Master in Environmental Hazard and Disaster Risk Management at Polytechnic University of Marche
Two-year English-taught LM-75 master's at Marche Polytechnic University in Ancona on environmental risk assessment, disaster risk reduction, emergency planning and civil protection. Entry needs a related degree or 40 science and engineering credits, and English at B2.
Master
2 years
Ancona
English
Polytechnic University of Marche
Environmental Hazard and Disaster Risk Management is a two-year, 120 ECTS master's degree (class LM-75 R) taught entirely in English at Marche Polytechnic University in Ancona. Entry needs a related degree, a foreign degree judged suitable or 40 credits across science and engineering groups, plus English at B2 and an online interview where required. Fees depend on citizenship and income, and it can be tuition-free for eligible students.
Entry requirements
Detailed entry requirements
Environmental Hazard and Disaster Risk Management is open access with a check of your curriculum and preparation. You need a three-year degree in a listed class, a foreign degree the admissions commission judges suitable, or at least 40 credits across three science and engineering groups, plus English at B2, and the commission may assess you through an online interview. Reviewed 8 October 2026. [1]
Degree and credit requirements
You need a bachelor's degree of at least three years, or a foreign qualification recognised as suitable, and you must meet the curricular requirements. [1] For 2026/27, the course was open to graduates who meet at least one of these three conditions: [2]
- A degree in a listed class: Italian bachelor's classes L-7 (civil and environmental engineering), L-13 (biology), L-21 (planning), L-25 (agriculture and forestry), L-26 (food science and technology), L-27 (chemistry), L-32 (environmental sciences) or L-34 (geology), or master's classes LM-6, LM-10, LM-35, LM-48, LM-54, LM-60, LM-69, LM-70, LM-73, LM-74, LM-75, LM-79 or LM-80.
- A foreign qualification that the admissions commission recognises as suitable.
- At least 40 CFU across three subject groups, counting 5 to 25 CFU from each: maths, physics, computing and information engineering (MAT, FIS, INF, ING-INF); biology, chemistry, agriculture and veterinary science (BIO, CHIM, AGR, VET); and earth sciences, civil engineering and industrial engineering (GEO, ICAR, ING-IND).
What this means for your transcript
Univpm counts one CFU as 25 hours of student work, and the commission looks at your subjects, not just your total. [1] As a guide, based on the rule above:
- Usually a fit: a B.Sc. in Environmental Science, Geology, Biology, Chemistry, Agriculture or Forestry, a B.Tech or B.E. in Civil or Environmental Engineering, or a bachelor's in planning.
- Check carefully: a B.Tech or B.E. in Mechanical, Electrical or Computer Engineering, or a B.Sc. in Physics or Mathematics. These often cover the maths and engineering groups but need at least 5 credits in biology, chemistry or agriculture.
- Often short: a BCA, B.Com, BBA or BA, which rarely include at least 5 credits in each of the three groups.
English
You need English at B2 or an equivalent level. You can show it with a recognised certificate, as a native English speaker, or with a first-level degree of at least three years taught in English. Otherwise you can pass an aptitude test. [2]
Univpm checks the requirement at the pre-evaluation stage. Certificates that cannot be verified online or have expired are not accepted, and master's applicants without an accepted certificate or English-medium degree take a test at the university language centre, at B2 for science programmes. [3]
Preparation check and interview
There is no written entrance test. Graduates in one of the listed Italian classes with a final grade of 90/110 or more meet the preparation requirement. Everyone else, including holders of foreign degrees and those who qualify through the 40-credit rule, is assessed by the admissions commission. [2]
The assessment is an individual interview held online on Zoom or Teams. Univpm's international admission guidelines mark this course with an interview, and if you are invited, you book your slot through the pre-evaluation portal. [2][3]
2026/27 deadlines
For 2026/27, Univpm ran these pre-evaluation rounds for open-access courses: [3]
- Round 1: 16 December 2025 to 30 January 2026, open to all international students.
- Round 2: 1 March to 30 April 2026, open to all international students.
- Round 3: 8 to 30 June 2026, open to all international students.
- Round 4: 1 to 31 July 2026, open to students from listed countries, including India.
Univpm says an outcome takes at least 45 days. Enrolment opened in mid July 2026. The 2027/28 rounds are not yet published, and pre-admissions cannot be deferred to a later year. [3]
Documents and non-EU steps
All international students must apply through Univpm's pre-evaluation portal, for up to two programmes. You upload your full transcript or Diploma Supplement, and a CV is optional. If you have not graduated yet, you give the expected date of your degree. Univpm strongly encourages uploading a declaration of value or a CIMEA statement. [3]
Non-EU applicants who need a visa and receive a positive outcome must complete Universitaly pre-enrolment to obtain the study visa. [3]
Your degree and transcript must be legalised or carry an apostille, or you can request a CIMEA Statement of Verification instead. If your country is outside the Lisbon Recognition Convention, you also need a declaration of value from the Italian mission or a CIMEA Statement of Comparability. Applicants from Lisbon Convention countries provide an ARDI statement of correspondence. [4]
Sources and verification
Checked by the ApplyAZ admissions team against the university's official documents listed below. Entry rules can change with each new call, and we re-check them before every application.
