MD Technologies Ecological Transition in Agriculture

The Master's degree program in Technologies for the Ecological Transition in Agriculture (TTEA) provides knowledge and skills in various fields of agricultural sciences to train specialists capable of guiding and supporting the ecological transition of production and management processes in agricultural companies.

The course, with open access, is aimed at students with a background in plant and animal production and a strong interest in developing and implementing innovative solutions to support the transformation of agricultural systems towards greater environmental, social, and economic sustainability.

The master's graduate in TTEA is a specialist capable of operating in managerial, executive, and consulting roles within the complexity of agri-food supply chains to support the implementation of innovative strategies for the transformation of production processes.

Thanks to the multidisciplinarity of their skills, the graduate is able to lead and coordinate the multitude of professionals involved in ecological transition processes, guiding their production choices and modes of intervention.

Finally, the comprehensive training will enable the master's graduate in TTEA to act as a catalyst for innovation, capable of understanding, adopting, and spreading the most suitable solutions for the specificities of each productive sector of the agri-food system.

The educational path is divided into four training areas: knowledge and solutions for agroecosystem management; knowledge and identification of solutions for sustainable plant and animal production; knowledge and technologies for system analysis, decision-making, and management; knowledge and skills necessary for managing innovation in the farm and food system.

These areas have been designed to provide knowledge and promote the acquisition of highly specialized skills while developing in the graduate the capacity for analytical thinking, problem-solving attitude, and the ability to approach the addressed topics in a multidisciplinary way.

Specialist in the ecological transition of agricultural systems.

Role in a work context:
The master's graduate in TTEA is a specialist capable of operating in managerial, executive, and consulting roles within the complex agri-food supply chains to support the implementation of innovative strategies for the transformation of production processes. Thanks to the multidisciplinary nature of their skills, the graduate can lead and coordinate the multiple professional figures involved in ecological transition processes, guiding their production choices and intervention methods. Finally, the comprehensive training will enable the TTEA graduate to act as a catalyst for innovation, able to understand, adopt, and disseminate the most suitable solutions tailored to the specificities of each productive sector of the agri-food system.

Skills associated with the role:
The master's graduate in TTEA can carry out activities related to management, control, and coordination of agricultural production processes to meet the demands of national and international markets regarding product quality, environmental respect, and the landscape and historical-cultural values of the territory, promoting the ecological transition of the agricultural sector.
In particular, the graduate possesses skills that enable them to:

• Design innovation strategies for the ecological transition of agricultural enterprises;
• Analyze and monitor environmental indicators;
• Conduct environmental impact assessments and design responses and adaptation strategies for agricultural ecosystems to climate change;
• Assess soil degradation processes and identify risks;
• Manage open-field crop operations;
• Evaluate and monitor the effects of biodiversity management on primary production and the provision of other ecosystem services;
• Use intensive and extensive breeding techniques, with particular attention to environmental sustainability, animal welfare improvement, and quality and certification of animal products;
• Analyze biological and technical aspects for managing animal husbandry (sustainable breeding technologies, feeding, and waste management);
• Assess certification procedures and systems along the production chain;
• Implement innovative solutions in agricultural mechanization;
• Select IT tools and information processing systems to improve farm management;
• Collaborate in the implementation and management of basic and applied research projects in plant or animal production sectors;
• Identify business strategies that promote innovation adoption at all levels of the agri-food supply chains;
• Encourage the creation of networks for dialogue and collaboration among territorial stakeholders;
• Attract funding to support innovation for sustainable development;
• Identify and implement the most suitable market tools for the promotion and enhancement of sustainable agri-food productions.

Employment opportunities:
The TTEA graduate can find employment at:

• Agricultural companies, consortia, and producer cooperatives;
• Service companies operating in ecological planning and environmental protection, rural development, conservation, protection, defense, and improvement of agricultural, plant, and animal resources;
• Companies dedicated to the distribution, trade, and marketing of plant and animal products;
• Companies supplying products and technologies dedicated to the agricultural sector;
• Companies operating in the agri-food sector;
• Freelance practice (Professional Association of Agronomists and Foresters);
• Consulting companies in the agri-food sector;
• National public institutions (ministries, regions, provinces, municipalities, mountain communities, etc.) and international organizations (EU, FAO, UNDP, etc.);
• Public and private research bodies (universities, National Research Council, CREA);
• Non-governmental organizations involved in planning, guidance, and control of sustainable development projects in rural areas.

