Technology - Environmental Physics and Renewable Energy - master

300 credits, taught in Norwegian. Contact: Department for Mathematical Sciences and Technology (IMT), www.umb.no/imt

The programme gives the students a combination of qualifications in both the natural sciences and technology, qualifications which are required by society for operation and innovation within businesses, management and research. The study programme represents a continuation of the previously offered civil engineering programme, and at UMB it emphasises topics which are central to the maintenance and development of a sustainable society.Upon programme completion, the students are qualified to work within private technical consultancy firms and producers/distributors, as well as in communal and state-owned technical departments and directorates. The candidates can also work within education (provided that the requirements for pedagogical qualification is fulfilled), research institutes, universities and university high schools. The Master?s degree qualifies students to apply for enrolment into Ph.D. studies within the scientific field.

Admission requirements
Higher Education Entrance Qualification and specific courses within science and mathematics from upper secondary school is a requirement. Acceptance to the higher level is open to students with a 3-year Bachelor\'s degree in Technology/relevant education of at least 180 credits. This has to include at least 27 credits of Mathematics (including Math 3, from an engineering college). Applicants with relevant background for the specialisation can normally complete the programme in two years. For applicants with an educational background only partially relevant to the specialisation, the study period may exceed two years. The study programme is taught in Norwegian and applicants who do not have Norwegian as their native language must document sufficient Norwegian skills to be admitted.

Internationalisation, studies abroad and exhange agreements
The department recommends students to take a semester or a year abroad on one of our bilateral or ERASMUS agreements. This should preferably be done in the 3rd or 4th year of study. Many scientists are active in international fora and this contributes to the development of their research area.A study period abroad can be arranged during the 3rd or 4th year. Relevant teaching institutions include: the Institute for Mathematical Modelling at the Danish Technical University and the Mathematical Department at the Kungliga Tekniska Høgskolan in Stockholm.

Related studies
The study programme is related to similar study programmes in technology at NTNU and will lead to the same degree.

Learning goals
Upon programme completion, the candidates should have acquired the qualifications necessary to become key employees, specialists, within businesses where the combination of natural science and technology plays an important part. They shall have sufficient theoretical knowledge in order to solve assignments and gain further knowledge on their own. They should also have developed practical ability in technology and methodology, so that they can go straight to productive work. The candidates shall have basic knowledge of mathematics, physics and computer science. They shall be able to understand the physical basis for sensors/ data acquisition, and be able to use mathematics and computer science in the presentation, analysis and interpretation of data sets. The candidates shall be able to plan and perform data acquisition, treatment, analysis and interpretation of data. The knowledge should be applicable in an experimental situation with a topic from the central projects in environmental physics, energy use, cycles, or food science at UMB. Modern computer technology is actively used in this process. The students will receive training in designing and analysing mathematical models for processes in for example physics, biology, technology and work with other problems based on one of the applied sciences represented at UMB. Computer-based calculations shall play an important role. The candidates shall be able to judge, evaluate and argue around themes regarding scientific questions. In addition, they shall be able to understand how natural science and basic knowledge in physics can be used in order to understand and describe nature and to understand, use and develop technology. The candidates should have a scientific platform within the central environmental political questions, but should also be able to understand that physics, computer science and mathematics are man-made tools used for investigating nature, that are dependent on our modelling and input. Nature always holds the ?answer key?.

Teaching and evaluation methods
The programme includes the following teaching methods: 1) Lectures. 2) Lectures given by the students in connection with presentation of their semester assignments. During the work on their Master\'s theses, meetings are arranged where the students present their work. 3) Demonstrations. 4) Group work in relation to topics, methods, computer-models. 5) Exercises taken from previous examination papers or other relevant exercises. 6) Work in laboratory. 7) Participation in seminars. 8) Excursions. 9) Study trips.Some courses have a written examination, while others have an oral examination. Grades (A-F) are mostly used, but also passed/failed in some courses. Assessment of completed assignments (with high relevance for the profession) is considered to be a very natural assessment method, and will still be used extensively. In the final part of the programme, the students will do an independent assignment that shall show their understanding, reflection and maturity.

Programme content
The programme encompasses basic common courses, Examen Philosophicum, introductory courses, statistics, economics and social science (together 40 credits). Courses giving 200 credits in total (at least 60 credits in physics and at least 50 credits in mathematics). Up to 60 credits in physics, computer science, mathematics (FIM) at the 200 level shall be chosen according to: a) preferred knowledge required for enrolling in certain 300-level courses, b) the topic for the Master\'s thesis, c) goal of the programme. The last academic year will include the work with the thesis (30 credits) and courses at the 300 level (30 credits out of which 15 in physics).

Student advising

Evaluation