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  • Course Overview

    • ECONOMICS AND TECHNOLOGIES FOR SUSTAINABILITY - IN SHORT

      The “Economics and Technologies for Sustainability” master’s degree is an interdisciplinary program addressing global challenges through a blend of economics, technology, and sustainability principles. It focuses on equipping students with skills to tackle pressing issues such as resource scarcity, energy challenges, the transition to a sustainable production, circular economies, and strategies to identify and economically valorize sustainability implementations, and the socio-political aspects of sustainability and its realization.

      Interdisciplinary classes in both economic and natural sciences cover planetary resources, renewable and non-renewable resource economics, environmental economics, sustainable production technologies, concepts of energy generation and storage, carbon neutrality and carbon negativity, waste valorization strategies, sustainability identification, certification systems, sustainability-driven strategies for businesses, socio-political possibilities for implementing sustainability across societies in a changing world.

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    • DETAILED DESCRIPTION

      The proposal for a new Master's Degree Course entitled "Economics and Technologies for Sustainability" arises directly from the need to respond to the growing demand for interdisciplinary skills to address the challenges of environmental sustainability. Consultations with the business world and various organisations have highlighted the lack of a didatic offer that integrates economic, scientific, legal and social aspects of realizing environmental sustainability, responding holistically to the needs of the labor market.

      The Master's Degree Course in Economics and Technologies for Sustainability aims to provide advanced education and training in rapidly evolving fields belonging to both economic sciences and scientific disciplines. The Master's Degree Course provides holistic training in the field of environmental sustainability and its implementation in three key contexts: i) economic and business economic context; ii) context related to the management of renewable and non-renewable resources and production; iii) context related to energy sustainability.

      The program of the Course focuses on the training of a professional figure capable of achieving environmental sustainability in modern societies and communities, covering the skills necessary for its identification, description, implementation, quantification, certification and valorization. The Master's Degree Course aims to train professionals to be experts in sustainability, representing Sustainability Specialists, or Tech-Economists of Sustainability, with advanced skills in the use of cutting-edge methodological tools, both from an operational perspective and in terms of awareness of the interconnections between different disciplines. The program integrates inter and transdisciplinary knowledge essential to address the complex challenges of environmental sustainability and its practical application, covering areas ranging from economics to science, up to including legal and socio-political aspects. The Master's Degree Course therefore provides solid and advanced training in economic and business economics, to allow Master's graduates to manage companies based on the realization of sustainability and to enhance their innovations in the environmental field. With regard to data processing and analysis, the Course provides advanced training, providing in-depth knowledge and skills in the field of statistics, simulations and economic models, in the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning. The Master's Degree Course jointly offers an in-depth study of the key aspects of sustainable management of resources, both renewable and non-renewable, of the production and nature of products in the sense of circular economy, sustainable energy and energy management. These issues will be addressed in the light of modern carbon footprint management and using key concepts such as, for example, assessments based on the life cycle of products (life cycle assessment) and their recycling. The certification of environmental sustainability and its verification are other important topics addressed by the new Master's Degree Course. The socio-political aspects related to the implementation of environmental sustainability in different existing realities, together with the communication of sustainability in various contexts, will be addressed to complete an advanced training in the field of sustainability.

      The Master's Degree Course belongs to the class LM-76 'Economic sciences for the environment and culture', has a duration of two years and provides for the acquisition of 120 university training credits (CFU) required to obtain the title, according to the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). The Master's Degree Course is taught entirely in English and includes mandatory characterizing courses, mandatory multiple-choice courses among related and integrative subjects, the possibility to freely choose one additional course, additional language skills, a mandatory internship and a final thesis. A four-year part-time training program has been prepared for students who cannot attend the Course regularly.

      The Master's Degree Course in Economics and Technologies for Sustainability is not of restricted admission. Admission to the course is based on specific curricular requirements and an assessment of personal preparation through an interview with a commission composed of professors of the Master's Degree Course. A B2 level of knowledge of the English language is also required. The Master's Degree Course is taught in a mixed mode, i.e., will use oth lectures in presence and online, with the latter being synchronous and asynchronous. Different teaching methodologies and delivery methods will be used to carry out lessons and laboratory activities, including group research work, such as: problem-solving activities, decision-making, reflective practice, peer-to-peer learning and flipped-classroom experiences, debates and seminars on issues concerning environmental sustainability and its implementation. The alternation between lessons and laboratories, to introduce and elaborate the various topics almost exclusively in the form of complex case studies that highlight the transdisciplinary nature of the individual aspects of sustainability in the various teachings, will be completed with visits to production sites and practical analyses of processes and products and through interventions by various Italian andforeign experts. The inter- and transdisciplinary approach will be guaranteed by the particular structure of most of the courses that include the presence of multiple modules taught by professors belonging to different scientific-disciplinary sectors, often also in co-presence during the lessons. This type of approach will allow the analysis of the case studies presented from multiple points of view, providing a holistic vision of the environmental sustainability issues addressed.

      Upon completion of the course, Master's graduates are awarded the title of Master of Economics and Technologies for Sustainability. This qualification allows access to second level Masters and PhDs in both Economics and Science offered by the University of Milan-Bicocca or other national and international academic institutions, according to the rules established by the respective institutions.

      The acquisition of theoretical and practical knowledge in both economic and scientific disciplines relating to the opportunities and challenges linked to the achievement of environmental sustainability represents a distinctive element in the Italian panorama of master's degrees belonging to this class or similar classes. This Course is in fact the only one in Italy designed to train the holistic figure of the Sustainability Specialist, an expert in technologies and applied economics, representing the Techeconomist of sustainability at a national and international level.

       

      Only the first year of the master's program will be activated in the academic year 2025/2026.

