BA/BS in Applied Ecology

The programme trains ecology specialists to understand living nature and its processes, building skills and knowledge spanning ecology and environmental protection and the relationship between organisms and their surroundings, with an emphasis on applying ecological thinking in a context of environmental change and declining biodiversity. Students learn to identify birds and animals, fungi, insects, micro-organisms and plants, as well as soil and forest types, and to assess how economic activity affects ecosystems, species diversity and human health, selecting measures for pollution prevention and biodiversity protection and applying environmental impact assessment and monitoring systems. Professional practice runs across two semesters, the first placed within institutions of the State Service for Protected Areas and the second within the Department of Environmental Protection, alongside a final thesis that together make up a large share of the study-field credits. The programme combines a foundation in life sciences with study of ecosystem management and agriculture, preparing graduates for careers in environmental protection, organic farming and climate-change work, or for continued study at master's level.