The master's graduate who meets the requirements established by current legislation can participate in admission exams for teacher training courses for secondary schools (lower and upper levels).
The course allows participation in the state exam for access to the professions of Agronomist and Forester.

The Master’s degree program TTEA trains highly qualified professionals capable of supporting the ecological transition in the production and management processes of agricultural enterprises. Graduates acquire interdisciplinary skills to develop innovative solutions that are environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable, integrated with modern technologies and agricultural management methods.

The curriculum is organized into four main training areas:

• Evaluation and management of agroecosystems, focusing on biodiversity, soil quality, and pollution reduction.
• Technologies for sustainable plant and animal production, including reducing environmental impacts of livestock and circular economy practices.
• Analysis, decision-making, and management of agricultural systems supported by advanced technologies such as sensors and artificial intelligence.
• Innovation management in agricultural and agri-food systems, with attention to economic sustainability, regulations, and certifications.

The program also includes achieving language proficiency of at least B2 level.

The course was developed in response to European and international directives for sustainable agricultural production, with contributions from local stakeholders, aiming to train professionals able to lead the ecological transition of farms and food systems. A mandatory internship is included to facilitate integration into the workforce and ongoing interaction with the productive and social realities of the territory.

For more information, please refer to the original page in Italian.

Admission Requirements

To be admitted to the Master’s degree program in TTEA, applicants must hold a Bachelor’s degree according to D.M. 270/04 (or D.M. 509/99) obtained in class L-25 – Agricultural and Forestry Sciences and Technologies, or the corresponding class under D.M. 509/99 (class 20 – Agricultural, Food and Forestry Sciences and Technologies).

Graduates from different classes than L-25 (D.M. 270/04) or class 20 (D.M. 509/99) may also be admitted, provided they meet both of the following conditions:

• Having acquired at least 30 credits in the following scientific-disciplinary sectors:
  • From FIS/01 to FIS/07
  • From MAT/01 to MAT/09
  • INF/01 – Computer Science
  • SECS-S/01 – Statistics
  • CHIM/03 – General and Inorganic Chemistry
  • CHIM/06 – Organic Chemistry
  • BIO/01 – General Botany
  • BIO/02 – Systematic Botany
  • BIO/03 – Environmental and Applied Botany
  • BIO/04 – Plant Physiology
  • BIO/05 – Zoology
  • BIO/13 – Applied Biology
• Having acquired at least 60 credits in the following scientific-disciplinary sectors:
  • AGR/01 – Rural Economics and Appraisal
  • AGR/02 – Agronomy and Herbaceous Crops
  • AGR/03 – General Arboriculture and Tree Crops
  • AGR/04 – Horticulture and Floriculture
  • AGR/07 – Agricultural Genetics
  • AGR/08 – Agricultural Hydraulics and Hydraulic-Forestry Systems
  • AGR/09 – Agricultural Mechanics
  • AGR/10 – Rural Buildings and Agroforestry Territory
  • AGR/11 – General and Applied Entomology
  • AGR/12 – Plant Pathology
  • AGR/13 – Agricultural Chemistry
  • AGR/15 – Food Science and Technology
  • AGR/16 – Agricultural Microbiology
  • AGR/17 – General Animal Husbandry and Genetic Improvement
  • AGR/18 – Animal Nutrition and Feeding
  • AGR/19 – Special Animal Husbandry
  • AGR/20 – Zooculture
  • IUS/03 – Agricultural Law
  • IUS/14 – European Union Law
  • SECS-P/08 – Business Economics and Management
  • VET/01 – Anatomy of Domestic Animals
  • VET/02 – Veterinary Physiology

Applicants must also demonstrate English language proficiency of at least B1 level.