  • Leaflet

  • Dear candidate, welcome!

    HOW TO BE ADMITTED
    To be eligible for admission to the Master's Degree Program in Economics and Technologies for Sustainability, applicants must meet certain curricular requirements and attend an interview to assess their academic background.

    ADMISSION PROCEDURES AND DEADLINES 

     

    CURRICULAR REQUIREMENTS

     

    CANDIDATES WITH A FOREIGN DEGREE

    For candidates who have completed their education outside Italy, applications for the Master's Degree Program in Economics and Technologies for Sustainability for the A.Y. 2025-2026 will be managed through the DreamApply portal.

    This platform is intended exclusively for Italian and international candidates with qualifications obtained abroad.

     

    For the 2025-2026 selection process, candidates with foreign qualifications will have access to earlier admission calls compared to candidates with Italian qualifications.

     

    Admission to the Master's Degree Program in Economics and Technologies for Sustainability requires a bachelor's degree (minimum 3 years) from an accredited college or university. The application is evaluated by the Admissions Committee on a case-by-case basis, considering the candidate's academic record (transcript of records), that should contain at least 36 ECTS in one or more of the following relevant academic disciplines, ideally including 18 ECTS from courses covering economics and/or mathematical-statistical sciences:

    • ECONOMICS 
    • BUSINESS 
    • MATHEMATICAL-STATISTICAL SCIENCES 
    • SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINES  
    • LEGAL DISCIPLINES 
    • ENVIRONMENTAL-CULTURAL DISCIPLINES.

     

    Additionally, proficiency in English at a level equivalent to or higher than B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is required to access the Master's degree program.

    The English language proficiency requirement is considered fulfilled if the candidate:

    ·         holds a certification, recognized by the University, issued by an accredited institution, corresponding to B2 level or higher;

    ·         has obtained a degree entirely or predominantly taught in English;

    ·         holds a passport from one of the following countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Malta, New Zealand, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, USA.

    Candidates need to register and apply for admission on the DreamApply portal. Eligible candidates will receive interview details via a DreamApply notification.

     

     

    CANDIDATES WITH AN ITALIAN DEGREE

    Admission to the Master's Degree Program in Economics and Technologies for Sustainability requires a bachelor's degree in one of the following classes (former DM 270/04 or former DM 509/99):

    • Class L-18 Economics and Business Management or Class 17 Economics and Business Management;

    • Class L-32 Environmental and Nature Sciences and Technologies or Class 27 Environmental and Nature Sciences and Technologies;

    • Class L-33 Economics or Class 28 Economics.


    Applicants who have obtained a degree in a different class are required to have at least 36 ECTS in the following academic disciplines (SSD, settori scientifico-disciplinari): SECS-P/01, SECS-P/06, SECS-P/08; SECS-S/01; GEO/04, GEO/05, GEO/09; BIO/01, BIO/05, BIO/07; CHIM/03, CHIM/06, with at least 18 ECTS credits in SECS-P/01, SECS-P/06, SECS-P/08; SECS-S/01.

     

    Additionally, proficiency in English at a level equivalent to or higher than B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is required to access the Master's degree program.

    The English language proficiency requirement is considered fulfilled if the candidate:

    ·         holds a certification, recognized by the University, issued by an accredited institution, corresponding to level B2 or higher;

    ·         has obtained the B2 English Open Badge from the University of Milano-Bicocca;

    ·         has achieved a B2 level in English by taking the language test at the University of Milano-Bicocca;

    ·         has obtained a degree entirely or predominantly taught in English;

    ·        holds a passport from one of the following countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Malta, New Zealand, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, USA.

    Candidates need to register and apply for admission on the SegreterieOnline portal. More detailed information regarding the application procedure is given here.

    Eligible candidates will receive interview details via a notification mail.

     

     

    ADMISSION INTERVIEW

     

    The assessment interview of the candidate's personal preparation, which will be open only to candidates who meet the required curricular requirements and provide proof of English language proficiency, will be conducted in English and will cover the following topics:

    • Basic theories and concepts of microeconomics, macroeconomics, and business accounting;
    • Basic theories and concepts of ecology, including ecosystems, the biogeochemical cycle, population dynamics, r and k strategies, autoecology, and synecology;
    • Basic theories and concepts of biology, including biological resources, biodiversity, the concept of species, and elements of the history of life on earth;
    • Basic theories and concepts of chemistry, including material classification, the periodic table and periodicity of element properties, chemical bonds, chemical equilibrium, acids and bases, carbon reactivity;
    • Basic theories and concepts of geology, related to climate phenomena and georesources.

     

    To prepare for the interview, candidates should consider their educational background. If necessary, they can address any eventual gaps using the recommended readings available here.

     

    Since the Master's Degree Program in Economics and Technologies for Sustainability is highly interdisciplinary, the questions are not only meant to assess how well candidates are prepared in their field of study at the bachelor’s level, but also to test their flexibility and how well they can answer questions on topics outside the scope of their bachelor's degree, using their general knowledge.

     

     

     

  • Attendance

    Attendance to laboratory activities and classroom exercises is mandatory for at least 75% of the hours scheduled for each course.
    Any exceptions may be granted in exceptional cases, at the discretion of the course instructor.
    For other educational activities, attendance is not mandatory; however, it is strongly recommended.

  • Part-time Students

    The course offers part-time enrollment according to the procedures defined in Article 12 of the Student Regulations of the University of Milan-Bicocca. This is intended to ensure that students who cannot attend regularly have the opportunity to extend their study program for a number of years equal to twice the normal duration of the course. According to the aforementioned regulations, the number of credits that can be earned may not exceed the amount specified for each individual year, even in the presence of exemptions, recognitions, or exams not taken in previous years.

  • Foreign Students

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