Master in Environmental Sustainability and Education at University of Padua
Padua natural sciences master with an English-taught Sustainable Environment curriculum on environmental monitoring and management, from wildlife monitoring and biogeography to remote sensing and environmental assessment.
Master
2 years
Padua
Multiple
University of Padua
Environmental Sustainability and Education is a two-year, 120 ECTS master's degree (class LM-60-R) at the University of Padua whose Sustainable Environment curriculum and common courses are taught in English; a second curriculum is in Italian. Non-EU students with family abroad pay a fixed €2,990 a year (2026/27), waived for regional scholarship winners.
Entry requirements
- A bachelor's degree of at least three years (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline, with a solid background in mathematics, physics and chemistry, and in either biological sciences or geosciences.
- Entry documents in English or Italian, and a final grade that meets the minimum the university sets for your country.
- English at B2 level of the CEFR, with a certificate from the university's accepted list unless an exemption applies.
- No entrance test: admission is open to applicants who meet the requirements, which are checked on your application file.
- An online application on apply.unipd.it with your transcript, degree certificate, CV, motivation letter and English certificate; legalised documents are not needed at this stage.
About the programme
Environmental Sustainability and Education is a two-year, 120 ECTS master's degree in class LM-60-R (Natural Sciences), run by the Department of Biology within the School of Science in Padua, with open admission for applicants who meet the requirements. It trains professionals who can understand, monitor and manage natural systems in a context of rapid global change, and communicate environmental topics to different audiences.
The degree is taught in Italian and English. All students start with a set of common courses delivered in English, then follow one of two curricula: Sustainable Environment, taught in English, or Teaching and Communication, taught in Italian. Sustainable Environment is the fully English path. It focuses on environmental monitoring and management, with modern survey techniques for fauna, flora, geology and geomorphology, including remote sensing. It suits graduates in biology, natural sciences or geosciences.
What you will study
The course integrates biology and geology with quantitative methods. Units listed on the admissions portal for the English path include:
- Applied Ecology and Ecosystem Services
- Past Climate and Climate Change
- Environmental Biogeography
- Georesources and Geoheritage in the Anthropocene
- Ethics and Environmental Economics
- Applied Statistics for Natural Sciences, and Methods for Wildlife Monitoring
- Remote Sensing of Environment (second year)
- Conservation, Restoration and Remediation, and Environmental Assessment and Evaluation (second year)
How the programme is taught
Teaching combines lectures, laboratory and field activities and innovative methods, with attention to experimental techniques and direct field experience. The second year adds elective courses, an internship and the thesis.
Career paths
The university lists careers in private companies, public agencies, NGOs and research institutions, and says the degree is also a good foundation for PhD programmes. The fields it names are:
- Environmental consulting
- Biodiversity conservation
- Environmental monitoring
- Environmental impact assessment
- Sustainability
Fees and scholarships
This School of Science degree is in fee Group B. Under the 2026/27 fee call, non-EU students whose household is abroad pay a fixed €2,990 a year, cut to €996.66 for citizens of countries on the ministry's list of particularly poor countries. The ISEE parificato lowers only the regional tax. Veneto regional scholarship winners are exempt from the fee, which means zero euro tuition for eligible students; the scholarship is administered by the University of Padua. See the fees page.
How to apply from outside the EU
Apply on apply.unipd.it with your transcript, degree certificate, CV, motivation letter and English certificate, and pay the €60 fee; legalised documents come later. For 2027/28, non-EU applicants living abroad can apply from 15 September to 15 November 2026 or from 1 December 2026 to 1 March 2027. The third call, in spring 2027, is only for EU citizens and non-EU residents of Italy.
Once admitted, you pay a non-refundable €208 to accept the place, complete the Universitaly pre-enrolment and apply for a type D study visa. By 31 August 2027 your degree and transcript must be legalised, apostilled or verified by CIMEA. Classes start on 1 October 2027.
How ApplyAZ helps
If this programme fits your goals, ApplyAZ can include it in a shortlist of 20 to 30 English-taught programmes at Italian public universities. We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose, submit your applications and Universitaly pre-enrolment, file your DSU scholarship application and prepare your visa file, with a named person on each stage. The university decides admission, the region decides the scholarship and the consulate decides the visa. See how ApplyAZ works or check your eligibility.
Questions and answers
Is the degree fully taught in English?
Not all of it. The common courses and the Sustainable Environment curriculum are taught in English, while the Teaching and Communication curriculum is taught in Italian. You can complete the degree in English by following Sustainable Environment.
What will I study in the English curriculum?
Applied ecology and ecosystem services, past climate and climate change, biogeography, georesources, environmental economics, statistics and wildlife monitoring, then remote sensing, conservation and restoration, and environmental assessment, with fieldwork, an internship and a thesis.
Which bachelor's degrees are accepted?
A degree of at least three years in a relevant discipline, with a solid background in mathematics, physics and chemistry, and in either biological sciences or geosciences. Your grade must meet the minimum set for your country.
When can I apply for 2027/28?
Non-EU applicants living abroad can apply on apply.unipd.it from 15 September to 15 November 2026 or from 1 December 2026 to 1 March 2027. The fee is €60 and classes start on 1 October 2027.
How much are the fees?
For 2026/27, non-EU students with family abroad pay a fixed €2,990 a year, or €996.66 if from a country on the ministry's list of particularly poor countries. Veneto regional scholarship winners are exempt from the fee.
What jobs do graduates do?
The university names environmental consulting, biodiversity conservation, environmental monitoring, environmental impact assessment and sustainability roles in private companies, public agencies, NGOs and research institutions, and PhD study.
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