Admission Procedures

1. Candidates who have obtained or will obtain their Bachelor’s degree in Sustainable Agricultural Systems from the University of Brescia according to D.M. 270/04 have their curricular requirements implicitly fulfilled.
2. Candidates holding a degree obtained in Italy under D.M. 509/99 or D.M. 270/04 will undergo verification of curricular requirements through an examination of their academic record, possibly applying simplified and general procedures to recognize equivalences between previously earned credits and those required for the program. General study plan prescriptions may be set, considering previous knowledge and recognized credits for potential shortening of the Master’s degree duration.
3. Candidates holding a degree obtained in Italy under regulations prior to D.M. 509/99 will have their curricular requirements verified by detailed examination of their academic records, establishing correspondences between passed exams and required scientific-disciplinary sectors. The Course Council will explicitly record the outcome of this verification with related motivations.

Admission of EU and International Students

EU citizens residing anywhere and foreign citizens legally residing in Italy with a valid first-level degree obtained abroad may enroll in non-single-cycle Master’s programs without quota restrictions if their degree is recognized as valid under Italian Ministry regulations. Application must be submitted directly to the Student Secretariat according to the university’s procedures and deadlines and accompanied by required documentation. Foreign qualifications must be accompanied by an official Italian translation, legalization, and a declaration of value by the competent Italian diplomatic-consular authority. Documentation certifying the study contents may be submitted untranslated if originally in English, French, or Spanish. Students approved through preliminary evaluation may be exempt from translating documentation in other languages as well.

Admission of Foreign Students Residing Abroad

Rules in Part I, Chapter I of Ministry Regulations apply. Preliminary evaluation of candidacies is possible but does not replace the official enrollment procedure, which involves verification of curricular and personal preparation through original documents submitted via diplomatic-consular authorities. The evaluation’s results and specific indications for eligible candidates will be considered during enrollment.

Orientation for New Students

The degree program participates in orientation initiatives for new students organized both at the macro-area level and university-wide. These initiatives are detailed on a dedicated page of the university portal, which also provides access to specific initiatives by macro-area. Coordination is managed by a working group composed of the Rector’s Delegate for Orientation, Department Orientation Delegates, and staff from a dedicated organizational unit (U.O.C. Orientation). The design and delivery of orientation activities, developed by the U.O.C., are certified according to the UNI EN ISO 9001:2015 standard.

Regular activities, news, and updated initiatives can be consulted on the dedicated
 

Orientation
 

Ongoing Orientation (During the Course of Study)

Tutoring initiatives are organized at the university level according to the annual tutoring plan, which is defined yearly by the University Tutoring Commission and approved by the Academic Senate. The Tutoring Service contributes to ongoing orientation with the aim of improving study progression and identifying critical issues that may lead to student dropouts. The administrative management of the student tutoring service is certified according to the UNI EN ISO 9001:2015 standard and is ensured within the scope of student rights services by a dedicated organizational unit.

Tutoring

Final Examination Characteristics

The Master’s degree in TTEA is awarded upon passing a final examination consisting of the preparation and discussion of an original thesis on topics related to the study program.
The thesis summarizes and illustrates the results obtained by the student following an internship period aimed at the final thesis examination.
This internship can be carried out at a research laboratory of the University of Brescia or, based on specific agreements, at companies or public and private institutions where the student can perform research activities consistent with their educational path.
The final examination therefore consists of a technical report on the activities carried out and the results obtained during the internship.
The dissertation must be original and demonstrate the graduate’s ability to apply in an integrated and transversal way the multidisciplinary skills acquired to define innovative solutions for the ecological transition of agricultural systems.

The organization of the final examination, the procedures for assigning thesis topics, the appointment of supervising professors, and the evaluation criteria are governed by the Study Program’s Academic Regulations.

Admission to the final examination requires the acquisition of all credits provided by the study plan, excluding those obtainable with the final examination itself.

Final Examination Procedure

Students are allowed to carry out their thesis abroad, according to the rules indicated in the specific regulation available on the University website (Teaching section).
In the case of thesis work abroad, the supervisor, a professor from the University of Brescia, proposes to the Course Council the recognition of a portion of the CFU credits related to the final examination acquired abroad.
The proposal for credit acquisition can vary up to a maximum of 11 CFU, based on the research program carried out by the student and the duration of their stay abroad.
These credits will be considered as acquired abroad without any evaluation.
Graduation sessions take place according to the calendar approved annually.