the third semester is a compulsory internship in a company or a research institution (8 ECTS). In this semester, a student has a choice of many compulsory electives, offered either at the UKL, or FCH BUT, or both of them (some of them overlap). Within the “Environmental engineering” specialization, the student has the possibility to study the “Special water treatment technologies”, “Designing of facilities in waste water treatment technologies”, “Green materials for green technologies, energy and depollution”. Overlapping subjects are “Current developments in environmental chemistry“ (ANA, SOS, LAS) and "Biogeochemical interfaces" (ANA, SOS, LAS). The compulsory subject is the “Sustainability and Global Change III”, that overlaps with all specializations. Students can also choose courses for the SÖU specialization (“Sustainability and Society”, “Environmental Policy and Law”, “Environmental Life Cycle Assessment”, “Environmental Management“, “Environmental Cost-Benefit Analysis”), and for the AÖK, AQU and CHE specializations “Principles of ecology” subject ETX2 (for more info see List of modules). The student thus improves his / her knowledge acquired in the previous semester, either in the “Environmental sciences“ field, or “Environmental engineering” field, based on his / her own choice and preferences with respect to the study program. Within the compulsory subjects, the student receives 9 ECTS, then the rest from the compulsory electives.
In the fourth semester, the student elaborates a thesis of his / her choice, either at the UKL, or BUT, the student receives 30 ECTS for it. The thesis defense and the final exam take place in the presence of the UKL and BUT workers in BUT facilities. In total, the student has to receive at least 120 ECTS and complete all compulsory subjects.
The description of the plan shows that the study plan is designed to allow students to gain theoretical and practical knowledge necessary for the pursuit of the occupation, including the employment in creative activity, and furthermore to acquire necessary practical skills. The program is also conceived to give students the greatest choice of the offered specializations possible. The plan designed this way allows students to study the ENG “specialization” offered by VUT simultaneously with other specializations. If they decide to study the third semester at the UKL, they can combine the ENG with: ANA, CHE, AÖK, SÖU (partly online), AQU, SOS or LAS. In the case they decide to study the third semester at the BUT, they can combine the ENG “specialization”, offered by BUT, with: ANA, SÖU (online), AQU, SOS or CHE.
Specializations are not explicitly conceived in the program, because they are already contained in the accredited study program at the UKL. FCH BUT accredits only the “Environmental engineering” part which, as stated above, is only joined to the UKL accreditation as a specialization.

The graduates may continue in a doctoral study programme.