- Marche Polytechnic University, Department of Life and Environmental Sciences. Course regulations, Master's degree in Environmental Hazard and Disaster Risk Management (class LM-75 R), 2026/2027 cohort. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- Marche Polytechnic University, Department of Life and Environmental Sciences. Admission criteria, Master's degree in Environmental Hazard and Disaster Risk Management, academic year 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- Marche Polytechnic University, International admissions: pre-evaluation calls, admission guidelines and English language requirement, academic year 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- Marche Polytechnic University, International students FAQ on fees, pre-evaluation and documents, undated. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- Marche Polytechnic University, Environmental Hazard and Disaster Risk Management programme page, undated. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
About the programme
Environmental Hazard and Disaster Risk Management is a two-year master's degree (laurea magistrale, class LM-75 R, sciences and technologies for the environment and territory) worth 120 ECTS. [1]
It is run by the Department of Life and Environmental Sciences (DiSVA) of Marche Polytechnic University in Ancona and is delivered entirely in English. [1] Its official Italian title is Rischio Ambientale e Protezione Civile.
The course trains professionals who manage environmental degradation and extreme natural events such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides and floods in an integrated way, linking the scientific, legal and managerial sides of emergencies.
It continues Univpm's bachelor in Environmental Sciences and Civil Protection and is open to graduates of related science, engineering and planning degrees.
What you will study
Risk runs through the whole plan: chemical and industrial, geological, climatic, biological and ecological. The first year builds risk assessment and monitoring skills, and the second year moves to disaster reduction and emergency management. Units in the 2026/27 plan include:
- Energy and Environmental Sustainability (integrated course, 12 ECTS)
- Chemical and Industrial Risk, and Biological and Ecological Risk (8 ECTS each)
- GIS for Environmental Hazard and Disaster Risk Management, and Artificial Intelligence for Environmental Management
- Environmental Impact Assessment and Monitoring (integrated course, 10 ECTS)
- Geological Hazard in a Changing Climate, and Climate Change and Natural Hazard
- Disaster Risk Reduction and Combined Approaches to Disaster Management (integrated course, 12 ECTS)
- Waste Management and Environmental Remediation, and Nature Conservation and Management of Protected Areas
How the programme is taught
Laboratory and field exercises sit alongside lectures, together with practical activities in environmental monitoring, telecommunications, remote sensing, firefighting techniques and emergencies at sea.
The first year includes a 4 ECTS internship and 4 ECTS of elective professional activities, and the second year ends with a 14 ECTS thesis.
The degree has 12 exams, and attendance is compulsory only for the internship. The thesis is original work under a supervisor, carried out in a university lab or, where the department agrees, at another university or organisation in Italy or abroad. [1]
The faculty lists lectures as on site and online, with the online option limited to purely theoretical subjects. [5] Some lecturers work with bodies linked to civil and environmental protection, such as the regional environmental protection agency (ARPA).
Career paths
The degree prepares risk and civil protection specialists for public bodies and companies. The course page names these roles:
- Coordinator and planner of environmental monitoring activities
- Coordinator of civil protection activities
- Emergency planner who develops emergency plans
- Expert in environmental management and restoration, or in environmental impact assessment
- Person in charge of environmental issues inside companies
Graduates can sit the state exams for the Italian professional registers of biologists, geologists, planners, agronomists and foresters, and can continue to Univpm's PhD in Sciences, which has a civil and environmental protection curriculum.
Fees and scholarships
Tuition at Univpm depends on nationality and income. The international FAQ sets a reduced flat rate for non-EU citizens of non-OECD countries who hold a study visa, and the same rate applies in later years if you earn the required credits by 10 August. [4]
Citizens of OECD countries are assessed on an ISEE parificato, otherwise they pay the maximum for the course. [4] ERDIS Marche, the regional agency, runs the income-based scholarship call each summer, so this degree can be tuition-free for eligible students.
How to apply from outside the EU
Admission checks your curriculum: a foreign degree is reviewed by the admissions commission, which assesses your preparation through an individual online interview, and Univpm's international guidelines list an interview for this course. English at B2 is required. [2][3]
We start with a pre-evaluation on Univpm's pre-evaluation portal (up to two programmes). For 2026/27, the open-access rounds ran from 16 December 2025 to 30 June 2026, and a fourth round from 1 to 31 July 2026 was open to students from listed countries, including India. Univpm says an outcome takes at least 45 days. [3]
With a positive outcome we complete your Universitaly pre-enrolment, and you apply for a type D study visa. In 2026/27, enrolment opened in mid July 2026, and the 2027/28 rounds are not published yet. Univpm strongly encourages uploading a declaration of value or a CIMEA statement with the application. [3]
How ApplyAZ helps
ApplyAZ is an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities. We can include this programme in a shortlist of 20 to 30 English-taught programmes that fit your profile, so your plan never rests on a single application.
