,,- Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende (CS), Italy;
The complexity of modern environmental challenges requires a new generation of professionals capable of acting as a bridge between companies, public institutions, and the territory. Traditional academic curricula often struggle to integrate the hard sciences with the regulatory and technical skills required by the labor market. To address this gap, the University of Calabria has developed the 2nd Level Master’s degree in "Methodologies and Techniques for Environmental Protection and Management" (META).
This contribution presents the pedagogical structure and the educational objectives of the Master’s program, now in its second edition. The course is designed to train "Environmental Technicians": polyhedral professionals able to manage the interactions between anthropogenic activities and ecosystem components. The curriculum adopts a strong transdisciplinary approach, integrating modules on environmental geochemistry, geothermics, and water treatment, with petrography, geobiology, and mineralogy.
A distinctive feature of the program is its focus on specific geo-environmental health hazards, including dedicated modules on Asbestos and Health and Natural Radioactivity/Radon, which are often overlooked in standard degree courses. These theoretical foundations are combined with advanced technical training in data processing, geostatistics, and Spatial Analysis using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) , as well as a comprehensive overview of European and Italian environmental legislation.
The teaching methodology utilizes a mixed-mode approach (blended learning) to facilitate professional development. The program culminates in a mandatory internship (part of the 1500-hour workload) within companies, ensuring that students can directly apply acquired skills—such as designing monitoring networks for water, soil, and air pollution, and planning remediation interventions —in real-world scenarios. We discuss the outcomes of this educational model as a case study for higher education in geosciences.
This work is funded under the Territorial Agreements for advanced training in companies (Art. 14 bis, paragraph 2, of D.L. 152/2021) – CUP H22C24000120001
How to cite: Apollaro, C., Fuoco, I., Vespasiano, G., and Bloise, A.: Bridging academic training and professional practice in environmental protection: the multidisciplinary approach of the "META" master’s degree, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-17341, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-17341, 2026.