For eligible students who start with us, a named person owns each stage, from A to Z:
- We check your transcript against Univpm's entry rules for this programme.
- We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose.
- We prepare and submit your pre-evaluation application and Universitaly pre-enrolment.
- We help you declare your family income for reduced fees and file your ERDIS Marche scholarship application at the right time and in the right format.
- We prepare your visa file.
With operations in all 20 Italian regions, we follow each region's scholarship rules and deadlines as they change. The university decides admission, the region decides the scholarship and the consulate decides the visa, so no one can promise an outcome. You pay in milestones, and every service you pay for is either delivered or its fee is refunded (terms apply).
Programmes at Italian public universities can be tuition-free for eligible students. Check if you are eligible and book a one-to-one consultation session with one of our Italy experts, or see how ApplyAZ works.
Questions and answers
What bachelor's degree do I need for Environmental Hazard and Disaster Risk Management at Univpm?
A degree of at least three years that meets one of three conditions: a listed class such as environmental sciences, geology, biology, chemistry, agriculture, planning or civil and environmental engineering; a foreign degree the commission judges suitable; or 40 credits across maths and computing, life and chemical sciences, and earth sciences or engineering. [2]
Is there an entrance exam?
No written test. Italian graduates of the listed classes with 90/110 or more meet the preparation check. Other applicants, including those with foreign degrees, are assessed by the admissions commission through an individual online interview. [2][3]
What English level is required? Do I need IELTS?
English at B2 or equivalent, shown with a recognised certificate, native speaker status or a three-year degree taught in English, or by passing an aptitude test. Univpm checks this at pre-evaluation, and we check which proof your file can use. [2][3]
When is the deadline for non-EU students?
For 2026/27, the open-access rounds ran from 16 December 2025 to 30 January, 1 March to 30 April and 8 to 30 June 2026, with a July round for listed countries, including India. The 2027/28 rounds are not yet published. [3]
Can I apply before I graduate?
Yes. Univpm's admission guidelines let final-year students give the expected date of their degree when they apply for pre-evaluation, together with their transcript so far. We follow up your final degree documents once you graduate. [3]
I have a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering or a BCA. Can I apply?
Possibly, through the 40-credit rule. A mechanical engineering degree often covers the maths and engineering groups but needs at least 5 credits in biology, chemistry or agriculture. A BCA rarely covers the life science and earth science groups. [2]
What topics does the course cover?
Chemical, industrial, geological, climatic, biological and fire risk, environmental sustainability and renewable energy, environmental law and monitoring, waste management and remediation, civil protection, disaster prevention and emergency planning. [5]
How are the fees set?
Univpm's international FAQ sets a reduced flat rate for non-EU citizens of non-OECD countries who hold a study visa. Citizens of OECD countries are assessed on an ISEE parificato. ERDIS Marche scholarships are open to eligible students. [4]
Can someone handle my whole application to Environmental Hazard and Disaster Risk Management at Univpm?
Yes. ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, checks your transcript against Univpm's rules for this programme, handles the application and Universitaly pre-enrolment, helps you file the ERDIS Marche scholarship application at the right time and in the right format, and prepares your visa file, for eligible students. Start by checking your eligibility.
I'm applying from India. What is the route into Environmental Hazard and Disaster Risk Management?
A recognised Indian bachelor's in environmental science, geology, biology, chemistry or agriculture, or a B.Tech or B.E. in Civil or Environmental Engineering, is the closest fit. Other degrees need at least 40 credits across maths and computing, life and chemical sciences, and earth sciences or engineering. You also need English at B2. The steps are the online pre-evaluation, an interview if invited, and Universitaly pre-enrolment. [2][3] Indian students apply for the type D study visa at the Italian embassy or consulate that covers their state, such as New Delhi, Mumbai or Bengaluru.
Is the route different from Pakistan, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka?
No. The academic rules for Environmental Hazard and Disaster Risk Management are the same whatever your nationality. Applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka follow the same steps as India: online pre-evaluation, an interview if invited, and Universitaly pre-enrolment, then a type D study visa from the Italian mission for their country of residence. Read our guide for students in Dhaka.
I live in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman or Bahrain. Where do I apply for the visa?
At the Italian embassy or consulate responsible for the country where you legally live, after Universitaly pre-enrolment. The academic rules for Environmental Hazard and Disaster Risk Management are the same whatever your nationality, and Gulf residents follow the same steps: online pre-evaluation, an interview if invited, and Universitaly pre-enrolment. Read our guides for Dubai, Riyadh and Doha.
I studied or live in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Singapore or Kuala Lumpur. What is the route?
The academic rules for Environmental Hazard and Disaster Risk Management are the same whatever your nationality, and your degree is assessed like any other foreign qualification. Non-EU applicants who live abroad follow the same route: online pre-evaluation, an interview if invited, and Universitaly pre-enrolment, then a type D study visa from the Italian mission for where they live. Read our guides for students in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
More English-taught programmes at this university
Other public universities in this city
They began right where you are
